Khalid calls for town hall meeting after cow head protest

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim today moved to ease tensions here after yesterday's provocative protests against the construction of a Hindu temple, and said the state government will hold a town hall meeting with local residents.

Despite initial evidence which suggests the 50-odd protesters who left a bloody cow's head at the entrance of the state secretariat were not locals, he said the state government would go ahead with a dialogue with local residents.

Yesterday, dozens of Malay-Muslims claiming to be local residents marched to the state secretariat and threatened bloodshed if the state government went ahead with plans to allow the construction of a Hindu temple in what they claimed was inhabited mainly by Muslims.

They left a cow's head in front of the state secretariat in an act seen as highly provocative because Hindus consider the animal sacred.

The Selangor mentri besar said today that he regretted the provocative, offensive and deliberate religious slurs by the small group of irresponsible people.

As we prepare to celebrate Malaysia’s 52nd Merdeka anniversary, it is appalling that such religious intolerance still exists among our fellow Malaysians.”

The group, who are against the relocation of a Hindu temple to Section 23, had carried out the protest outside the state secretariat yesterday.

Khalid appealed for calm and urged the public not to react or be provoked because to react would only create further discord among Malaysians.

“Although the protestors’ conduct must be condemned, we should allow the law to take its due process.”

He called on the police to act without fear or favour and conduct a fair investigation on the threats made by the demonstrators against state leaders.

He said the state had directed Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) to hold an open discussion on September 5, 2009 which would be attended by the actual residents of Section 23, city council officials and the representatives of Selangor Development Corporation.

“The meeting will allow all parties to express their views and give the state an opportunity to present clear and correct facts surrounding its decision to relocate the current temple from Section 19 to Section 23.”

In the meantime Section 23 residents are being urged not to allow themselves to be influenced by the distorted facts presented by interested parties who have politicized the issue.

“As we have stressed earlier, all those involved must be considerate, rational and mutually respectful as this is the only way for the matter to be settled amicably.”


comments

This Ibrahim whom I called a terrorist should be detained base on his act and threatening Bloodshed is his demands is not met. The Selangor CPO is talking through his nose when he said that he can only act when there is a police report. Normally this should be the case but this time it is against a person calling for bloodshed and doing something which could create chaos in the country. Millions outside the country have already read about the incident and waiting to see the reaction of the police. Credit must be given to the PM for instructing the IGP to pursue the matter.


Non-Muslims have tolerated mosques in their majority areas since before independence. I don't see why Muslims can't do the same. I stay in a 99% Chinese majority area and I never even blinked an eye when I hear the speakers blaring out prayers at dawn every day. Anyway, I do believe the protesters are not the actual residents of Section 23 but are people brought in by irresponsible parties to create social unrest with the ultimately aim to discredit the PR government.

They could fire tear gas and chemical-laced water at those PACEFULLY protesting against the ISA, but not against those blatantly showing disrespect for another religion and threatening to shed blood?

What kind of crap double standards are these? This is a clear cop out and shows bias on the part of the authorities!! We don't buy thse excuses one bit. We are not stupid. We know what the score is and will VOTE accordingly at GE 2013!

The PM and DPM have been surprising silent on this issue even though Najib was supposed to be angry according to an MIC minister.
Why ?