‘Check on club’ Mashitah: Obedient Wives’ Club’s links with Al-Arqam a cause for concern

By Nik Imran Abdullah, NST

KOTA BARU: The basic principles and beliefs of the Obedient Wives’ Club must be looked into given the club’s link to Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd, an offshoot of the now defunct Islamic religious movement, Al-Arqam.

Deputy Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim said the principles behind Al-Arqam might influence the thinking of the club’s founders and that those subscribing to its ideals might be victimised by their husbands.

“We have to establish the basic principles of the club and where it came from,” she said after opening the Kota Baru Puteri Umno divisional meeting at SM Tanjung Chat yesterday.

Mashitah’s call for an investigation into the club came after sources from the police and the Selangor Religious Department (Jais) revealed last Sunday that intelligence gathered showed that the Al-Arqam group was still active and operating under different names.

A Jais official told the New Sunday Times that the group was conducting its activities under the name of Rufaqa and Global Ikhwan, and was active in Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam.