Hisham reminds Malaysians to not play up sensitive issues
By TheStar
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are reminded not to play up racial and religious sentiment, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
Praising the Negri Sembilan police for acting fast in the case in which a mosque was splashed with red paint, Hishammuddin said he was relieved that those responsible had been nabbed.
He said the ministry was very concerned about the incident.
“I would like to remind all Malaysians to not just avoid playing with fireworks but at the same time, don’t play up the racial and religious sentiment,” he said before breaking fast with orphans and disabled in Cheras here yesterday.
Four boys, aged 16 to 18, were detained on Sunday night about 12 hours after the act of vandalism at Taman Pulai Impian in Sikamat.
Police had said that the red paint was splashed by the teenagers who had probably retaliated after being scolded for playing with fireworks.
Hishammuddin said local police had also been in constant contact with their Indonesian peers over the latest incident in which human faeces was thrown at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta as well as the recent arrest of fishermen.
He said this was to ensure that bilateral relations between the two country remained good, adding that the Cabinet had also discussed the matter.
Asked if enforcement would be enhanced at the border between the two countries following the incidents, he said:
“To me, the more important thing is the understanding, bilateral relations and the two-way diplomatic relations between the two countries.”
