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Sri Maha Mariamman Temple riot

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2018 Sri Maha Mariamman Temple riot
Part of History of Malaysia
Large fires around the area involved in the riots.
Date26 – November 27, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-11-27)
Location
USJ 25, Subang Jaya, Petaling, Selangor, Malaysia
Caused byDisagreement between the two groups regarding the relocation of the Sri Maha Mariamman temple site
MethodsAttacks on temple and developer premises, riots, fights, arson, assemblies
Resulted in
Parties
Devotees of temple;
Indian community
One City Development Sdn. Bhd.;
The group invaded temple;
Malay group gathered
Lead figures

S. Ramaji

Mahathir Mohamad
P. Waytha Moorthy
Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun (National Police chief)
YAS Dato' Haji Mohammad Hamdan Haji Wahid (Director General of Fire and Rescue Malaysia)

Units involved
Number
Number of devotees of temple during the temple attack is unknown (Day one);
≈ 10,000 Indians gather (Day two)
50 people invaded temple (Day one);
≈ 80 Malays assembly (Day two)
700 members of the police including the FRU;
9 members of firefighters attacked by rioters (Day two)
Casualties and losses
3 Indians injured (Day one)
3 Malays and one foreigner injured (Day one)
A police officer injured (Day one);
A severely injured firefighter was beaten by rioters and sent to a treatment center (Day two), died 21 days after the incident
1 death
≥ 10 injured
106 arrested

The 2018 Sri Maha Mariamman Temple riot was a riot incident that occurred over two days, from November 26 to 27, 2018, at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple site and the surrounding area at USJ 25, Subang Jaya, Petaling, Selangor. The riot stemmed from a misunderstanding between the temple and the developer, One City Development Sdn. Bhd., regarding the transfer of the temple. As a result, the riot incident caused damage to public property and the death of a firefighter, Muhammad Adib bin Mohd Kassim. The riots received public attention and widespread coverage in the Malaysian mass media.[1]

Incident

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The first riot

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On 26 November 2018 around 2:40 am, the Subang Jaya District Police Headquarters (IPD) Operations Room received a call from the public about the commotion incident at the temple. Immediately after receiving the report, the Subang Jaya District Police Chief ordered the police to move to the scene. At about 2:50 am, four police multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) arrived at the scene but were barred from entering by a group of Indian men. The action caused the rear window of one of the MPVs that arrived to be broken while a trailer truck was parked horizontally to block the path leading to the temple. Therefore, at 3:30 am, the Subang Jaya District Police Chief contacted the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and the Serdang IPD to seek additional assistance from members. Serdang IPD assistance arrived at the scene at 4:00 am.[2]

At that point, the first riot erupted when there was a fight inside the temple between temple devotees and a group of Malay thugs who invaded the temple area until some were seriously injured. However, some of the thugs fled from the temple grounds after the fight broke out. Shortly after the incident, the Hindus involved set fire to several vehicles which were believed to be owned by the group of Malay men. A total of 18 vehicles were on fire. Around 5:00 am later, firefighters arrived at the scene to control the fire. The FRU team arrived at the scene at 5:30 am to quell the riot. The situation around the temple became under control by noon and the situation calmed down. Following the fights and riots that occurred, three Malay men and three Indian men were injured while a policeman was also injured.[2]

Around 1:00 pm, a male foreigner believed to be a construction worker was raided and beaten by the crowd until he was injured after allegedly starting a fire in a shared house in the temple area. The atmosphere around the temple, which was initially calm, turned chaotic again as a result of the action and to some extent, some people even blocked the police vehicle. The situation regained control after the man was rescued through a police vehicle and a team of FRU members patrolled the location. Firefighters then arrived to put out the fire in the shared house.[3]

Chairman of the Task Force of the temple of S. Ramaji has claimed that the invasion was carried out around 2:00 am conducted by about 250 people from among the Malays and foreigners armed with knives, machetes, axes, sticks and others.[4] Meanwhile, the Selangor Police Chief reported that 17 suspects had been arrested in connection with the unrest around the temple. The Deputy Inspector General of Police stressed that the riots had nothing to do with racial issues.[5]

