PETALING JAYA: The Obedient Wives Club (OWC), which caused a furore four years ago when it pitched sex lessons to help wives “serve their husbands better than a first-class prostitute” to promote harmonious marriages, has been dissolved as part of a rebranding exercise following the group’s renunciation of its past beliefs.

Former OWC committee member Dr Azlina Jamaluddin said the move was part of a rebranding process as the Selangor Islamic Religious Department had agreed that they should abandon their past beliefs and start afresh.

Azlina said those days were behind them and the decision to dissolve OWC was their own initiative. “After repenting, we want to start again, so whatever occurred prior to that has been dissolved,” she told The Malaysian Insider.

OWC was formed by Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd, an organisation founded by former members of the banned Al-Arqam Islamic sect. The company has since been renamed GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd.GISB itself went through several rebranding exercises, as it was first known as Al-Arqam Group of Companies that was banned in 1994, then it changed its name to Syarikat Rufaqa Corp Sdn Bhd and then Syarikat Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd, before changing it to GISB Holding Sdn Bhd. OWC courted controversy in 2011 with its statements on marital relationships and a book on Islamic sex reportedly banned by the government.

Azlina said GISB recently set up a new initiative called “Rumah Poligami Indah dari Tuhan” (Beautiful Polygamy Home from God) based in Bertam Jaya, Melaka. She said the initiative was established in December last year in an effort to give a better understanding of polygamous marriages as advocated in Islam.

Azlina said the setting up of the home did not mean that it encouraged polygamy as its objective was to help society understand the concept of polygamy. “For us, polygamy is not for all people, but we have to accept (it) because it is God’s law, do not understand never mind, but accept first. Can’t do it, is fine, we don’t force everyone to practise polygamy.”

She also said a website poligami-indah.com has been set up for the purpose of helping Muslims comprehend polygamy.

The sect was founded by the late Ashaari Mohammad, who was once held under the Internal Security Act. His teachings were considered deviant by the religious authorities.

For the full report, visit www.themalaysianinsider.com

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on February 25, 2015.