Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (pic) said the attack and robbery of two elderly nuns in Seremban yesterday was an appalling and senseless act.
He said the public could rest assured that the police were committed to finding the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
"I wish both Sister Julianna Lim and Sister Mary-Rose a speedy recovery," he said in his latest post on his Facebook account today.
Sr Lim, 68, and Sr Mary-Rose, 80, were attacked with a helmet and robbed by a man just before dawn outside the Church of the Visitation in Seremban yesterday.
They were found unconscious at the main entrance of the church. The duo had just arrived at the church from home and were about to enter it when they were set upon.
Negeri Sembilan police chief Datuk Osman Salleh today said robbery was the motive behind the attack and that it was not a hate crime.
He said their bags containing small amounts of cash and mobile phones were missing and police had classified the case under section 394 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing injury during a robbery.
Sr Lim who suffered injuries to the head and face, is still in a coma and in a critical condition at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital, Seremban while Mary-Rose has regained consciousness. – Bernama, May 15, 2014.
Police: Attack on nuns 'not linked to race or religion'
Posted on 15 May 2014 - 08:22pm
Last updated on 15 May 2014 - 08:53pm
Last updated on 15 May 2014 - 08:53pm
SEREMBAN: The brutal attack on the two nuns at a church compound on Wednesday was a mere crime and should not be connected to any racial or religious issue, said Negri Sembilan chief police officer DCP Datuk Osman Salleh.
Dismissing claims and speculation that the attack on the nuns was a conspiracy to cause a religious conflict, he said the incident is being investigated under Section 394 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt in committing a robbery.
"I don't want this incident to be manipulated and urge everyone not to spread hearsay.
"We are looking at all aspects and will work with the church officials on the matter and use the footages from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras around the church compound," he told a press conference at the state police contingent headquarters here today.
The two nuns from the Holy Infant Jesus Convent, identified as Sister Mary-Rose, 79, and Sister Juliana Lim, 79, were viciously attacked and robbed between 6am and 6.30am on the ground of the Church of The Visitation. A police report was lodged only at 9.30am.
The church officials, who declined to comment, said they will issue a statement soon.
Osman said that two of the 13 CCTVs in the church vicinity were not functioning and this includes the one at the front of the church facing Jalan Yam Tuan, where the crime was believed to have happened.
He said according to preliminary statements from Mary-Rose, who is now conscious, one assailant, 170cm in height, was wearing a full-faced helmet. He carried another helmet which he used to beat them on the head.
"The other nun (Lim) is in coma due to internal bleeding caused by serious injuries to the head. From what we gather, she was beaten repeatedly because she was calling for help and she is believed to have a clearer view of the assailant.
"Mary-Rose is still traumatised and we pray for their speedy recovery," Osman said, urging eyewitnesses to come forward to assist in the case.
"Both Mary-Rose and Lim had travelled to the church with another nun. It was (the third) one who lodged the police report. She said that both victims carried very little money, one handphone and pocket Bibles," said Osman.
When they arrived at the church, the third nun entered the church using the side door while the other two walked to the main entrance.
Osman dismissed claims that the areas around the church are crime hotspots, stating that police statistics do not show high crime rates in these specific places.
