Police and firemen outside the gutted Metro Tabernacle church.
UMNO Youth Head Khairy has condemn the attack on churches.
A fireman and a sniffer dog looking for clues outside the gutted Protestant church in Kuala Lumpur.
Najib denies UMNO is responsible for flaming the Allah issue causing church attacks.
Police said they have stepped up security at all churches nationwide after one was firebombed and a failed attack on another church in the early hours of today amid a row over the use of the word “Allah” for the Christian God. Authorities are also bracing for nationwide protests by angry Muslim groups after Friday prayers.
The attack on the Metro Tabernacle church, part of a Pentecostal group called The Assemblies of God, gutted its administrative office on the ground floor. A Catholic church in Petaling Jaya also came under attack but the homemade device failed to explode. Police have yet to confirm reports of other churches being attacked.
"Since last night, I have instructed all patrol cars to patrol all church areas. We are monitoring all churches," Tan Sri Musa Hassan, Inspector-General of Police, told Reuters.
Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the two attacks were very disappointing, adding the police and society must take joint responsibility to ensure the incidents do not recur and affect the stability and security of the country.
"As Malaysians, we have to protect and ensure the freedom of worship as enacted in the Federal Constitution. We must always ensure harmony and good relations between races and those of different faiths," he said in a statement.
Both Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub have condemned the attacks.
"Despicable and cowardly. This is not my Malaysia," Khairy tweeted in his Twitter account before visiting the firebombed church in the leafy Desa Melawati suburb.
In a statement issued later, Khairy said the Barisan Nasional Youth strongly condemned the arson at the Metro Tabernacle church.
"Whatever feelings anyone has over the issue of 'Allah' being used by the Herald, the act of destroying a house of worship like this one last night cannot be defended.
"If there are Muslims who are responsible for this incident, they should be ashamed and repent their action as Islam itself asks its followers to respect the freedom of religion of non-Muslims," Khairy said.
Speaking to reporters outside the Metro Tabernacle church, Khairy said the organised protest by Muslim groups will only worsen an already intense situation following the arson.
He said though he personally backs the groups' right to express themselves, last night's arson attack has altered and exacerbated the situation further and pushed the “climate to the edge”.
Khairy also denied that the Barisan Nasional government was to be blamed for the current tension between Christians and Muslims while shrugging off accusations that Umno Youth was involved in the attack.
"We strongly condemn this attack," Salahuddin told The Malaysian Insider.
The Kubang Kerian MP said Islam does not allow its faithful to destroy houses of worship belonging to non-Muslims. "Even during war, those who seek sanctuary in houses of worship cannot be killed or the buildings itself destroyed."
Datuk Marina Mahathir, daughter of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, also condemned the attacks as unIslamic.
"I think what is most important on issues like this is the need for a leadership that is strong, unequivocal in telling how Malaysians particularly Muslims on how to behave," she said.
"The way we behave and what we say reflects our religion... we are supposed to behave kindly, speak gently as Muslims, that is what are called upon to," said a visibly upset Marina.
Albeit subtly, Marina seemed to point towards the Najib administration for the rising religious tension and questioned the absence of quality leadership in tackling the issue.
Marina, a social activist, said the attacks on the churches may be a result of anger caused by the court ruling but lambasted such sentiment as a contradiction to Islamic teachings of acceptance and peace.
A court ruling last week allowing Catholic newspaper the Herald to use "Allah" for the Christian God has been appealed by the government of the mainly Muslim nation of 28 million people.
The issue has threatened relations between the majority Malay Muslim population and the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian populations who practise a range of religions including Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism. Christians — including about 800,000 Catholics — make up about 9 per cent of Malaysia's population. Malays, who account for around 60 per cent of the population, are by definition Muslims and are not allowed to convert.
Dominant Muslim groups are set to protest today against the ruling in the capital Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere in the country despite police warnings not to proceed.
"I have advised them to let this be handled by the court. I will take action against anyone who acts to jeopardise national security," said Musa.
Last night, the government's judiciary website was reportedly hacked amid growing anger over the court ruling.
The Malaysian Insider captured a screen shot of the defaced website which contained the warning "Allah only restricted to Muslim only".
Many churches in Malaysia are situated in residential or retail areas and often occupy a small lot.
"It is confirmed that Desa Melawati church was burnt, at about 12.25 in the morning. There were no fatalities. We are investigating the incident and suspect foul play," said Kuala Lumpur Chief Police Officer Mohammad Sabtu Osman.
According to 2007 statistics, there are 333 Assembly of God churches in Malaysia.
"There are witness reports two persons on a motorbike came near the entrance and hurled in something looking like a petrol bomb. Our church is 90 per cent gutted (on the first floor)," said church spokesman Kevin Ang from the Metro Tabernacle church.
It is illegal for non-Muslims to proselytise to Muslims although freedom of worship for the mainly Buddhist, Christian and Hindu religious minorities who make up 40 per cent of the population is guaranteed under the country's constitution.
Malaysia was rated as having "very high" government restrictions on religion in a recent survey by the Pew Forum, bracketing it with the likes of Iran and Egypt and it was the 9th most restrictive of 198 countries.
The use of "Allah" has been common among non-English-speaking Malaysian Christians in the Borneo island states of Sabah and Sarawak for decades and without any incident.
Meanwhile, some Catholic churches in the Klang Valley are reported to have cancelled masses today.
