KUALA TERENGGANU: The infamous religious deviationist leader Arifin Muhamad aka Ayah Pin died at his hometown in Kampung Batu 13, Hulu Besut, last night.
His wife Jaharah Awang, 55, lodged a report at the Pasir Akar police station that Arifin, who will turn 73 on June 22,, died at their home at 8.30pm (on Friday).
Arifin, who had proclaimed himself as God, is the founder of the ‘Sky Kingdom’ that has been banned by the authorities.
Arifin used the honorific ‘ayah’ to mean father for his large following who believed that he was the messenger sent from heaven.
He claimed he had direct contact with the heavens, is the supreme being of devotion for all religions and is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, Lord Buddha, Lord Shiva and prophet Muhammad.
His devotees accepted Arifin as leader of the Sky Kingdom and that one day, Arifin would return as the Imam Mahdi, the prophecised redeemer of islam who would rule the world before Judgement Day.
In April 2005, the Besut land office ordered the demolition of several of Arifin’s replicas and his commune.
In March 2012, Arifin reportedly suffered a stroke and was semi-paralysed, just before he had married an 18-year-old woman to replace his first wife who had passed away.
Local villagers said Arifin often travelled from self exile in Narathiwat, Thailand to Bachok in Kelantan to seek treatment from a masseuse named Wan Abdullah Wan Musa alias Pok Him.
Arifin was born in Beris Kubor Besar, Bachok.
Arifin established his Sky Kingdom in the 1980s and by 1995 signature buildings of his sect surfaced in his village.
But the religious authorities rounded up four of his followers in 1997, only to be freed shortly.
Arifin renounced islam in 2001 leading to the Syariah Court charging him that his teachings and beliefs were false, deviant, corrupting and threatening to the public’s peace.
He pleaded guilty to the charge of belittling islam and was jailed for 11 months and fined RM 2,900.
But the Sky Kingdom continued to be active and attracted university students and orang asli.
It led to a group of masked vigilantes smashing and torching the Sky Kingdom’s headquarters on July 18, 2005.
Subsequently, 58 of Arifin’s followers were detained, including three of his four wives, but Arifin escaped the dragnet.