A religious sect in the Muslim heartland of Terenganu set the stage for a showdown with the authorities, saying it will defy an order to demolish icons, including a giant teapot.

The remote commune is led by a 65-year-old illiterate, Ariffin Mohammad, better known as Ayah Pin.

The sect has had run-ins with the authorities in the past, with four members being jailed for two years in 1998 for attempting to renounce Islam.

Last month, the local land office ordered the community to destroy structures it had built over the years - including the teapot, which stands several metres high, a giant vase and an umbrella-like tower - by May 28, saying they breached the National Land Code.

"We will not comply with the order," a spokesman for the Ayah Pin cult, Rosli Abdul Samad, 37, told AFP . "We have done no wrong. We promote peace and unity for all races. We are not militants."

The structures are designed to promote universal unity among all religions, he said, accusing local Islamic leaders of attempting to contain the teachings of Ayah Pin by ordering their destruction.

Rosli said there were about 200 people living in 30 wooden houses in the village, 20 minutes from the oil-rich town of Jerteh.

Ayah Pin's followers would not use force to stop the local authorites if they came to tear down the structures, he said.

"We will file a complaint with the court before May 28. If the buildings are destroyed, we will invite the international media to witness the cruelty. We think they will come to demolish this time."

Rosli said the group does not have any religious scriptures of its own and members are free to follow any religion they want.

Lookout for deviant sects

The issue of religion in predominantly Muslim Malaysia is sensitive, especially when Muslims renounce Islam, and the government is always on the lookout for what it calls deviant sects.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdullah Mohamad Zain was quoted in the Star newspaper today as saying the activities of such sects were under control.

The opposition Islamic party PAS, which ruled Terrengganu state until last year, attempted to shut down the village in 2000 but the Ayah Pin's followers obtained a court order to keep it running.

Rosli said the village was popular among Muslims, Chinese and Indians and foreign tourists who would visit to discuss various issues with Ayah Pin on weekends.

Abdul Rahman Yahya, a local land department officer said the department would consult state legal advisors on what to do if Ayah Pin followers ignored the deadline.

"We would like to know if the land code authorises us to use force to tear down the builldings," he said.