KL bans officials from joining sect

KL bans officials from joining sect

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Malaysia has banned all its civil
servants from joining the outlawed Al Arqam sect, The Star
newspaper said yesterday.

It said a government directive, issued on Tuesday, took
immediate effect. In the statement, the government also banned
members of the Islamic movement from using any government
facilities.

The local media have estimated that 7,000 civil servants are
members of Al Arqam. The latest government move followed the
Monday arrest of a former judge under the country's harsh
internal security laws for his links with the messianic sect.

Malaysia's religious authorities banned the messianic sect on
Aug. 5, branding it a "deviationist cult" and the government
declared all of its activities illegal and a threat to public
order.