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Ushar Daniele

Malaysia’s home minister has urged senior clerics to lodge formal complaints over claims that a mysterious South Korean Christian “cult movement” has been attempting to spread its teachings among Malaysian Muslims.
The controversy surfaced after religious leaders in Perlis – a conservative northern state where Muslims form the overwhelming majority – reported that a South Korean group had been proselytising there under the banner of a peace initiative.
Malaysia is a multi-faith nation but Islam is the state religion, holding a protected position through a dual legal system in which the Shariah court governs Muslims on personal and family matters.
Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, the state’s most senior Islamic scholar, wrote in a Facebook post on December 3 that concerns had sharpened after the Perlis State Fatwa Committee received a briefing “on a cult movement that uses the name of Jesus while making claims that are highly unusual and deviant”.
He said that mainstream Christian denominations “do not recognise them” and that the movement originates from Korea.


What alarmed him most, he said, was the apparent involvement of Muslim political elites.
“Many Muslim members of parliament and important parliamentary figures in our country appear to be actively participating in and supporting this movement,” he wrote, noting that photographs of their engagements had circulated for years across “various places and countries”.
Although Mohd Asri did not name the organisation in his written post, the images attached to it included pages from a locally published book critical of the Unification Church movement founded by the late Sun Myung Moon.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail called on Mohd Asri to share what he knows about the group so that it could be investigated.
“If he says he has information on the group’s name, its activities, its modus operandi, or the individuals allegedly involved, I would advise him to share that information with the authorities, and we will immediately begin an investigation.”
According to the minister, the Royal Malaysian Police Special Branch division has a dedicated team to investigate “deviant” religious teachings.
“The police force, especially the Special Branch, has a dedicated unit that deals specifically with issues related to deviant teachings across various religions and communities.”
Similar allegations surfaced in 2018, when local media in Sabah reported that a South Korean movement promoting a “God the Mother” doctrine had sent missionaries to Malaysia and was targeting teenagers and university students for Bible study sessions.
The group, which those reports described as a cult, was alleged to be linked to human trafficking, prompting warnings for parents and students to steer clear of its recruiters.
According to the Islamic Development Department, more than 100 so-called “deviant teachings” have been identified in Malaysia.
Religious authorities say enforcement is often difficult because followers tend to idolise their leaders, allowing groups to operate discreetly and resist outside scrutiny. Past cases have shown that some movements could slide into criminal behaviour.

In September of last year, members of a Malaysian cultlike organisation, the Global Ikhwan Group (GISB), were accused of human trafficking and child sexual abuse.
Authorities arrested 171 suspects and rescued 402 minors suspected of being abused across 20 care homes run by GISB.
The group is often linked to the banned Islamic sect of Al-Arqam led by Abuya Ashaari.


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Perlis state’s senior Islamic scholar alleged Muslim political elites were linked to the ‘deviant’ cult movement


Perlis state’s senior Islamic scholar alleged Muslim political elites were linked to the ‘deviant’ cult movement.


Malaysian religious leaders urged to provide evidence of South Korean ‘cult’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Perlis state’s senior Islamic scholar alleged Muslim political elites were linked to the ‘deviant’ cult movement

Perlis state’s senior Islamic scholar alleged Muslim political elites were linked to the ‘deviant’ cult movement