Selangor stops gathering of banned Malaysia sect

SHAH ALAM (THE STAR/ASIA NEW NETWORK): Some 20 alleged followers of a banned Muslim sect in Malaysia were released on bail on Friday after they were nabbed by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) on Thursday night.

The followers of Al-Arqam posted bail at the Syariah Court in Kuang, Selangor, on Friday morning after they had their statements recorded by Jais the previous night.

Jais raided a gathering that was believed to be held in conjunction with the 75th birthday of Al-Arqam's late founder Ashaari Muhammad. Ashaari, who claimed he was the Messiah, died in 2010.

The group was banned in the mid-1990s.