KUALA TERENGGANU, March 16 — Attempts by certain parties to revive the deviant teachings of Ayah Pin, which previously shocked the nation with the ‘Sky Kingdom’ sect, has caught the attention of the government, said Terengganu Information, Preaching and Syariah Empowerment Committee Chairman Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi.

"Information has been received and is being acted upon by the authorities,” he told Bernama when contacted about allegations of attempts to revive the misguided teachings in the vicinity of Besut.

Earlier, a post on the Facebook account of ‘Imam Muda Kulan’ revealed that the teachings of Ayah Pin, also known as Ariffin Muhamad, were being revived by certain movements in the Besut area.

Previously, the Fatwa Committee of the Terengganu Islamic Religion and Malay Customs Council (Maidam) in 1997 issued a fatwa declaring the teachings as deviant according to Section 25 of the Islamic Religious Administration Enactment 1986.

In April 2005, the Land Office of Besut District issued notices to demolish several giant replicas at the headquarters of Ayah Pin, which had more than 150 followers.

Ariffin passed away on April 22, 2016, at the age of 74, at his home in Kampung Batu 13, Hulu Besut, due to old age. — Bernama