The Malaysian state of Kelantan, ruled by a hardline Islamic party, will offer cash and other perks to Muslim preachers who marry and convert indigenous people, reports said today.

Kelantan Religious Affairs Committee chair Hassan Mohamood said the state government was unhappy with the conversion rate of indigenous people or "Orang Asli", who traditionally do not follow mainstream religions.

"We were not satisfied with the numbers that have embraced Islam and that's why we thought of several measures to motivate them," Hassan was quoted as saying by the Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia.

Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim nation and under the country's laws, people must convert to Islam if they want to marry a Muslim.

Preachers who marry Orang Asli will receive a lump sum of RM10,000 (US$2,707), as well as free accommodation, a four-wheel drive vehicle and a monthly allowance of RM1,000, according to the Star daily.

Disadvantaged group

Hassan said more than 12,000 Orang Asli resided in Kelantan and that to date, 2,902 had converted to Islam.

Orang Asli groups, the original inhabitants of Malaysia, make up less than one percent of the nation's population and are disadvantaged in terms of income, health, education and living standards.

Most Orang Asli are animists and still rely on traditional medicine-men or witch-doctors to communicate with the spiritual world.

Northern Kelantan is the only state ruled by the opposition Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS).