PUTRAJAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will brief the Cabinet on Friday (Feb 13) on issues involving houses of worship built without proper approval as well as the recent intrusion at a temple in Rawang.
He said the briefing is aimed at providing a clear chronology of events and identifying the parties involved to enable the government to determine the best course of action and ease rising tensions.
“I have asked the Inspector-General of Police and the Special Branch director to be prepared with a comprehensive report.
"We want to ensure that any action taken is based on facts and the law, not on emotion or manipulation by certain parties,” he told reporters after the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly on Thursday (Feb 12).
Commenting on recent incidents involving individuals taking matters into their own hands to demolish a house of worship, Saifuddin Nasution warned that sidelining the rule of law is dangerous and could have serious consequences for public order.
“Issues involving race and religion are highly emotive. When information is spread at the fingertips of those who do not consider the importance of security, the role of the police becomes critical in preventing provocation,” he said.
He stressed that matters involving land status, ownership or urban planning must be resolved through proper legal channels, involving the state government and local authorities.
“No one wins if we act based on emotion. We remain a multiracial nation, and the guarantee of freedom of religion as enshrined in the Federal Constitution will continue to be upheld by the government,” he added.
Saifuddin Nasution also expressed full confidence in the police to utilise all available provisions, including Section 105 of the Criminal Procedure Code, as a preventive measure against actions that could disrupt harmony.
“Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to incite or inflame racial sentiments.
"The police will act professionally to safeguard peace, especially as the country is currently on the right economic track,” he said.
On Wednesday (Feb 12), the police arrested four men to assist in investigations into the alleged intrusion at a temple in Rawang.
Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the arrests were made following a report lodged by a local man regarding the demolition of a temple that had allegedly been built without adhering to regulations in the area.
