KUALA LUMPUR — Driven by fear to remove a cross affixed to the exterior of its building while a group of Muslims protested outside, the church at the centre of the controversy has sought police protection to prevent similar incidents in the future.

At the same time, various groups continue to express concern that the protest is a symptom of growing religious intolerance in Malaysia.

A pastor of the church has expressed fear in his report to the police and asked that enforcers be present in the church’s vicinity in the Malay-majority neighbourhood.

“I would like to request police presence to be around ... for fear of any untoward incidents towards me and my members,” the pastor said.

A representative from the church told the police that she had been filled with fear by the angry demeanour of one of the protesters, who directly confronted her that day and demanded that she take down the cross.

Mr Jerry Dusing, the president of the Sabah Council of Churches, said the protest was a symptom of the deteriorating religious harmony in the country, adding that the nation had never before faced so much anger and intolerance.

But he said the council still believed that the protest was not representative of Malaysia as a whole or of Muslims in the nation, whom he said “strongly uphold the true Islamic values of respect and tolerance towards other religions and their places of worship”.

On Sunday, about 50 Muslim residents staged a demonstration outside the church in Petaling Jaya, reportedly claiming that its display of the cross was a challenge to Muslims and could influence the young.

The protest sparked outrage among politicians, Internet users and various religious groups, who pressed the government to take action against the protesters before others were emboldened to commit similar acts at other places of worship.

The police are investigating the demonstration and have vowed to call up all those involved.

They have questioned Mr Abdullah Abu Bakar, the local branch chief of the United Malays National Organisation and the elder brother of police chief Khalid Abu Bakar, about his role in the protest.

However, the Sabah Council of Churches urged the police not to take action against the protesters, saying that penalising and humiliating them would breed more hatred.

Instead, it called on Putrajaya to foster interfaith understanding among Malaysians, saying that it was up to the government to spread awareness and understanding among all citizens as well as guarantee that non-Muslims can practise their religions in peace and harmony.

“The government also has a greater and more onerous moral duty to foster greater understanding among all Malaysians. Incidents such as this usually stem from ignorance, and ignorance breeds hatred.”

In a similar vein, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman yesterday said there was no room for religious or racial bigotry in Malaysia. “We in Sabah do not want any display of religious intolerance in this harmonious state,” he said in a press statement.

He said that in Sabah, the culture of mutual respect and acceptance of the different ethnicities, cultures and religions must be upheld. “If we can all embrace such values, peace and harmony will prevail.” AGENCIES