Culling cults

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.