Mercy given to sect followers

Mercy given to sect followers

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has promised to show mercy to followers of a banned Islamic messianic sect, but vowed to crackdown on its leaders.

"We do not want to arrest the followers ... the problem is with the leaders, many of whom are still stubborn," Mahathir was quoted in local reports yesterday saying, quashing speculation that the government would resort to mass arrests of the Al Arqam sect's members.

Al Arqam, an international religious movement based in Kuala Lumpur, was officially outlawed in Malaysia on Friday for threatening public order and spreading deviationist Islamic teachings.

Its estimated 100,000 members in the country were ordered to halt all activities of the group.