Sky Kingdom () was a Malaysian religious commune and sect founded by Ariffin Mohammed, also known as Ayah Pin (Father Pin). The commune, based in Besut, Terengganu, was demolished by the government of Malaysia in August 2005. As of 2006, Ayah Pin was residing in exile in Narathiwat, Thailand, just over the border from Kelantan. Eighteen members of the Sky Kingdom commune remain at the mercy of the Malaysia's Higher Shariah Court, with 40 having received leniency upon renouncing the group.

Sky Kingdom attracted worldwide mass media attention in mid-2005 over concerns about efforts by the Malaysian government to suppress its followers as apostates from Islam. The controversy brought to light the issue of whether sharia law superseded the right to religious freedom under Article 11 of the Constitution of Malaysia. This attention was coupled with considerable bemusement over followers' central objects of veneration, which include a large cream-coloured teapot,

Sky Kingdom commune

The , 33-building complex was located near the village of Kampung Batu 13, Hulu Besut, in the Besut district in northern Terengganu (some 400 km northeast of Kuala Lumpur and 20 km south of Besut's most populous settlement, Jerteh). Sky Kingdom had existed on the site since the mid-1980s, though the group itself dates back to the late 1970s. Before the commune was demolished, the group supported itself through rubber tapping, religious tourism, and confectionery production.

Symbols

The commune features some structures which are symbolic of the group's ideology. Some notable symbols include a two-story high cream coloured teapot with a similarly-sized blue vase, costing RM 45 million. The teapot is said to symbolise the purity of water and "love pouring from heaven". It is the earthly model of a celestial prototype. According to Ayah Pin, it was inspired by the dreams of one of his followers, and reflects a similar vessel in the sky which God uses to shower his blessings on mankind. Followers who visit the commune for the first time have to drink holy water from the vase which is perpetually filled by the teapot.

Other symbols present include an ornamental fishing boat,

On 18 July 2005, a group of masked vigilantes attacked the group's headquarters, smashing windows and torching buildings. Two days later, 58 Sky Kingdom followers were arrested, and on 31 July three of Ariffin's four wives were arrested in Kelantan. Ariffin escaped capture. Forty-five of his followers face the charge of failing to observe the government fatwa by continuing to be "members of a sect declared deviant", which carries a fine up to RM 3,000 or two years in prison. One of those arrested faced an additional charge of "humiliating Islam" for claiming no longer to be a Muslim.

Court cases will revolve around the right of religious freedom, which is theoretically guaranteed by the Malaysian constitution.

On 1 August 2005, officials of the Besut Land Office destroyed Sky Kingdom's buildings, citing Section 129 of the National Land Code, which punishes unauthorised construction with land confiscation. The titular landowner is Ariffin's first wife, who failed to appear in court for a hearing on the ownership. At a 1 September 2005, hearing, a trial date for the 45 followers accused of violating the government fatwa was set for three days beginning 18 December. All of the accused are represented by Wan Haidi Wan Jusoh of Ubaidullah Aziz and Company, who unsuccessfully petitioned the court to order his name blacked out by the media. The Sky Kingdom had previously had great difficulty obtaining legal representation, presumably because of attorneys' fears of reprisals or negative publicity.

As of 2007, after wide media coverage, the original Hulu Besut commune, now containing only 24 members, had reportedly chosen a new leader—a former police chief inspector in his 30s. The group is suspicious of visitors, and routinely turns out the commune's lights when a car approaches at night so as not to be found.

The Sky Kingdom commune was featured in a documentary titled Massacre Survivors: Malaysia's Secret Sect produced by SBS News and distributed by Journeyman Pictures. The documentary's video can be seen on Journeyman's YouTube channel. The documentary later become an internet meme in Malaysia.

See also

  • Freedom of religion in Malaysia
  • List of people claimed to be Jesus
  • List of Buddha claimants
  • List of Mahdi claimants
  • List of messiah claimants

Notes

References

  • Malaysiakini A site with many photos (pre-demolition)
  • The Sun, Malaysia Pie in the Sky: Article and interview by Danny Lim
  • Malaysian Woman Jailed For Worshipping Teapot