KUALA LUMPUR – Perak police arrested a 35-year-old man in connection with the desecration of a shrine and a statue of a deity at a temple in Manjung, Perak.
The Malay man was arrested around 9.30pm last night and his mobile phone was seized, said Manjung police chief Nordin Abdullah in a statement.
His arrest follows a police report lodged at 1.30pm yesterday over a viral video that showed an individual vandalising the shrine of a “Datuk Keramat” or “Datuk Gong” spirit and a statue.
“We believe the seized phone was used to record the video,” Nordin said.
The incident took place at a temple in Kg Koh, in Manjung, he added.
Nordin said the suspect will be brought to the magistrate’s court in Teluk Intan for remand proceedings to aid investigations.
The suspect’s investigation is under Section 295 of the Penal Code for defiling a place of worship with the intent to insult another religion. If convicted, the penalty is jail for a maximum of two years, or a fine, or both.
The man is also under investigation for Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for improper use of network facilities by allegedly uploading the video.
The clip, nearly 30 seconds long, has been circulating on social media since April 5. It showed the person recording the video, rambling as he moved around the shrine before kicking the deity statue.
The man speaking in the clip insinuated that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the inspector-general of police are “scared” of “kafirs” to the point that “the honour of Islam is at stake”.
The Datuk Gong deity is also known as Datuk Keramat and Na Tuk Kong. It is believed to be the local guardian spirit of a particular place.
It is described as a “Sino-Malay” spirit in some accounts and believers may include people of different ethnicities and religions.
Reposts of the video on X drew angry condemnation from social media users. Many urged the authorities to take action. – April 7, 2024