Pakatan wants Umno to take responsibility for church attacks
Datuk Zaid Ibrahim today condemned Umno and urged the government to take full responsibility for the church attacks.
“It has to take full responsibility for the worsening of relations between people of different faiths in this country in its handling of the use of the word Allah.
"The irresponsible conduct of fanning the emotions by Umno leaders has brought about this dangerous situation. What we see today confirms that this country is being governed not by engagement consultation, sophistication or persuasion but by brute and mob force,” he said in a press statement.
Early this morning, a Protestant church was torched while homemade explosives were thrown at a Catholic church next to the Assunta Hospital.
“The Umno-led government has the penchant to use force or flexing of authority in dealing with delicate issues. Take the case of the ban imposed on the
Herald. They could easily have engaged in consultation with the church in Sabah and Sarawak. They should try to understand why the need to use the word Allah without any preconceived notions or prejudice. After all, they have been using the word Allah for many years before BN government acted to ban the Herald.
"They could easily have also engaged in discussions with the various Muslim groups about their legitimate concerns on whether the church are surreptitiously converting Muslims and explore ways to address these concerns in spirit of dialogue and peaceful deliberations,” he said.
He explained that there are already laws against converting Muslims but Umno instead chose to politicise the sensitive issue.
“There is already a law against converting Muslims anyway. They could have done a lot more. But because of their lack of maturity and sophistication banning is the obvious choice.
“They want instant popularity so fanning the emotions of Muslims becomes legitimate... and when the court ruled otherwise they then fan the Muslims to oppose the ruling. The people of this country will not escape the scourge of Umno-led rule until they decide once and for all to dislodge this government in the next available opportunity.”
PAS has also reminded and warned its members not to engage in any demonstrations organised in the Kampung Baru Mosque, Shah Alam Mosque and the National Mosque after Friday prayers.
The protest is being orchestrated by several Muslim NGOs in retaliation against the High Court's ruling on Dec 31 allowing the Catholic Church to use the word "Allah" in its weekly publication the
Herald.
PAS vice-president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man had said that the demonstration on the use of the word “Allah” is Umno’s position and not the party’s.
"We call on all members of PAS in order not to be dragged in the same demonstration sponsored by Umno," he told party’s newspaper.
PAS backs the use of the word Allah by Catholics because it is consistent with the federal Constitution and Islamic principles.
Tuan Ibrahim instead asked the members to join the protest against the Egyptian government's unjust action that prevents entry of the Viva Palestina convoy to Gaza from the country.
The demonstration organised by PAS Youth and other NGOs are expected to protest in front of the Egyptian Embassy after Friday prayers.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has also defended his government’s decision to allow angry Muslim groups to hold a nationwide protest against the “Allah” ruling, saying they have every right to do so.
However, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan yesterday warned that action will taken against groups planning to stage protest rallies against the use of the word “Allah”.
Najib angrily denies Umno raising tension in ‘Allah’ issue
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today strongly denied Umno should be blamed for raising the mercury in the “Allah” issue which climaxed with today’s attacks on three churches.
“Don’t point the fingers at Umno or anyone else. We have always been very responsible. Don’t say this attack is motivated by Umno,” said Najib, who was clearly unhappy when asked if politicians especially from Umno should be blamed for fanning the flames.
The Metro Tabernacle church in Kuala Lumpur was firebombed at midnight and Live Chapel in Section 17, Petaling Jaya was attacked with a Molotov cocktail, causing some damage.
Another Molotov cocktail failed to explode in the Church of Assumption in Petaling Jaya at 4am.
Police have tightened security at all churches nationwide while bracing for protests by Muslim groups against the Dec 31 High Court ruling allowing Catholic weekly
Herald to use “Allah” in its Bahasa Malaysia section.
Najib also disclosed that there have been two incidents and one threat reported thus far.
“I condemn the attacks and those responsible because this will destroy the harmony of the country,” the prime minister said.
He pointed out that the country's multiracial and multi-religious identity should not be threatened and the government will take all possible action to stop such attacks, adding he has directed Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to step up security around churches.
He urged the public not to take the law into their own hands and use the right channels to express their concerns.
Both Najib and Hishammuddin had over the past two days said that Muslims had a right to protest the “Allah” ruling within mosque compounds despite fears it might escalate tension in the country.
DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said top political party leaders should take a common stand to condemn the spate of church attacks in the wake of the “Allah” controversy and ensure that there is no further escalation.
"What many Malaysians had feared would happen and which the Prime Minister and Home Minister had discounted with their far-from-responsible stances — the exploitation of the ‘Allah’ controversy by irresponsible and extremist elements — have unfortunately come to pass," the Ipoh Timur MP said in a statement.
He said Najib "should immediately impress on Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to take all urgent and necessary measures to protect the good name of the country or be held responsible for any undesirable consequences".
"In just nine months, Najib’s 1 Malaysia slogan is facing its most critical test as its very credibility is at stake.
"Malaysia also cannot afford further adverse international publicity over the 'Allah' controversy, which would only aggravate Malaysia’s declining international competitiveness if there is escalation of deplorable incidents by irresponsible and extremist elements like the spate of church attacks," Lim added.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang condemned the “terrorising” fire bombings against the Metro Tabernacle Church and Church of Assumption.
Saying Islam allowed for freedom of worship, he said the actions went against its teachings and were committed by those who don’t understand their own religion.
“PAS members and supporters throughout the country and the people must always remember to be calm and not be influenced by the provocative actions of certain quarters,” Abdul Hadi said in a statement.
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