The former leader of an outlawed Islamic sect in Malaysia has been freed after spending two years in detention and a further eight years under restrictions governing his movements, an official said Wednesday.
Ashaari Muhammad, who once headed the 10,000-strong Al Arqam movement, had been released from restricted residence on Labuan island off Borneo after the expiry of hiis detention order on Monday, an official from the internal security ministry told AFP.
"His detention order has not been extended, he is now a free man," the official said. He added, however, that the government would monitor Ashaari's movements to ensure that there were no attempts to revive the sect.
The sect was banned in 1994 after its teachings and beliefs were found to be against Islam, the New Straits Times said.
Ashaari had claimed he was a prophet and predicted he would be the next prime minister after Mahathir Mohamad, who retired last October.
Ashaari and dozens of his followers were detained in 1994 under the Internal Security Act which allows detention without trial. After two years in detention camp he was placed under the Restricted Residence Act in central Selangor state.
But he was moved to Labuan in 2000 after intelligence showed that there were parties attempting to influence him to revive the sect, the newspaper said.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdullah Mohamad Zain has said that Al Arqam remained a threat because Ashaari still had followers who had formed groups with different names.