Shock and stigma as Sendayan cluster shakes quiet town

CORONAVIRUS | Al-Arqam, an Islamic religious sect, came under the spotlight in the 1990s after the then government declared it deviant and arrested its leaders, including founder Ashaari Mohammad, under the now-defunct Internal Security Act.

In late 2012, more than a hundred of supporters led by Ashaari's younger brother Hashim Muhammad set up a breakaway group, where they formed a close-knit community dubbed "Albab Family Trading" (AFT) in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan.

They have generally kept a low-profile but in recent weeks, suddenly found themselves once again under the national spotlight after a new Covid-19 cluster spread in the group...