Police detain man over burning of Quran in Alor Setar

Police detained a man over the discovery of several torn pages of the Quran believed to have been burned in a container at a food court near a market here, today.

Kedah acting police chief Datuk Zakaria Yusof said the man was arrested at a supermarket in Mergong here, at 3pm.

He said the man, whose personal details had not been ascertained, would be referred to the hospital for examination and treatment.

"According to traders at the market, the man was often seen wandering in the market area and was also always seen burning papers (near a food court)," he said in a statement tonight.

Several torn pieces of pages from the quran, which were burned, were found by a trader, after being informed by another individual, who then reported the matter to the police and the Kedah Islamic Religious Department.

Earlier, at a media conference this evening before the man was apprehended, Zakaria said police suspected the culprit who had burned the quran could be a deranged man but investigation was still ongoing.

"It is hoped the public will not distort the issue for fear it will create communal misunderstanding.

"If it was done with malicious intention we will take action under Section 298A of the Penal Code, for committing an act that could lead to disintegration of harmony and unity, feeling of disatisfaction, prejudice based on religion, which carries a prison sentence of two to five years," he said.