Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Malaysian authorities have launched a campaign to "control" 22 Islamic groups accused of promoting a creed which goes against religious norms.

Abdullah Zin, a representative of the Prime Minister's cabinet, said: "Around 2,800 people have been registered: they could be "rehabilitated" or tried in religious tribunals on the charge of spreading a false version of Islam or imprisoned without trial as stipulated by the internal security law." This provision of the law allows for indefinite detention under the automatic charge of "threatening the security of the State". Human Rights Watch has frequently denounced the gross illegality of this law and it has highlighted how it is often used to restrict democratic freedoms, like freedom of the press.

"Some of these people work only at night. During the day, they mix with the rest of the population and work in offices like normal people," continued Abdullah Zin. He did not specify what the activities of these groups consist of nor did he go into the reason why they have been put on file, but he did say some leaders of the groups taught "false precepts of Islam about entering Paradise".

Malaysia has 25 million inhabitants and around 47% of them are Muslim. The freedom of worship of believers of other faiths is strongly restricted, and Muslims are subjected to trial by Islamic tribunals and they cannot legally convert to other faiths.