Look beyond GISBH, Zaid tells PM on report to rulers

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to look beyond Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH) and question whether religious administrators are capable of dealing with the problem of heresy in Malaysia.

Taking to X, Zaid (above) noted that the police and other authorities compiling a report on activities carried out by GISBH - an evolution from the banned al-Arqam sect - for submission to the Malay rulers.

“The report will not be complete and valuable if it does not contain the mistakes or failings of the people in charge of taking care of the purity of Islam if we are faced with the same problem every few years.

“Sometimes, I think the aggressive but haphazard manner in which they are going after Ikhwan (GISBH) suggests an attempt to hide their own mistakes and failures to deal with the problems of heretics in the country.

“The prime minister must not just focus on Ikhwan. Focus on why the true faith has been disturbed, tainted, and tarnished every so often,” said the veteran politician.

In making his call, Zaid said the people are concerned with the government's process in dealing with banned religious deviants found to resurface under different names.

Al-Arqam teachings

The al-Arqam movement was banned in 1994 and Zaid recalled how the then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration said the group’s followers as well as its founder Ashaari Muhammad had repented and found the true Islam.

READ MORE: KINIGUIDE | From al-Arqam to GISBH

“Are they effective? How sophisticated is the methodology used to verify false teachings?

“Or how does the government know for certain that the path of truth has been found after they repented?” he asked.

Since the launch of the recent Ops Global, police discovered that GISBH followers still adhere to al-Arqam teachings, despite the group being banned decades ago.

This follows the discovery of evidence, including leaflets and books related to the organisation.

Additionally, GISBH members have been accused of physical abuse, neglect and mistreatment of children and adolescents, criminal intimidation, child sexual abuse, human trafficking, and money laundering.

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