TWO people who allegedly mocked Islam will be charged in the next 48 hours as Putrajaya moves to send a message that those insulting any religion in multiracial Malaysia can expect swift action.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight that a man who allegedly placed idols at the entrance of a surau in Klang and a senior citizen who allegedly insulted Prophet Muhammad on Facebook last week will be charged soon, maybe as early as tomorrow.

Earlier today, factory worker A. Taneson, 22, was charged in the Shah Alam magistrate’s court with insulting Prophet Muhammad on Facebook.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge of causing disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred and ill-will on grounds of religion among the people of different religions in the country.

All three can be jailed for up to five years if found guilty.

On Monday, police arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly stealing idols and placing them at the entrance of a surau in Klang.

The suspect admitted to the police that he stole the idols and placed one of them at the surau after having frequent dreams where he claimed to have seen the Kaabah, the most sacred Islamic site, being circled by the deities.

The unemployed man was arrested at his home, 200m away from the surau, said police.

Last week, police nabbed a 68-year-old man at his home in Mentakab, Temerloh, also for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad in a Facebook post.

The 68-year-old man was detained following several police reports by individuals and Muslim civil society groups.

The suspect, who used the Facebook profile name “Foo Sing Wai”, had posted a caricature depicting a naked Prophet Muhammad with a naked girl identified as Aishah, the youngest of the Prophet’s wives.

Following these incidents, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin warned that the government would act against those who insult religion and cause disharmony as such acts are dangerous because they anger Muslims.

“Those who commit these heinous acts should be arrested according to provisions under the law, charged in court and punished if found guilty,” Muhyiddin had said.

Malay rights groups had also warned that they would stage a huge rally if the authorities failed to act against these incidents, which had insulted Islam and Prophet Muhammad. – February 26, 2019.