Task force to ensure no new disturbances at places of worship
|
|
GEORGE TOWN: Police have set up a task force comprising 73 senior officers and 210 personnel to ensure that no new disturbances occur at churches and mosques in the state.
Penang police chief Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Abdul Rahim Hanafi said they would conduct patrols around these places of worship.
The announcement follows the Molotov cocktail attack on the Assumption Church here and putting up of controversial banners with the word ‘Allah’ outside five churches in the state.
He said police had recorded several statements over the cases so far, including from church committee members.
“Up to Monday, 16 police reports have been lodged but no arrests have been made.
“Three investigation papers were opened under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act 1948 to probe into the ‘Allah’ banners and one investigation paper on the arson attack under Section 436 of the Penal Code,” he said after an event at Traders Hotel here yesterday.
The banners were found hung outside the Church of the Assumption in Farquhar Street, Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus, St John Britto Church in Jalan Sungai Pinang, Victory Lutheran Church in Island Glades and Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Butterworth on Sunday.
The representatives of the first three churches were reported to have lodged police reports after their parishioners found the banners at their churches’ entrances.
Two Molotov cocktails were subsequently found thrown into the compound of the 228-year-old Church of the Assumption at 1.30am on Monday.
Both petrol bombs landed in the church compound and only one exploded while the other remained intact.
SDCP Abdul Rahim said police suspected that two men on a motorcycle had committed the crime based on the recording of a CCTV on Farquhar Street.
“It’s not easy to identify the culprits as we must have solid evidence of at least 90% before we nab anyone,” he added.
