Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has condemned the
act of an insane man who destroyed three Buddhist deities in a temple
in Tanah Liat, Bukit Mertajam, today.
"I visited three mosques on the occasion of Prophet Muhammad's birthday today and all the religious heads have disagreed with the act.
"I
then told them I am heading to the Siamese temple and none of them
protested," he told reporters at a press conference in the main hall of
Wat Chatararam where the incident happened yesterday morning.
Anwar (right) felt grateful that the communities in Tanah Liat did not react to the incident as though it was a religious attack.
"I am thankful the public understands that this kind of behaviour is not Islamic," he added.
"I hope the police will monitor and step up security at the other temples around the area," he urged.
Anwar said the matter was reported in the Thai media and that he was alerted to it by a former Thai official who had visited the temple in his trips to Penang.
Also present were Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, accompanied by several DAP and PKR assemblypersons, and Seberang Perai Tengah OCPD Rusli Mohd Noor.
Temple committee chairperson Koh Kok Weng and Reverend Chan Ah Pin joined the group at the press conference.
Both Anwar and Lim praised the police for their swift response to the incident, which happened around 10am.
In a CCTV recording of the incident, a man wearing a kopiah was seen entering the temple on a motorcycle.
He then kicked down three deities, which shattered upon impact on the ground, yet he seemed very calm and remained in the area until three temple staff appeared and tried to stop him.
He then fled on his motorcycle, almost running into one of them, after circling the place and punching the air with his right fist.
‘No Muslim would approve of such behaviour’
Lim urged the public to remain calm, and to not link the issue to a religious threat.
Today is the Prophet's birthday, he reminded, saying no Muslim would approve of such behaviour.
Lim said the state government viewed the incident seriously, although it appears that the culprit may be "a mad man".
His behaviour in destroying the three deities and attempting to run down one of the temple staff who had witnessed the incident, was described as "dangerous".
"He is dangerous and may be planning on doing the same to other temples," Lim cautioned.
"We hope the police will nab the culprit soon. If he is from this village, it may not be difficult to identify him," he added.
"Such acts (attacking deities), although by an insane man in this incident, is a threat to all communities.
"If he is a fanatic, it is a cause of concern for all," Lim stressed, and then pledged financial aid to the temple to restore the deities.
Koh said that a police report has been lodged at 4pm yesterday in Bukit Mertajam.
"This temple has been around for 100 years, but nothing like this has happened before.
“When I found out what happened I rushed to the temple, and many who heard about it felt shocked and worried. This temple is next to a mosque and the place has always been peaceful," he told Malaysiakini.
Koh said the temple is well-known in Thailand, and that many prominent individuals - including Buddhist religious heads - have visited the Wat before.
When asked how much would it cost to restore the broken deities, Koh noted that the damages have yet to be ascertained.
"They are about 50 years old and are priceless," he quipped.
"I visited three mosques on the occasion of Prophet Muhammad's birthday today and all the religious heads have disagreed with the act.
"I
then told them I am heading to the Siamese temple and none of them
protested," he told reporters at a press conference in the main hall of
Wat Chatararam where the incident happened yesterday morning.Anwar (right) felt grateful that the communities in Tanah Liat did not react to the incident as though it was a religious attack.
"I am thankful the public understands that this kind of behaviour is not Islamic," he added.
"I hope the police will monitor and step up security at the other temples around the area," he urged.
Anwar said the matter was reported in the Thai media and that he was alerted to it by a former Thai official who had visited the temple in his trips to Penang.
Also present were Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, accompanied by several DAP and PKR assemblypersons, and Seberang Perai Tengah OCPD Rusli Mohd Noor.
Temple committee chairperson Koh Kok Weng and Reverend Chan Ah Pin joined the group at the press conference.
Both Anwar and Lim praised the police for their swift response to the incident, which happened around 10am.
In a CCTV recording of the incident, a man wearing a kopiah was seen entering the temple on a motorcycle.He then kicked down three deities, which shattered upon impact on the ground, yet he seemed very calm and remained in the area until three temple staff appeared and tried to stop him.
He then fled on his motorcycle, almost running into one of them, after circling the place and punching the air with his right fist.
‘No Muslim would approve of such behaviour’
Lim urged the public to remain calm, and to not link the issue to a religious threat.
Today is the Prophet's birthday, he reminded, saying no Muslim would approve of such behaviour.
Lim said the state government viewed the incident seriously, although it appears that the culprit may be "a mad man".
His behaviour in destroying the three deities and attempting to run down one of the temple staff who had witnessed the incident, was described as "dangerous".
"He is dangerous and may be planning on doing the same to other temples," Lim cautioned.
"We hope the police will nab the culprit soon. If he is from this village, it may not be difficult to identify him," he added.
"Such acts (attacking deities), although by an insane man in this incident, is a threat to all communities.
"If he is a fanatic, it is a cause of concern for all," Lim stressed, and then pledged financial aid to the temple to restore the deities.
Koh said that a police report has been lodged at 4pm yesterday in Bukit Mertajam."This temple has been around for 100 years, but nothing like this has happened before.
“When I found out what happened I rushed to the temple, and many who heard about it felt shocked and worried. This temple is next to a mosque and the place has always been peaceful," he told Malaysiakini.
Koh said the temple is well-known in Thailand, and that many prominent individuals - including Buddhist religious heads - have visited the Wat before.
When asked how much would it cost to restore the broken deities, Koh noted that the damages have yet to be ascertained.
"They are about 50 years old and are priceless," he quipped.
1 comment:
It might be done by Orang Gila who previously burnt the Quran before....
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