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Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar today said the police did not see any criminal element in yesterday’s protest in Taman Medan that led to the voluntary removal of a cross from a church’s façade.
He said the police also do not view the protest as seditious as it was not about religion.
“We don’t see it as seditious because it did not touch on Christianity. It was just about the location of the church,” he said at a news conference at the police headquarters in Bukit Aman here.
“In this issue we must be very careful. The cross was taken down at the request of the community and was agreed to by the pastor,” he added.
Yesterday, a group of about 50 protesters reportedly gathered in front of the church at around 10am while Sunday service was going on, to protest against the installation of a cross on the facade of the building.
The protesters claimed that an open display of a cross is a challenge to the area’s Muslim majority residents and could influence young Muslims.
Khalid today insisted that this is a communal issue that cannot be left to the police alone to manage.
Describing the protest as a “flash mob”, he said the responsibility also falls on the local and state governments and the area’s elected representatives to find a solution.
“The protest was by local residents, which is why we referred it back to the local council and the state government. Before it becomes worse... The local government and state government cannot just wash their hands of this.
“The elected representatives must also step in and play their role,” he said.
Khalid assured that the police will continue to maintain a presence in the area and keep tabs on the situation.
“The police are still there to make sure no untoward incidents happen,” he said.
