By FARIK ZOLKEPLI and SHAUN HO
newsdesk@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: The widow of Al-Arqam founder Ashaari Muhammadalong with nine of her followers have been detained at KLIA.
It is learnt that Hatijah Aam was detained at about 11.40am yesterday, shortly after she arrived from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Hatijah, 59, and three of her followers were brought to the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) headquarters in Shah Alam for questioning at about 12.30pm.
The other six were detained at the airport at about 1.30pm and brought to the JAIS headquarters at 4pm.
Sources revealed Hatijah and her followers had been detained in Saudi Arabia for about 40 days before being deported.
JAIS director Datuk Marzuki Hussin said Hatijah, also known as Ummu Jah and her followers were detained under Section 12C of the Selangor Syariah Criminal Enact-ment, which carries a RM3,000 fine or two years’ jail or both upon conviction.
“They were detained for allegedly spreading deviant teachings,” he said.
He added that before the arrests, Hatijah and her followers had undergone a rehabilitation programme conducted by the Saudi authorities.
The followers were released at about 5.45pm on police bail but there was no word on Hatijah.
Al-Arqam was declared deviant and banned by the Government in 1994.
Former members later formed Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd, which was involved in several businesses.
The company was recently in the spotlight for organising an event on Nov 1 to mark the 75th birthday of Ashaari, who died in 2010.
Selangor religious authorities nabbed several people at the event held in Rawang.
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