Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia - The "Sky Kingdom" sect led by Ariffin Mohamad has until Sunday to demolish illegal structures found at an oil palm plantation owned by the group in Kampung La, Besut.
Archive Since 1991 If they don’t, the Besut District Council will seek a court order to demolish the structures, which include a large tea pot, a giant umbrella and a concrete boat.
District officer Wan Zahari Wan Ngah said they were deemed illegal as no such structures were allowed to be built on agriculture land.
"A notice has been issued as the land owner has violated the conditions on the use of the land. The one-month deadline is sufficient," he told the New Straits Times here today.
"What’s a large teapot, giant umbrella and a concrete boat doing on agricultural land?"
Ariffin, better known as "Ayah Pin", and several of his followers were declared apostates by the court and spent two years in jail for deviant activities in 1998.
The sect became active in the early 1990s, with its operations centred on Kampung La.
Among the structures constructed by the group are a large pink teapot, a concrete replica of a longboat, a "palace" where followers gathered to chant, a large orange umbrella, bridges and a wakaf (shelter).
A follower who declined to reveal his name said the structures would not be demolished.
The man said Ayah Pin did not want to speak to the local media as he claimed newspapers had published "a lot of lies" about the group.
He said the sect leader had engaged a lawyer