Strange: The giant structures of the ‘Sky Kingdom’ movement were demolished in 2005. — K. SUTHAKAR/The Star
ABDUL Karim (not his real name) was 30 years old in 1980, living in Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Baru. Life was challenging. He was a father of five making a living selling drinks with his wife and taking on odd jobs like carpentry and tailoring to make ends meet. The daily grind left him feeling spiritually hollow, yearning for fulfilment beyond work. When he confided in a friend, he was introduced to a group of men who met weekly to talk about themselves and religion.
“I tried talking to my wife about it, but she didn’t understand. When my friend introduced me to this group, I felt I’d finally found people who understood me,” he recalls.
What Abdul Karim didn’t realise was that the group was part of a local chapter of the Hasan Anak Rimau cult, one of many in the country that deviate from mainstream Islamic teachings. Such cults often encourage religious extremism, with some even delving into criminal activities. Despite efforts by authorities to stop them, cults persist and adapt. Observers question if current laws are effective, while experts suggest tougher measures alone won’t eliminate the problem.
Persistence of cults
A recent case involving a massive holdings company that was revealed to be a revival of the now-defunct Al-Arqam cult, highlights the resilience of some of these groups. Malaysia is no stranger to cult movements, whether spin-offs from mainstream Islamic teachings or other deviations from non-Islamic faiths.
In 2021, according to the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), 155 deviant teachings have been identified nationwide since 1950, with a few still active, including the SiHulk, Millah Abraham@Ibrahim, and the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Organisation. Then deputy minister Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary cited reasons for their survival, including cult leader worship and deliberate scripture misinterpretation for personal gain.
“These deviations exist because religious teachings are easily exploited for worldly gains, whether political, economic, sexual, or all three,” says Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, an expert on Islamic schools of thought and rector at the International Islamic University Malaysia.
“Some cults survive by showing two faces – one that follows mainstream religious practices and another that operates underground in contradiction to Islamic teachings.”
Getting laws in order
While there are laws instituting mechanisms to deter the spread of deviancy through the issuing of fatwa and enforcement, among others, Malaysian Syariah Lawyers Association president Musa Awang says there are a number of weaknesses that can dampen the efforts made. For instance, the reachability of an issued fatwa against deviant teaching is a concern whether done effectively through print or online.
“There needs to be a study on which community segment is found to be the most susceptible to deviant teachings. If they are the elderly [for example], we need to intensify efforts to increase their awareness.
“If the segment consists of university students, we need to do the same.”
Musa says there are weaknesses in law and enforcement against deviancy.
Former followers of the banned Al Arqam movement reciting their pledge to amend their deviant ways. — HONG BOON HOW/The Star
When it comes to enforcement, Musa points out that intelligence gathering on potential deviants remains a challenge due to the clandestine movements of those involved in deviancy.
“Reports or complaints on this matter usually come from former members or followers. Current cult members know each other [making them a close-knit group] and it is difficult for religious enforcement officers to take action during the early spread of a cult.”
And worse, Musa says, current syariah laws are not deterrents due to their lenient nature; those found guilty of being involved in deviant teachings or spreading false doctrines will only face a maximum of RM5,000 in fines or jail terms of no more than three years, or a maximum of six strokes of the rotan.
“Prosecuting a case will usually take a long time and involve many witnesses. And in the end, those are the only punishments that can be meted out.”
ALSO READ: No laws against deviant teachings in non-Islamic religions?
From the aspect of rehabilitation, Musa says it is not easy to reinstitute the faith of a person who has been swayed by a cult or deviant teachings.
“At the same time, in reality, if an offender is sent to jail, will this rehabilitation be carried out behind bars?”
Haezreena says action is only taken when the deviancy has largely spread or harm has been made.
Musa says states like Selangor and Negri Sembilan have set up several rehabilitation centres and others are planning to do so especially following the exposé of issues linked to the Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH).
“A question also arises from the legal aspect that these rehabilitation centres are not gazetted as a prison facility under the Prison Act 1995 or under the management of the Prisons Department.”
ALSO READ: Why do people join cults?
Streamlining enforcement
Universiti Malaya’s criminologist Dr Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid says there have yet to be sufficient mechanisms to curb cults and deviant teachings directly.
She says action is only taken when the deviancy has largely spread or harm has been done.
At the same time, all regulations are based on religious laws under the states’ purview, while at the federal level, Jakim showcases a possible dearth of cohesive efforts to address the problem.
“We do have Jakim on the federal side. It can issue fatwa and all. But we do not have comprehensive or robust mechanisms to address and counter deviancies or cult teachings,” Haezreena notes.
Musa says even state religious departments do not have sufficient enforcement staff members, which is among the shortcomings these deviants tend to take advantage of.
“Other than that, state religious departments only take action based on reports or complaints. Most of the deviant teaching groups hide underneath Islamic cosmetics, behaving piously and all. Those who do not follow them, of course, would not be able to detect anything peculiar.”
However, it was announced in Parliament on Wednesday that Jakim will soon launch a centralised system for reporting deviant teachings and exploitation cases, aiming to streamline investigations and improve response times.
Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Dr Zulkifli Hasan was responding to a question by Bentong member of Parliament Young Syefura Othman.
“Jakim is aware that there is a need to improve the workflow to overcome issues such as GISBH and those related to deviant teachings in the country.
“In this case, investigations revealed child and women exploitation cases, which raised the need for improvement in the standard operating procedures for the reporting of such cases.
“Jakim will develop a centralised system where any party can report such cases directly to the authority for immediate response,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.
Closure for ‘victims’
Abdul Karim, who says he has long left the deviant teaching practices behind, now implores religious authorities to come up with ways to nip any cult in the bud.
“I was clueless. I had no one to talk to and I joined the Hasan Anak Rimau cult. I left a month later after realising how outlandish some of their practices were, like growling to chant some weird verses during gatherings.
“I am saying this because I do not want my children to take the same path as I did. I managed to cut my ties with them. I was fortunate.”
Abdul Karim, who is now 74 and living in Klang, Selangor, says he lacked guidance back then to resolve his problems.
“Waking up early in the morning to prepare for a long day of work, every day, including the weekends, can be taxing. My wife and I had to work continuously because we needed the money.”
Today, Abdul Karim will often seek help or guidance from credible sources of authority.
“I do not want to be wayward anymore. I want to be someone who follows the right path.”
