BESUT, July 10 (Bernama) — The Ayah Pin sect, a deviant group active in Ulu Besut here, is considering taking legal action against the Terengganu Islamic Affairs Department (MAIT) for detaining its followers recently and intending to charge them in the Syariah Court, a spokesman for the group, Rosli Abdul Samad, said Sunday.
He claimed that the action of MAIT went contrary to the law as the followers were detained without reason outside the sect’s commune known as the Sky Kingdom.
“I was walking outside the area when I was detained, when in fact, they didn’t know where I was heading,” he told Bernama when met at the commune.
Also present were several senior members of the group, including one known as “Abang Nor” and another called “Pak Ku Muda”, who questioned the presence of a Bernama reporter there.
“We have left it to our lawyers to study the type of action to be taken to clear our name,” said Rosli, a former drummer of a popular rock band.
In a massive operation at the sect’s commune on July 2, MAIT with the assistance of police detained 21 followers of Ayah Pin, whose real name is Ariffin Muhamad. Ayah Pin eluded arrest.
They were released on police bail and will be charged in the Syariah Court in September for being members of a group that has been classified as deviant by the National Fatwa Council.
Meanwhile, the commune has been fenced with barbed wire and has come under heavy guard by Ayah Pin’s followers.
Anyone wanting to meet the 65-year-old Ayah Pin has to first get clearance before being allowed to enter the commune.