‘Mental torture’: Malaysia’s ex-GISB members share their experiences of years in controversial conglomerate

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Mr Razali, 40, recalls being told that the Al-Arqam founder Ashaari Muhammad who is also known as Abuya was not dead but was living in a supernatural realm. Abuya died in 2010.

“I didn’t want to really focus on that aspect and put it aside because I thought it was weird. My main focus was to better myself,” the graphic designer told CNA in an interview, days before the packed press conference on Friday to recount his experiences.   

He said that in their prayers, they were told to mention the name of Abuya who was said to be an intermediary to God. 

He was also similarly told that 70 of their family members could follow them to heaven during judgement day.    

“For many that was a good deal. We were always told to never question our leaders and to always be obedient to them,” he said, adding that he had, however, been sent on “quarantine” several times at the group’s properties for questioning the leaders openly. 

Mrs Dalilah, who did not want to disclose her age, told CNA after the press conference that she herself was indoctrinated to believe in the teachings of Abuya.

She admitted that it was only recently that she managed to break free from this belief.  

“From young it was drilled into us that we would be one of the chosen people who were fighting for Islam. Although I had left the group a while back because I didn’t agree with some of the things practised by the group, I still believed in some of the teachings,” said Dalilah, who runs her own business.      

She said that her parents and several family members were still part of the group, and they often fought about this. 

“They are very angry with me because they are still obsessed with the teachings of the group and I had spoken out against it,” she said.     

During the press conference, Mrs Dalilah also recounted her experience of her siblings being allegedly sexually abused and tortured. She said she made several police reports on the matter.

She claimed that she had been threatened by a man in the group to withdraw the police reports. 

The man has since been charged with criminal intimidation, according to a report by Free Malaysia Today.

Another ex-member who wanted to be known as Mr Kamal and who did not attend the press conference told CNA he grew up in Sungai Penchala, Kuala Lumpur where Al-Arqam was initially based before the group was forced to move to Rawang, a town in Selangor. 

His father was a top-ranking member of the group and had even been arrested under the country’s Internal Security Act  before.

Mr Kamal said that an important belief in the group was loyalty to its leaders no matter what, as they held the key to members’ afterlife.

“The followers were continually told that Abuya was the only one which could save them in the afterlife,” he said, adding that Abuya was considered to be a divine figure when he was alive.  

“I was born into this and I saw it from Al-Arqam to Rufaqa and then to GISB. (It) was the same all the time,” Mr Kamal told CNA.

He added that followers were given work but not given wages, with the leaders telling them that they were working for God and Islam.   

Both Mr Razali and Mr Kamal told CNA that they had never been paid a single cent for all the work they did for the group.  

Mr Razali worked as a warden and caretaker while Mr Kamal was working in the secretariat during their time in the group. 

GISB supported them and other members, providing food and accommodation in hostels.