Jakarta. Malaysian soap opera Bidaah has taken both Malaysia and Indonesia by storm with its gripping religious-themed storyline and controversial depiction of a deviant cult. The 15-episode drama, directed and produced by Malaysian actress and filmmaker Erma Fatima, is now rumored to return for a second season, following a massive 2.5 billion streams on Viu Malaysia.

The buzz around a potential sequel ignited after Erma Fatima posted a teaser poster of Bidaah 2 on her Instagram account @ermafatima, accompanied by a caption asking fans, “Saja tanya. Nak ke tak Bidaah 2 ni? Kalau nak. Komen Bidaah 2.” Translated, the post reads: “Just asking. Do you want Bidaah 2? If yes, comment ‘Bidaah 2.’”

The post quickly went viral, garnering enthusiastic responses from viewers across the region. “Yesss, really want it, been waiting so much,” wrote one Malaysian fan. Indonesian fans also responded, with one comment reading, “Yes please, ma’am @ermafatima, we in Indonesia are still loyally waiting for season 2.”

Airing every Thursday to Saturday, each 30-minute episode of Bidaah has captivated audiences with its bold narrative about Baiduri (played by Riena Diana), a young woman unknowingly pulled into a radical religious group called Jihad Ummah. Her mother Kalsum (Fazlina Ahmad Daud) coerces her to join the community, which on the surface appears pious but is led by a cult-like figure named Walid Muhammad (veteran actor Faizal Hussein), who claims divine status equal to prophets.

As the story unfolds, Baiduri begins to see through the deception and sets out to uncover the truth behind the charismatic leader’s teachings and manipulations.

Several scenes from the series have become viral memes on social media. One widely discussed moment shows followers of Jihad Ummah drinking water used to wash Walid’s feet. Another clip that went viral depicts one of Walid’s wives toying with his beard using her foot. These moments, among others, have flooded TikTok and sparked intense conversation about the show’s bold approach.

Responding to the controversy surrounding his role, Faizal Hussein said he never felt burdened by portraying Walid.

“If we want to make people aware, we have to show the evil first—only then can they realize it and not fall into a deviant path,” Faizal told Malaysia’s Harian Metro.

Adding to the intrigue, rumors have swirled that the plot of Bidaah may be partially based on the real-life experiences of producer Erma Fatima, though she has never publicly confirmed this.