SEREMBAN: Three family members, believed to be followers of the Ahmadi Religion of Light and Peace, were arrested at their home near Ampangan today.
The arrest, carried out by the Negri Sembilan Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAINS) at 2pm, followed a five-month investigation.
JHEAINS enforcement division operations chief Ahmad Zaki Hamzah said that the trio had been practising the Ahmadi teachings, which are considered contrary to Islamic law.
The arrested individuals include a man in his 60s, a retired civil servant, his wife in her 50s, and their daughter in her 20s.
During the search, various items linked to the teachings were seized, including documents, a tablet, books, and mobile phones.
"This is the first arrest of its kind in Negri Sembilan. The evidence shows that the family had pledged allegiance to the Ahmadi religion and were influenced by social media, especially YouTube.
"Preliminary investigations revealed the man had ceased performing the five daily prayers and fasted in December," Ahmad Zaki said at a press conference today.
The family is also suspected of attempting to spread the teachings.
The investigation is ongoing under Sections 52 and 35 of the Syariah Criminal Enactment (Negri Sembilan) 1992 (Amendment 2019) for wrongful actions and inciting others to commit syariah offences.
The suspects are expected to be charged in the Syariah High Court here tomorrow.
In May, Harian Metro reported that the group's leader, who claimed to be the "Imam Mahdi",' rejected religious scholars worldwide and proclaimed that all religions, including Islam, had deviated.
The group actively spread their ideology through social media platforms like TikTok and Telegram.