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Sect must demolish giant pink teapot

New Straits Times, Malasia
May 26, 2005
www.nst.com.my

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Thursday May 26, 2005

‘Sky Kingdom’ Under Threat

KUALA TERENGGANU, Wed. – 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. 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.

Pink Teapot

[The] six-acre commune, dominated by a building about the size of a two-story house, shaped like a giant pink teapot. Next to it is an umbrella shaped building and an assortment of other objects, such as a fishing boat and an oversized vase containing “holy” water.

- Malaysia’s Teapot Cult Stands in Face of Staunch Islamic Tradition

Ayah Pin and his followers – he claims to have several thousand in Malaysia, Singapore, Bali and beyond – say the two-storey-high teapot was inspired by the dreams of one of the cult’s followers, and reflects a similar vessel in the sky which God uses to shower his blessings on mankind. Followers who come to the village for the first time have to drink “holy water” pouring from a giant vase that is perpetually filled by the teapot.

- Sect where blessings pour from a teapot

“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.