THE state government will continue to pay a RM10,000 (S$4100) incentive to Muslim preachers or missionaries who are willing to marry Orang Asli women to prevent them from leaving the religion.

State Islamic Development, Education and Dakwah Committee chairman Datuk Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said efforts had to be made to ensure that the Orang Asli people would not be easily influenced by missionaries of other faiths.

"We were told that certain Orang Asli settlements in the rural areas had been visited by non-Islamic missionaries and they had been spreading their faith to these people," Nik Mohd told the state assembly yesterday.

Replying to a question by Datuk Mohd Alwi Che Ahmad (BN-Kok Lanas), he said the action included conducting awareness programmes and also organising training for Orang Asli to become religious teachers.

The Kelantan government introduced the incentive payment three years ago as part of its efforts to convert Orang Asli to Islam.