The Besut land office has denied knowledge of a stay order granted by the Kuala Terengganu High Court in June and deems correct the demolition of a cluster of giant structures at the village inhabited by Ayah Pin's followers.

On July 31, the district authorities moved in with heavy machinery and demolished a series of structures, among them replicas of a teapot, vase and umbrella tower in Kampung Batu 13 near Jerteh in Hulu Besut.

Met at his office today, assistant land administrator Mohd Iskandar Muhammad Aziz was only willing to say that "what was done was based on existing procedures".

Asked if the land office had received a sealed copy of the stay order, the tight-lipped officer said: "No."

On a possible charge of contempt of court, he said: "I can't release any statement on this matter as the demolition work is still going on. There is still some way to go."

Clearing works are underway at the village and trucks and earth-movers are expected to complete the job by the end of the week.

Mohd Iskandar refused to elaborate any further.

On Sunday, about 100 officials and personnel from the district land office, religious affairs department and the police descended on the commune known for Ayah Pin's own brand of spiritual philosophy with bulldozers and cranes.

The demolition was ordered after a letter meant for the landowner, Ayah Pin's first wife Che Minal Remeli, was 'forcibly served' on a neighbour.

The letter noted the land office's decision on a temporary takeover of the two-hectare land due to her failure to give reasons why action should not be taken.

Che Minah's legal team is preparing a case for a possible contempt of court. She is still missing, and together with her husband, who is wanted by the authorities.

Jutting pillars and balustrades

A visit to the area in the morning was met with a police roadblock and tight security.

The deep drone of engines from earth-movers and trucks was clear from the junction.

When approached, personnel on duty said journalists had to get written permission of the district police chief.

He could not be contacted immediately as the area was out of cellular transmission range.

Trucks with debris including jutting pillars and balustrades were seen making tens of trips to an unused mining pool a few kilometers away where they dumped the load.

Crumpled zink roofs were also strewn by the side of the pool, which was adjacent to a logging camp on the way to Lata Tembakah, a seven-tier waterfall and popular picnic spot.

Meanwhile, followers of Ayah Pin remain unperturbed by the flattened landscape and the prolonged absence of their spiritual leader.

Khairul Nizam Sulaiman, when met in Jerteh town, said outsiders were being turned away at the access road and villagers have been barred from leaving until clearing work is done.

"It is difficult for everyone inside there. People are living in fear and have nowhere to go," he said.

"Furthermore, the rumours of a possible demolition of the houses are causing us sleepless nights."

Mohd Yusof Husin, 48, who has been living outside the village dubbed the Sky Kingdom commune for eight years said the whole thing smacked of lawlessness.

"I may not know everything but I can sense that something is not right in how this matter is being handled.

"Others feel it too."

Vicious untruths

He said leaders, instead of using rational thinking, had taken the law into their own hands.

"It's as if we're back in the era of swords and spears, the stone-age, where the strong and mighty reigned supreme.

"I can only observe lawlessness in Terengganu particularly, and in Malaysia in general."

Referring to a number of newspaper reports on the village, Mohd Yusof said they were nothing but "vicious untruths meant to harm us peace-loving people".

Malay national daily Berita Harian reported Tuesday Terengganu Menteri Besar Idris Jusoh as saying that he was told about scores of Ayah Pin's followers complaining to the kadi about being cheated and led astray.

However, Mohd Yusof said it was mere government propaganda to turn the followers against Ayah Pin.

"Whether or not he is around is not an issue to us because we know that he's always with us no matter where he is," he said, relating how he had known Ayah Pin since his village of birth in Bachok, Kelantan.

"But I think it won't work because as far as I know, no one has even set foot at the kadi's office, what more to complain about Ayah Pin."

Asked about morale in the village, he said he heard that people feared another demolition exercise, this time of their homes, especially when most of them head to the state capital for a court hearing.

Tomorrow, the Kuala Terengganu Syariah High Court will hear charges against 44 of Ayah Pin's followers, 27 of whom are currently out on bail.