Jakarta – The Islam Defenders Front (FPI), a hardliner group that has been under the spotlight recently as its violent image has begun to receive pushback from other community groups, has committed to changing its ways.

The group's leader Rizieq Shihab said during his visit to the Religious Affairs Ministry on Friday that FPI would fight for justice and corruption eradication from now on.

"The incident at the Home Ministry and various others incidents are no longer the group's hallmark. FPI has left that paradigm," he said as quoted by Antara news agency.

FPI members were involved in vandalizing the Home Ministry office in Jakarta during its protest last month, prompting the ministry to issue its final warning before suspending the group.

As its grasp on public sympathies has begun to slip, various community groups have begun standing up to the FPI, including most notably a protest initiated by the Dayak ethnic group at Tjilik Riwut Airport last week to block FPI leaders' arrival.

Commenting on the rejection, Shihab said he came to the province to preach and reveal a corruption case in the province.(iwa)