Dr. M: The faithful should not have done themselves justice

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that temple worshipers should not have done justice to themselves and immediately alerted the cops.

"It was said that the developer had sent people to the temple. When Indian worshipers saw the Malays come in, they acted (against them).

"The faithful should have called the police and reported that there were intruders in their temple, but they did not do it.

"They took matters into their own hands and created problems," he told reporters at a press conference after visiting a wounded firefighter during the fight at the Seafield Hindu Temple. , in the USJ25 to Subang Jaya.

Mahathir said the attack on the firefighter, who was on duty outside the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on Tuesday morning, was an attempted murder.

He added that 24-year-old Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, who was reported to have been seriously injured, would be dead now if he had not been treated by doctors or resuscitation machines.

Adib, who was initially placed in the intensive care unit of Subang Jaya Medical Center, was transferred last night to the National Institute of Cardiology (NJI).

"Here the damage is such a bit bigger and he will be dead. When he died, the charge will be laid against a murder, "said Mahathir, adding that the police were doing their best to find the culprits.

Mahathir said the protests in Malaysia should be peaceful.

"It was not a demonstration. It was like wanting to kill people. They come with pennies. We can not allow that, "he added.

Commenting on reports that the developer's lawyers hired thugs to enter the temple, Mahathir said it was the wrong thing to do.

"They did not think well when they asked the Malays to take over the Hindu temple. They were foreigners, they did not understand Malaysian practices or culture.

"If we find out who did this, lawyers or the Attorney General will have to find evidence against him," he added.

In a previous statement, the Prime Minister declared that temple violence was criminal in nature and that perpetrators would be treated in accordance with the law.

In the case of accusations that the police were slow to respond to the crisis, he said he did not act aggressively, as it was necessary to be cautious in dealing with such sensitive religious issues.

On Monday, during a morning fight between the faithful and a second group of intruders in the temple, 18 cars were burned and at least two seriously injured.

Then on Tuesday morning, a gathering of more than 1,000 people at the temple began peacefully to turn into turmoil after a car parked on the opposite side of the road was set on fire.

When a fire truck arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire, protesters loaded the truck, forcing him to retreat.

A van emergency medical emergency services and a fire engine were also vandalized, apparently by the crowd.

The crowd also vandalized the developer's office, One City, about 500 meters away, flooding the building with stones and breaking glass doors and windows.