Kota Kinabalu: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud condemned the desecration of the Quran recently that went viral.
“This is an extremely outrageous, uncivilised act that violates the principles of the Rukun Negara. It is criminal and not the culture of Sabah, which has always upheld social harmony among its diverse races and religions,” said Mustapha.
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Images circulating online allegedly showed copies of the Muslim holy book being stepped on and defaced with offensive drawings.
He said that any form of religious insult cannot be taken lightly, as it not only hurts the sensitivities of Muslims but also threatens the cohesion of Sabah’s multi-racial and multi-religious society.
Mustapha said he fully supports action by the police and relevant agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and take legal action against those involved.
He urged the public to refrain from taking matters into their own hands and to allow the authorities to carry out a fair and transparent investigation.
Meanwhile, Sabah Umno State Secretary Samasuddin Yusop said the act is extreme, irresponsible and potentially destabilising to the State’s longstanding tradition of inter-religious and inter-ethnic harmony.
“Sabah cannot allow any party to engage in provocation that wounds religious sensitivities and disturbs the peace of its people,” he said.
He urged the police, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, the Sabah State Islamic Religious Department and the Sabah Islamic Religious Council to act swiftly and decisively within the law.
“We must defend the sanctity of religion while at the same time preserve the peace and unity that has always been Sabah’s greatest strength,” he said.
