Molotov cocktails thrown in church compound in Penang
BY OH CHIN ENG
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BALIK PULAU: The Church of the Assumption in Lebuh Farquhar has been attacked in the early morning after a controversial banner with the word "Allah" found outside the church on Sunday.
Penang police chief SDCP Datuk Abdul Rahim said that two Molotov cocktails were thrown into the church compound at about 1.30am early Monday morning.
"However only one exploded as the other one fell on the grass.
"Initial investigations showed that two men on a motorcycle committed the crime," he said in a press conference on Monday.
Representatives from the church, and a few other churches in the area have lodged police reports over controversial banners that were put up at the their entrances.Three churches lodge reports over 'Allah' banners
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GEORGE TOWN: Representatives from three Catholic churches here have lodged police reports over controversial banners that were put up at the churches’ entrances.
It is learnt that Sunday mass churchgoers at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus, Church of the Assumption in Lebuh Farquhar and St John Britto in Jalan Sungai Pinang were greeted with the banners that had the word “Allah” on it.
Church of the Immaculate Conception parish council chairman Baldeev Singh said no one saw who put up the banner next to the church’s main gate.
He took the banner down and handed it to the police before lodging a report.
A parishioner from the Church of the Assumption, John David said he saw the banner when he came for morning mass at 8.30am.
St John Britto Church chairman Michael Susay said he was clueless as to why his church was targeted.
In Butterworth, a similar banner was also hung on the gate of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Parish priest Father Victor Louis said he did not plan to lodge a report as he didn’t want to turn it into an issue.
Penang Umno Youth vice-chief Jasmin Noor Din also lodged a police report over the matter, adding that the banners were put up by those who wanted to create religious strife.
It is also understood that Kampung Rawa mosque committee also lodged a police report over the matter.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng confirmed receiving the reports, adding that the matter was being investigated under the Sedition Act.
“We are studying the CCTV footage and patrols have been stepped up outside the churches,” he added.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng tweeted his condemnation of those who put up the banners.
