"Assist us. Please help us defend our rights for the sake and welfare of the human race."

This plea, in the form of a memorandum, went out to the country's top two leaders - the prime minister and his deputy - today from a group of Malay villagers in Terengganu seeking help in protecting their constitutional and basic human rights.

"Laws are made for all Malaysians to abide by. None of us are exempt from this regardless of whether we are government leaders, politicians, rich or ordinary citizens," read the six-page memorandum.

The four villagers are appealing to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Abdul Razak to probe into an array of alleged offences including human rights infringements, abuse of power, religious persecution, legal violations and cruelty.

Azli Karsani, Che Suhadi Jiman, Nor Hazam Md Rashid and Roslina Mohamad are followers of Muslim 'deviant' Ariffin Mohammad, better known as Ayah Pin . Azli and Che Suhadi said they had handed over the memo to aides of Abdullah and Najib this afternoon. This could not be confirmed immediately.

"We want the federal government to probe into our complaints in a fair and comprehensive manner so that the truth will be known to the public," they stated in the document.

"There are certain quarters who have accused us of wrongdoing and being 'deviant' without finding out the truth.

"What if we are in the right? We will continue to uphold truth and justice not only for ourselves but for the whole of humankind."

'Same path towards God'

Their allegations were levelled at Terengganu state authorities including Menteri Besar Idris Jusoh and 'de facto' Islamic affairs minister Abdullah Mohd Zin, whom they claimed practiced 'authoritarian madness'.

All of the four except Che Suhadi are facing syariah criminal charges in Terengganu for their involvement with Ariffin, who boasts his own brand of spiritual philosophy which he has dubbed 'The Sky Kingdom'.

In their memorandum, the group said there was nothing wrong in Indians, Orang Asli, Chinese, Europeans, Indonesians, Arabs or others following the same path towards their God.

"Similarly, there is nothing wrong if some Malays wish to do the same as God is one for all humankind. Only God has the power to unite all the races and religions on the face of the earth," they said.

Citing the extensive media coverage on Ayah Pin over the past month, they said the whole issue had been turned into nothing more than a series of accusations and 'fitnah' (slander) '... which has stripped us of our dignity and human rights'.

"We feel compelled to give an explanation as we are directly involved in this issue and we have a duty to defend our rights besides to tell all Malaysians what actually happened to us."

The four claimed newspapers had published lies and slanderous reports depicting Ayah Pin's followers as eating 'dirt akin to faeces' and drinking as well as bathing using dirty, black well-water.

"The well-water turned black because the attackers threw burning tyres and petrol bombs into it," they pointed out, referring to a mob attack on their commune in Besut, Terengganu on July 18.

Most of the photographs the media took after the attack, they said, were later used to depict a totally anarchic lifestyle. "There were also incendiary statements claiming that those in the village indulged in free sex and perverse lifestyles.

"Aren't these baseless accusations and slanderous statements? It's as if we are totally uncivilised. We're not even given an opportunity to defend ourselves.

Not opposing gov't

They claimed Terengganu authorities had no respect for the law and had taken it into their own hands by moving in on to the villagers aggressively.

Referring to the demolition of the giant replicas in the commune, they said it was done high-handedly with scant regard for a High Court stay order pending a full hearing on a matter pertaining to land use.

"If a court order is treated this way, what is our fate? To whom do we complain?" they pleaded.

"We don't intend to oppose the government, much less violate the country's laws. But while we adhere to the law, our constitutional rights have been infringed and we've been subjected to inhuman treatment."

The group also described poor detention conditions at the police lock-ups in Besut and Jerteh as well as the fact that children were abandoned at the commune for two days after the July 18 attack before the Welfare Department officials visited them.

The remote hamlet was attacked by a group of unknown masked persons wielding parangs, iron and wooden rods and petrol bombs. No one was injured.

Terengganu police have yet to charge anyone following six police reports that were lodged by the villagers.

Two days later, a group of 58 Ayah Pin followers were hauled in by the state religious affairs department, of which 45 are now facing syariah criminal charges .