PETALING JAYA: The Pahang Islamic Religious Department (JAIP) has detained eight followers of the "Jemaah Nur Ahmad Istana Pelangi" group, including its leader known as "Ayahanda", for allegedly being involved in deviant teachings, Sinar Harian reports.
The group, which included a woman, all aged between 45 and 66 years old, was arrested following a raid on a former furniture warehouse that had been converted into a residence in Kampung Sungai Putat, Pulau Tawar, Jerantut, at about 2.30pm last Friday (Nov 7), the Malay language daily reported.
JAIP director Datuk Ahmad Khirrizal Ab Rahman said that following the arrests, officers discovered and seized various documents that contradicted the teachings of Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah.
He said several items believed to be related to superstition were also confiscated, including walking sticks, bundles of yellow and black cloth, a stone wrapped in yellow fabric, a sticker bearing the phrase “lifelong combined obligatory prayers”, handwritten notes containing suspicious "selawat" phrases and oaths, as well as a laptop.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the group’s 45-year-old leader, a self-employed man from Kampung Sungai Tekam Utara, Jerantut, had rented the former furniture warehouse and converted it into a residence for himself and his four children, aged between eight and 15 years old.
“Seven of his followers, who are either self-employed or unemployed and mostly from outside Pahang, also lived on the premises,” he said in a statement on Sunday (Nov 9).
Ahmad Khirrizal added that investigations are ongoing to determine when the group’s activities began and to identify other individuals involved.
He said the leader and members of the group are being investigated under Sections 18 and 19 of the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 2013.
“All suspects were released on Saturday (Nov 8) on bail granted by JAIP enforcement officers pending completion of the investigation papers,” he said.
He also urged members of the public with information about the group’s activities to come forward and assist in the investigation.
