IGP urges Hindus to remain calm over Ipoh temple incident

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has urged the Hindu community in Ipoh to remain calm over the incident of a man who ran amok and damaged several deities in a Hindu temple in the state, on Sunday evening.

Khalid also advised them to practise restraint and not engage in any actions that could go against the law.

Khalid said the man, an ex-doctor who was just sacked from his job, was found to be mentally unstable.

“The man was just sacked from the Ipoh Hospital due to mental problems. He was arrested immediately after the incident and sent to the Hospital Bahagia in Tanjung Rambutan for treatment,” he said during his speech at the ‘Bicara Persada’ event in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, here, today.

He added that the police have met up with the Hindus in Ipoh to explain the situation.

In the incident, the 29-year-old-man ran amok at about 5.10pm Sunday where he entered the premises of the temple and started breaking the deities in it.

He allegedly broke nine deities of the Navagraham (nine planets) as well as other decorative statues in the temple.

The man was reportedly crashed his car into a bus stop while trying to escape but was later arrested by the police.