SHAH ALAM, Oct 26 — The Selangor state government will not tolerate the use of any place of worship for criminal purposes, regardless of the religion, race or background of those involved.
Selangor Human Resources and Poverty Eradication Committee chairman V. Papparaidu said he took seriously media reports about drugs being found at an unregistered place of worship in Klang during an operation by the Selangor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department from Oct 13 to 19.
“This case underscores the need for strict enforcement to combat drug distribution and the misuse of premises.
“Places of worship should be respected, kept sacred and provide peace to their respective congregations, not be used to store prohibited substances or facilitate criminal activities,” he said in a statement today.
Papparaidu, also co-chairman of the Special Committee on Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Taoist Affairs, stressed that there would be no compromise on using places of worship for criminal purposes.
“However, we must distinguish between the criminal actions of individuals and the religious institutions and communities they belong to. The actions of a few individuals should not be used as a reason to vilify or stigmatise an entire religious community,” he said.
He said the matter had nothing to do with religion or race, but concerned the rule of law, public safety and respect for the sanctity of places of worship.
“Criminal activities must be dealt with according to the evidence and the law, rather than sentiments or prejudices directed at any particular community,” he said, expressing support for the police in conducting a thorough investigation and taking appropriate action against those involved.
Selangor police busted a drug trafficking operation that allegedly used an unregistered place of worship in Klang as a storage facility, following raids across the state. — Bernama