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Online Humour Keeps Ayah Pin’s Memory Alive As Authorities Dismiss Revival Claims
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Online Humour Keeps Ayah Pin’s Memory Alive As Authorities Dismiss Revival Claims

Terengganu police received a report from a woman who claimed Ayah Pin’s teachings were being revived at the infamous Sky Kingdom.

by
March 18, 2024

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So recently there has been word that the deviant teachings of ‘Ayah Pin’ were allegedly being revived in Terengganu and Pahang. However, the authorities dismissed these claims and said they are monitoring the situation closely.

According to the police, a woman in Pahang recently lodged a complaint alleging the resurgence of the late Ayah Pin’s unorthodox teachings.

The late Ayah Pin posing in front of the giant structures of a teapot and a vase at the Sky Kingdom in Kampung Batu 13, Hulu Besut, Terengganu. Image: Wikipedia.

If you need help jogging your memory, the late Ayah Pin was famous for founding the ‘Sky Kingdom’, as a religious commune complete with large structures of a teapot, vase, umbrella, and a concrete boat in a village in Hulu Besut, Terengganu.

He had four wives and hundreds of followers at the height of his infamy. He claimed God was a human and told his followers that Friday prayers were not compulsory.

No, Ayah Pin is not back…

Terengganu Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) chairman, Ab Ghani Mamat, dismissed the claims. He said no suspicious activities were observed in the past few days.

Meanwhile, checks by the police into the claims showed no attempts by residents in the area to revive Ayah Pin’s teachings.

Terengganu police chief Datuk Mazli Mazlan visited the unique base and found no suspicious activities by 124 residents.

The residents are comprised of family members and relatives of Ayah Pin, whose real name was Ariffin Mohamad.

Mazli said the villagers recently held a gathering to perform a ‘doa selamat’ (thanksgiving prayer session) and maybe that spooked some people into thinking the deviant teachings were revived.

Mazli said the police and the Terengganu Islamic Religious Affairs Department continuously monitor the base to ensure this issue will not recur.

According to The Star, the police have recorded a statement from the woman who filed a report but are considering whether to record a statement from Facebook user Imam Muda Kulan. The Facebook account claimed certain movements in the Besut area are trying to revive Ayah Pin’s teachings.

The police welcome information and evidence from the public regarding the issue. The public is also reminded not to make baseless statements and not to exaggerate the issue.

Netizens have a field day with the memes

While the police found no evidence of suspicious activities, it did not stop netizens from finding humour in the rumours.

Among the comments were hilarious reimaginings of what Ayah Pin’s followers would look like today, besides making fun of their behaviour.

A netizen also jokingly claimed she “spotted” Ayah Pin’s teapot in front of Suria KLCC.

READ MORE: Suria KLCC’s Pelita Replica Getting Hate On Social Media, Gets Labelled “Recycled Deco”

Brief history of Sky Kingdom

In 1980, Ayah Pin founded the Sky Kingdom and the commune stood out due to a “palace” with giant structures of a teapot, vase, umbrella, and a concrete boat. The movement is sometimes known as the Teapot cult.

In 1997, the Fatwa Committee of the Terengganu Islamic Religion and Malay Customs Council issued a fatwa (edict) declaring the teachings as deviant according to Section 25 of the Islamic Religious Administration Enactment 1986.

Ayah Pin was declared an apostate for leaving Islam and spent 11 months in prison in 2001.

In April 2005, the Besut district land office issued notices to demolish several giant replicas at Sky Kingdom.

Ayah Pin passed away at his home in Kampung Batu 13, Hulu Besut, on 22 April 2016 at the age of 74 due to old age.

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