Several thousand Malaysians of various faiths are expected to flock to a remote village in Hulu Besut, Terengganu, beginning tomorrow to attend a gathering in conjunction with Hari Raya Haji.

The 30 or so families in Kampung Batu 13, a tiny village along the Kelantan border, have previously held small-scale celebrations during the month of Ramadhan and in conjunction with the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca.

The two-day event, to be led by self-proclaimed spiritual leader Ayah Pin ( photo ), is expected to draw a mixed crowd of Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Hindus from all over the country as well as the Orang Asli community in Johor.

"This is the first time we're organising it on a larger scale because we want everyone to take part, as well as gain a better understanding of other people's beliefs," said Rosly Abdul Samad, a close aide to Ayah Pin.

Rosly said Ayah Pin, whose real name is Ariffin Mohammad, strongly believes in the unity of the human race.

"We want as many people to learn about different beliefs so that everyone can stand united as one in the human race," he explained.

"The activities will be in Bahasa Malaysia and English. They will include Ayah Pin's regular 'sermon' and a question-and-answer session. There will also be a short address by community representatives and a Christian worship service."

He said the crowd is mainly expected to comprise "open-minded Malays" who hold to their belief and are willing to find out about other creeds.

Village open to all

Acknowledging that Malaysian law prohibits proselytisation of Muslims, Rosly stressed that the intention was not to convert Malay-Muslims to Christianity or any other faith.

He said the village was open to anyone who wanted to preach good things, do charity work or share their personal spiritual experiences.

"We simply want to increase awareness about other people's beliefs and share their sufferings by praying together for each other's mental and emotional well being," said the former musician.

"Each person will keep his or her own religious beliefs. But we realise that people are naturally curious about other religions too. We want to try and help them understand these better so that we can co-exist peacefully in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society such as ours."

He said the local police have been informed about the event.

"There is no need for a permit because the gathering will be held indoors. However, the police have asked us to position the loudspeakers to face into the village.

"They reminded us not to pose any security threats, to abide by the laws, not to cause trouble and not to be a public nuisance."

Rosly said a buffalo will be slaughtered and prepared for the feast to mark Hari Raya Haji, which falls on Friday.

'A calling'

Last year, malaysiakini wrote about the village and its community. The centrepiece is an network of elaborate giant structures in the shape of a kettle, vase and crescent moon as well as an umbrella-like tower.

Despite several close encounters with the authorities, Ayah Pin and the community continue their own form of worship, which they describe as coming from the 'Sky Kingdom'.

Peter Poore, an evangelist who will conduct the Christian worship together with a pastor from Kuala Lumpur, said he sees the gathering as "a calling" for him to share his faith.

"We will be sharing the Word of God with the audience and pray for the healing of the sick and suffering. "There will also be fellowship over the two or three days,"" he said in an interview at the malaysiakini office recently.

Poore said he did not actively seek out Ayah Pin for the purposes of evangelisation, given the law that prevails on this matter.

"I first heard about him through a friend who had visited the village some time last year and we managed to hook up with Rosly soon after," he said.

"When the idea was mooted for us to go and worship at the gathering in the village, I immediately felt that God was leading me to this moment. Something like this doesn't happen overnight, especially not this far away."

Poore has been evangelising since 1984, having established links in Bangkok, Indonesia and India.

"I believe that God meant me to be an instrument to reach out to others in need of help, prayer, intervention and spiritual guidance," said the telecommunications technician whose religious activities are conducted on his own time.

He related a near-death experience when the steel telephone pole he was working on leant onto a high-tension electricity cable.

"I had 11,000 kW of electricity flowing through me. I saw a red-hot glowing cross before passing out. My colleagues brought me down after pushing the pole away from the cables.

"It's a miracle that I escaped with only minor burns on my hands and feet. My shoes and socks were burnt."

Poore said he also shares his faith with migrant workers in Malaysia including Bangladeshis, Burmese and Filipinos, as well as students from China.