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.