More than a year after 66-year-old cult leader Ayah Pin had gone into hiding, the Sky Kingdom is now believed to have a new and younger head.
Harian Metro reported that the new leader of the deviationist sect is a former police chief inspector in his 30s, and a devoted follower of Ayah Pin whose real name is Ariffin Mohamad.
On his own initiative, he took up the role as “protector” of the sect members following the disappearance of Ayah Pin after the structures of the Sky Kingdom commune were torn down by the authorities on July 31 last year.
It was said that the new leader would deal with outsiders and ensure that the people in the commune in Hulu Besut, Terengganu, would not be disturbed by outsiders.
According to a source, the new leader would tell the residents to turn off their lights if outsiders drove into the village at night, making it difficult for the outsiders to find the community.
The source said it was his knowledge on security and the law that made others respect and accept him as the new leader.
Kosmo! reported that a new study had challenged the notion that Francis Light was the first person to develop settlements in Penang.
UiTM lecturer Dr Ahmad Murad Merican claimed that Minangkabau leader Datuk Jannaton was among the earliest people who started settlements in Penang in 1749, 37 years before Light.