Beyond bans: why fringe Islamic movements still find followers in Malaysia

But they have not stopped banned or fringe Islamic movements from finding new followers online, according to officials, as some groups move abroad, rebrand or use social media to keep reaching Malaysians beyond the immediate reach of state enforcement.

The concern has been raised most recently in Selangor, Malaysia’s richest and most populous state, where religious officials said seven teachings had been declared deviant between 2021 and 2026 after investigations involving the state mufti department and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department, known as Jais.

The cases highlight the challenge of regulating religious movements in the country, where the state has long played a central role in defining Islamic orthodoxy and where observers say some Muslims are drawn to alternative groups offering belonging, novelty or spiritual meaning outside official channels.

In Malaysia, those official channels are largely shaped by Ahli Sunnah Waljamaah, the mainstream Sunni tradition recognised by Islamic authorities as the basis of religious orthodoxy and followed by most Malay Muslims.

Mohamad Shukry Sulaiman, head of the Fatwa Division at the Selangor Mufti Department, told state media that a teaching was not declared deviant merely because of complaints but only after research, interviews and comparisons against the tenets of Ahli Sunnah Waljamaah.