Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Aminuddin Harun said a clear federal ruling is needed to ensure that the public can better understand the matter, Bernama reported.
The company was declared as deviant by the mufti of Perlis today, while the mufti of Terengganu said the state religious authorities would await a decision by the national council of Islamic religious affairs (MKI).
The national council is expected to discuss GISBH next week.
Aminuddin said: “There are various statements made by the public on social media, so I hope the government, especially the Islamic development department (Jakim), will give its final word or a firm statement regarding GISBH.
“This is because we want to see what is really happening. We want the people to understand what is happening in our country,” he told reporters in Seremban today.
Aminuddin said the Negeri Sembilan Islamic religious department is monitoring and examining GISBH’s operations in the state, and is also receiving views from various parties, including the Negeri Sembilan syarie lawyers’ group.
Terengganu mufti Sabri Haron said GISBH “will undoubtedly be declared deviant” by the state fatwa committee “once strong evidence is presented by authorised parties”, New Straits Times reported.
However, he said MKI would first decide if the company’s teachings are deviant. Only then will the Terengganu fatwa committee issue a fatwa, based on that decision.
“As of now, there have been no complaints regarding the teachings of GISBH in Terengganu,” he told Bernama. “Should a complaint arise, we will await the council’s decision, and only after substantial and clear evidence is provided, will we declare the teachings of GISBH as deviant.”
Sabri said the GISBH movement is not very prominent in Terengganu and there had been no serious complaints warranting a state-level fatwa. However, the GISBH issue is being taken seriously.
Perlis was the first state to label the organisation as a deviant group. State mufti Asri Zainul Abidin said the fatwa was issued after receiving convincing evidence that the organisation promotes deviant beliefs.
The Perlis fatwa follows heightened concerns over GISBH after police rescued 402 children from welfare homes, some of whom were allegedly sexually abused or taught to assault others.
GISBH has denied operating the homes. However, the company’s CEO, Nasiruddin Ali, admitted on Sept 14 that cases of sodomy had occurred within the organisation in the past.
Nasiruddin is among more than 20 people being held in custody, including his sons and the sons of Al-Arqam’s founder, the late Ashaari Mohammad, as well as members of the company’s top management.