Ibrahim Haji Sabri,deputy chairman of the Sec 23 resident's commitee speaking at the protest yesterday
Datuk Seri Najib Razak has ordered the police to take swift action against a group that brought a cow's head to Shah Alam to protest a Hindu temple relocation in a bid to calm swirling racial tensions.
The outraged prime minister gave instructions to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan after Selangor police stood by in the after Friday prayers protest.
Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin condemned the protest, calling it insensitive and disrespectful to another religion.
“This kind of emotional and insulting action can wreck the country’s peace,” the Rembau MP said in a statement.
“It saddens me that this protest was in the name of Malay NGOs after Friday prayers during Ramadan. I believe this is not an action acceptable to Islam which prizes moderation and respect for other people’s faiths,” he added.
Khairy said the action will anger the Hindus, adding those who organised the protest should consider their actions if others protested the building of mosques in non-Malay areas by burning and stepping on the Quran.
“Won’t the Malays be enraged. If yes, isn’t the cow head protest equally insulting?” he asked, adding he would equally defend Islam against its detractors and other religions too.
National Unity and Performance Management Minister Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon also called for calm and asked the state government resolve the issue.
“This matter must be resolved through negotiation in the spirit of Rukunegara and 1 Malaysia and an amicable solution must be found,” Koh said in a statement, adding he supported Najib's directive for quick police action. Indian leaders from both sides of the political divide condemned the protest, saying it will incite racial tensions in the country's most developed state.
MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu called the group extremist but asked Indians in the state to be calm.
"It is the right of Malaysians of any faith, including Hindus to build temples and other places of worships. I am very sad that this group had paraded the cow's head on their way to the state secretariat building," he said in a statement.
"I am worried that this action may lead to retaliation from the Hindu community. However, I wish to urge the Hindus especially to be calm and let the authorities deal with it," he added, saying the protesters must be punished for endangering racial harmony.
The action drew the ire of other Indian leaders including Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy who called the protest a "disgraceful" act" while Human Rights Party leader P Uthayakumar was disappointed that the police did not arrest those involved in the protest.
The Pakatan Rakyat government said it will lodge a police report, regretting the inaction by the police.
The group of Malay-Muslim protesters claiming to be residents of Section 23 had dumped the severed cow's head outside the Selangor state secretariat and threatened bloodshed unless the state government stopped the construction of a Hindu Temple.
The "residents" said that the construction of a Hindu temple in a 90 per cent Malay- Muslim neighbourhood was insensitive because activities there would disrupt their lives.
“I challenge YB Khalid, YB Rodziah and Xavier Jeyakumar to go on with the temple construction. I guarantee bloodshed and racial tension will happen if this goes on, and the state will be held responsible,” shouted Ibrahim Haji Sabri amid strong chants of “Allahu Akbar!” as he referred to Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and his state administration.
Ibrahim identified himself as the deputy chairman of the Resident’s Committee against the building of the temple in S23 here, which is perceived by some as being a Muslim majority area.
He told the press that the state should move the temple to Section 22 as ‘originally planned’, and also labelled Khalid a “traitor to the Malay race and Islam”.
It is understood that the protest is an immediate reaction towards the Selangor MB’s visit to the Hindu temple site yesterday, an act seen by the "residents" as disrespectful to the Muslims of the community.
When asked whether members of the protest were affiliated with any organisations or movements, Ibrahim claimed that the people present today were members of PAS, PKR as well as Umno who are “united in the name of Islam and the Malay spirit.”
The issue first cropped up when the Selangor government proposed that the Sri Mariamman temple be relocated from Section 19 to Section 23.
In a statement, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism & Taoism (MCCBCHST) called for calm to enable the authorities find a “peaceable agreement and understanding”.
“Nothing can be gained by provocative action on the part of any side. MCCBCHST regrets that a severed cow’s head was brought along in the demonstration,” said president Reverend Dr Thomas Philips, noting the cow is sacred to the Hindu religion.
He said religious issues were best resolved around the negotiation table where mutual respect can be shown to all.
“No further demonstration by any side should be contemplated or allowed. Peace and order should be maintained for the sake of all residents,” Philips added
comments
A clear indication of police biases and prejudice. Such outright despicable act was tolerated by the police while those hold peaceful candle light vigil were high handedly dispersed or arrested.
PDRM...show your worthiness.
Why Police need to wait from PM instruction on what to do on cow-head protesters ??
Can anyone please tell me...please
or i think ....ha ha ha.....our be dangerous PM are the person behind this drama....!!!!
Hisham, use ISA against Ibrahim Haji Sabri. Why are you waiting. Don't you see this as a inciting racial tension?
What the hell is the police doing by standing and watch? This is another reason we need to replace the IGP. The PM have to tell him what to do.
Why arrest peaceful people with candle light vigils but let the violent racist protest with severed cow head. This is truly the time to put those bastards behind bar under ISA. Maybe they were incited by some fanatical islamic terrorist in their mix to protest that way. This is not the Malaysian way. I have not seen this kind of violent protest against another religion in Malaysia before this. We are truly a sinking ship if racial harmony did not improve.
It is time for the government to evaluate their actions in terms of bringing religion into government and inciting racial nonsense in their election campaign.
Other races have tolerated the call for prayer everyday throughout the land and no one make a fuss about it. Maybe these fanatics should get their head check and authorities should find out where they get their Islamic studies from.
Now please detain Ibrahim Haji Sabri immediately under ISA. What is the government waiting for. What is IGP Musa Hassan doing. Such a clear cut case, yet you have to wait for the PM to give you an instruction. You are really good for nothing.
What have our Muslim brothers become? Is Islam so intolerant? We are always so proud of our multi racial, multi religious society, and our PM often boosts that our mosques, churches, temples co-exist side by side.
What has Malaysia become? Where are we heading to?
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