Home ministry: Shia followers now at 250,000

Ten years ago it was a small community with three camps, but now they have spread nationwide, he said.

"The development of information technology is among the factors for their growth as the teachings are spread through a range of social sites," he said here.

Shia was gazetted as 'haram' (prohibited in Islam) by the Malaysian National Fatwa Council for Islamic Affairs, Muzakarah Special Committee on May 5 1996, as its teachings were feared to create factions among Muslims.

He called for the eradication of the Shia movement to be a concerted effort by various agencies.

"This involves the Home Ministry, the police, Registrar of Societies, control of publications under the Printing and Publication Act, curbing the production of CDs and DVDs by the Film Censorship Board and monitoring by the Immigration Department," he said.

Abdul Rahim said Jakim had the authority in terms of the movement's beliefs, Communication and Multimedia Ministry (social media), Foreign Ministry (foreign relations) and institutions of higher learning (Education Ministry).

He said two arrests were made, in 1996 under the Internal Security Act and 200 followers by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department in 2012, who were later released on a technicality during prosecution.

Ten books and publications have been banned so far, among them 'Pengantar Ilmu-Ilmu Islam', 'Dialog Sunnah Syiah' and 'Tafsir Sufi Al Fatihah Mukadimah', which were found to be in conflict with the teachings and principles of the Sunnah Wal Jamaah.

He did not discount the possibility that some quarters took advantage of the group as it had become the norm to do so when such issues surfaced.

He assured that the Ministry was on alert at all times, in particular on the possibility of militant activities by the group.

He noted that so far ten states had banned the Shia movement under the Anti-Syariah Enactment whereas four states, namely Pahang, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak were in the process of doing so.

Meanwhile in IPOH, two individuals, including a woman doctor, were detained by the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPK) in Kamunting, Taiping, today for alleged involvement in the Shia movement.