Idol smashing case: State aid accepted with conditions

IPOH: The temple committee embroiled in an idol-smashing incident has accepted the RM30,000 aid from the state, but with conditions.

The Sree Muneeswarar Amman Temple committee chairman A. Silvanathan said they had not refused the aid, made by state health, transport, national integration, nonMuslim affairs and new villages committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon on Monday.

According to Bernama, social media had alleged that the temple had refused the aid to repair the damage caused by a man of unsound mind on Sunday.

The 29-year-old man had smashed the idols at the temple in Jalan Hospital at about 5pm and then driven his car against traffic along Jalan Ghazali Jawi only to crash onto a bus shelter.

Police arrested the man and sent him to Hospital Bahagia in Tanjung Rambutan for a medical examination.

Silvanathan told a press conference on Tuesday that the committee accepted the money, but with conditions.

Meanwhile, the Perak government is taking a serious view on the idol-smashing act.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said he had instructed the authorities to take immediate action to investigate and resolve the matter.

“Such incidents should not be allowed because it could cause racial and religious problems in the state.

“The state government will not protect anyone who tries to create chaos through such acts. We will also not tolerate those who take advantage of these incidents to provoke disputes,” he said yesterday.

Zambry said this after witnessing the signing of a memorandum for academic cooperation between Kolej Universiti Islam Sultan Azlan Shah and the London School of Business and Management in collaboration with the University of Northampton. – Bernama