Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - The Internal Security Ministry has asked all state governments to monitor and act against Sky Kingdom deviationist cult leader Ayah Pin and his followers.
Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Noh Omar said the government had reasons to believe that some of the cult's teachings had spread outside its base of Terengganu.
"Since the Terengganu State Fatwa Council has ruled that their teachings are deviant, we have asked all state governments to use existing laws to prosecute Ayah Pin and his followers."
"We will also continue setting up roadblocks where Ayah Pin’s headquarters is believed to be," he said at the Parliament lobby Monday, in response to the arrest of 21 Sky Kingdom cult members on Saturday including a police inspector and a woman believed to be Ayah Pin’s fourth wife.
"Although we have yet to arrest Ayah Pin, we are closely monitoring his activities. We know where he is," he said, adding that the man was still in the country.
On whether the Internal Security Act (ISA) would be used to detain them, Noh said:
"It is not the time yet to use ISA as we can still curb Ayah Pin’s activities by using current laws."
Terengganu Islam Hadhari Development Committee deputy chairman Muhammad Ramli Nuh was quoted as saying on Sunday that four of the followers would be charged under the Syariah Criminal Offence Enactment (Takzir) 2001 for possessing documents that humiliate Islamic teachings while the remaining followers would be charged for breaking a state fatwa which ruled that the teaching was deviant.