Update for Jan 11: 8 Churches attacked so far

From TheStar:

Photos are from the fire damaged Metro Tabernacle Church, which was targeted by arsonists.

Arson attempt on

eighth church

SEREMBAN: The Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) church at Lake View Square, Seremban 2, Negri Sembilan became the eighth church attacked when scorch marks were found on its main entrance door.

The attack, the first in Negri Sembilan and discovered this morning, however did not affect the church interior and was believed to have occurred early this morning.

Negeri Sembilan deputy police chief Datuk Abd Manan Mhd Hassan said police were informed of the incident by a man who found the main door of the church with burn marks at about 8.30am.

"A team of police officers, together with the forensic unit and the Fire and Rescue Department went to inspect the incident and found the front entrance door damaged.

"We believe assailants used petrol to set fire to the door but, fortunately, the fire did not spread," he told reporters at the scene of the incident.

He said police believe the incident took place between 1.30am and 8.30am because a police unit had patrolled the area at 1.30am and found everything in order.

He added that he had directed all police patrol cars and all police officers on duty to monitor places of worship, especially mosques and churches, to ensure their safety.

"I urge the people to stop such activities. Do not do anything that can disrupt peace and harmony of the country. We will take stern action against those found responsible," he said.

Meanwhile, the priest of the church, Eddy Marson Yasir, 33, said he was the last one to leave the church after a meeting at 11.30pm last night.

"I was shocked when a church member informed me of the fire this morning. The church has been in existence in Seremban for the past 10 years," he said.

A church member V. Jashua, 49, said he was having breakfast in the area when he noticed a man standing in front of the church.

"When I went to investigate, the man told me that the front door of the church was burnt," he said.

Four churches in the Klang Valley were hit by petrol bombs on Friday while one was hit Sunday in Taiping.

A Malacca church reported it was splashed with black paint.

On Sunday, a convent school in Taiping was also the target of an attempt with petrol bombs found near its guardhouse overnight while a stone was thrown at a church in Miri.

The church attacks followed a High Court ruling on Dec 31, that Catholic weekly Herald had the constitutional rights to use the word 'Allah' to describe the Christian God in their Bahasa Malaysia section. - Bernama

And more:

New cases of attempted arson and vandalism

being probed

Reports by LOURDES CHARLES, IZATUN SHARI, RASLAN BAHAROM and MARTIN CAVARLHO

Police inspect the damage on the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Petaling Jaya outside Kuala Lumpur January 9, 2010. Arsonists in Malaysia struck another church on Saturday, bringing the attacks on churches to four in two days as a row escalates over the use of the word Allah to refer to the Christian God. REUTERS/Stringer

TAIPING: Two cases of attempted arson were reported involving the All-Saints’ Church at Jalan Taming Sari and SMK Convent along Jalan Convent here, while in Malacca, black paint was splashed on the outer wall of the Malacca Baptist Church in Durian Daun.

The staircase leading to the 122-year-old All-Saints’ Church – the oldest Anglican church in the country – was slightly burned while the Molotov cocktail thrown into the school failed to explode.

Meanwhile, in Miri, police were probing the minor vandalism of a church near Lutong after work ers found two broken windows yesterday.

Miri police chief ACP Jamaluddin Ibrahim said he believed this was not linked to the arson attacks against several churches in the peninsula.

In Bukit Mertajam, a car belonging to a 40-year-old pastor in Bukit Tengah was splashed with red paint by vandals. State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Ayub Yaakob said the incident was isolated and not related to the arson attacks.

All-Saints’ Church pastor Rev Joshua Ong told reporters he saw burn marks at the church entrance and side porch when he was opening the premises at 7am in preparation for its service yesterday.

Police officers inspect damage at the All Saints Church in Taiping of Perak state, Malaysia, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010. Firebombs were thrown at two more churches in Malaysia early Sunday, the latest in a series of assaults on Christian houses of worship following a court decision that allows non-Muslims to use 'Allah' to refer to God.

(AP Photo)
Two broken bottles, believed to be home-made Molotov cocktails, were seen near the spots.

At the school, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at about 3am into the guardhouse, located at the school compound adjacent to the Taiping Catholic Church.

Perak CPO Deputy Comm Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said police had beefed up security at places of worship in the state and urged the people to remain calm.

In Malacca, police were investigating the black paint incident following a report lodged at the Melaka Tengah district police station.

Black paint is seen on the wall of Malacca Baptist Church as police investigators inspect in Malacca, south of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010. Firebombs were thrown at two more churches in Malaysia early Sunday, while another church was splashed with black paint in the latest in a series of assaults on Christian houses of worship following a court decision allowing non-Muslims to use 'Allah' to refer to God.

(AP Photo)

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the two arson attacks and vandalism were being investigated thoroughly.

“I assure the public that we have increased our presence at churches and mosques as well as other places of worship and will do everything within our means to bring to book those responsible.”

Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar who visited the Assumption Church in Jalan Templer, Petaling Jaya, urged the public not to aggravate the situation by listening to rumours.

Assumption Church parish priest Father Philip Muthu appealed to all Malaysians not to politicise the attack and refrain from attending a candle light vigil planned on Wednesda

y.