Cult leader Ariffin Mohammad, better known as Ayah Pin, whose followers were arrested in a weekend raid has appealed to the government to allow citizens to practice their religious beliefs freely.

"We cannot force anyone to believe in a religion. A person has his right to make a choice," said 65-year-old Ayah Pin who leads an organisation called Sky Kingdom which the authorities have labelled a "deviant group".

Ayah Pin escaped a crackdown by Islamic religious authorities on the group's remote commune in Terengganu on Saturday. Twenty-one of his followers were arrested , charged in an Islamic court and then freed on bail.

Ayah Pin said he would not be cowed by the action.

"I am prepared to face anything, including arrest. My daily routine in my Sky Kingdom goes on as usual. I am not afraid," he told AFP late Tuesday.

Terengganu chief minister Idris Jusoh said the government was gathering evidence to prosecute Ayah Pin.

"We will definitely take legal action against Ayah Pin, and the evidence is being gathered by the Terengganu religious affairs department," he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency this week.

Malaysia has banned Ayah Pin's teachings because they are said to be contrary to Islam. In 2001 the cult leader was sentenced to 11 months in jail and fined by a local religious court for demeaning Islam.

Unusual structures

Ayah Pin's followers reportedly consider him to be a reincarnation of everyone from Lord Shiva to Buddha and Jesus Christ.

His claims to be a living god have attracted a significant following and his settlement is a popular destination for Muslim, Chinese and Indian Malaysians as well as foreign tourists.

The sect hit the headlines in April after it defied orders to destroy unusual structures it had built over the years - including a teapot which stands several metres high, a giant vase and an umbrella-like tower.

Rights group Suaram criticised the arrests of Ayah Pin's followers.

"Islam as well as all other major religions in the world promote understanding and tolerance. We urge the Malaysian authorities to take on these values and give back personal liberty to the people," it said in a statement.