Home Minister at odds with top cop on sedition for church protesters

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi disagrees with the Inspector-General of Police over actions of protesters demanding a cross at a church be taken down in Taman Medan. – The Malaysian Insider filepic, April 20, 2015.Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said that the protest against a church in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya yesterday was indeed seditious, contradicting the views of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) who had earlier cleared the protesters of any crime.

Malaysiakini reported the minister as giving an emphatic agreement when asked if actions of the protesters, who demanded the removal of a cross displayed outside the church, was seditious.

"Of course! Yes, yes, yes!" he was quoted as saying.

"I am very colour-blind. The police is very colour blind. Action has to be taken or will be taken against them."

Zahid, who is also Umno vice-president, was reported as saying that party members ‎who had joined in the protest would have disciplinary action taken against them.

"Of course, of course, of course... Because they are breaching the law. In Umno, we have to respect other religions. They have to face the consequences," the portal quoted him as saying.

Earlier today, IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said there was no element of sedition in the protest yesterday, as the demonstration was not against Christianity, but the location of the church in a largely Malay-Muslim neighbourhood.

"We do not see it as seditious as it did not touch on Christianity but only on the location of the church," said Khalid today at a press conference at the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

"The cross was taken down following the community's request. There was no violence," Khalid had said, adding that the matter was deemed a community issue, and had been left to the Petaling Jaya City Council and the Selangor state government to deal with. 

The Star Online also quoted Zahid as saying that "if anyone touches any religion, they are subject to the Sedition Act". He was speaking to the press after a ministry event at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang today.

Some 50 people yesterday gathered outside the new church, which is housed in a corner shoplot, to demand that the cross affixed to the building be removed as it was challenging Islam, The Star Online reported.

One of the Umno leaders present at the protest was Datuk Abdullah Abu Bakar, who is Khalid's older brother.

The protesters reportedly said the presence of a cross in a Muslim-majority area posed a challenge to the religion and could sway the faith of the youth.

The cross was taken down by church leaders a few hours after the protest.

Abdullah had said today that the residents had approached him over the matter on Saturday, as they were uncomfortable and sensitive over the matter.

Khalid also addressed his brother's presence at the protest, saying that Abdullah had been there to appease the crowd and keep the situation from becoming violent.

The IGP also said that he would not compromise if an offence had really been committed.

"Immaterial if they are my siblings or my children, no problem, we will carry out our job," said Khalid, adding that action would be taken without prejudice.

- TMI