Kuala Lumpur: A leading Hindu religious body in Kuala Lumpur has asked temples across multi-ethnic Muslim-majority Malaysia to step up security measures following a spate of vandalism reports in six shrines in some northern states.
The measures were especially pertinent for temples with very minimal security, the Hindu Sangam president R S Mohan Shan said.
Hindu temples in Penang state have been the worst-hit, with four shrines vandalised in just two months.
On Tuesday, unidentified miscreants destroyed statues and stole temple jewellery from the Sri Maha Muthumari-amman temple in Mahang and the Suba Sri Sakthi Kanagavalli temple in Selama in Perak state.
In George Town, Penang police chief Abdul Ghafar Rajab said a man had been arrested based on a CCTV footage at one of the temples and is believed to be a drug addict.
"The suspect was under the influence of morphine when he was picked up," he told a press conference.
Earlier this month, two temples on the island the Dewa Sri Mathuraiveeran and the Sri Muneeswarar were also vandalised.
The Sri Dharma Muniswarar temple and Muthu Mariamman temple in Seberang Prai were desecrated last month. In Ipoh, statues at the Sri Muneswarar Amman temple were smashed in April.