The second riot

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Then in the late afternoon of 26 November, the crowd regrouped and this situation led to a second riot in the early morning of 27 November which was joined by about 10,000 Indians. During the riot, several more vehicles were set on fire by rioters. Firefighters who arrived at the fire area were also stopped and attacked by rioters. The group of rioters attack the developer's premises around 2:00 am at Menara MCT, about 1 kilometre from the temple, causing several vehicles to suffer damage and fire. This tension caused guests of nearby hotels to be evacuated to a safer place.[1][6][7]

There was also a viral video footage showing two motorcyclists being beaten by rioters while passing through the street in front of the temple but were rescued and they lodged a police report shortly thereafter. The injuries they received were found to be mild.[8] At 9:00 am, a survey around the temple and the developer's premises found that the situation had calmed down and was under control as guaranteed by the Selangor Police Chief, Datuk Mazlan Mansor.[9]

Around 10:45 pm, there were about 80 Malays assembled and marched towards the main road in front of the temple, although the police had made a fortress to stop their advance and control the group. They were eventually ordered to disperse.[10][11][12] Nine men who joined the rally were detained by police after they ignored orders to disperse by police.[13] The situation around the temple was brought back under control and the police continued to search for the suspects involved to assist in the investigation into the cause of the riots.[14] The Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has stressed that the riot incident in the temple area is a crime and not a racial or religious issue.[15]

Attack on the firefighters

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The second riot also saw the serious injury of an emergency respondent, Muhammad Adib bin Mohd Kassim, who was a firefighter based at the Subang Jaya Fire Station.[16][17] Adib was one of nine respondents to the second temple riot that was attacked when they arrived in the area in an attempt to put out the fire, and he was the only one to suffer injuries as a result of being beaten by a group of unknown rioters.[18] His colleague, Mohd Hazim bin Mohd Rahimi accidentally left Adib in the riot area because Hazim himself said that he was also attacked by other rioters with sharp weapons and the fire brigade had to withdraw from the riot area. A fire engine was also damaged by rioters.[19][20][21][22][23] Although there were claims made that the firefighter was injured as a result of being hit by the fire engine, this allegation was later refuted by the Director General of the Fire and Rescue Station, Mohamad Hamdan Wahid.[24][25][26]

Initially, Adib was assisted by several Hindus present at the temple and was later sent to Ramsay Sime Darby Medical Center (also known as Subang Jaya Medical Center) for treatment.[27] As a result of his deteriorating health, Adib was later transferred to the National Heart Institute (IJN) as he needed the use of an ECMO machine.[28][29] While Minister of Housing and Local Government, Zuraida Kamaruddin visited the severely injured firefighter, she was reported to have said that Adib had been “beaten and trampled” causing ribs fracture and internal injuries.[23] Health Minister, Dzulkefly Ahmad reported that Adib's health was improving while undergoing treatment.[30] Adib was also visited by the Sultan of Kedah on 29 November 2018 because he is from Kedah.[31]

Although Adib was initially reported to be recovering well, Adib eventually died of lung failure on the night of December 17 while still in intensive care at IJN.[32] He was later buried at the As-Saadah Mosque Islamic cemetery in Kampung Tebengau, Kuala Kedah on 18 December 2018.[33] His name and service number were then written on the 'Fallen Heroes' Bomba monument in Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor to commemorate the services and sacrifices of the deceased firefighter.[34]

Aftermath

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Following the riots at the temple, reports show that there were several cases of injuries, 23 vehicles were destroyed by rioters as well as damage to a police MPV, a fire engine, several other vehicles and property around the temple site and nearby developer premises.[35] As of December 8, 2018, the official report from police stated that 106 arrests had been made to assist in the investigation.[36]

A day after the second riot, there were reports that two law firms representing the developer had hired thugs who broke into the temple thus causing the first riot. This is further denied by the firms in question who reportedly represented the developer in its injunction against the temple.[37] On November 29, 2019, the Inspector General of Police reportedly said that a lawyer arrested in connection with the riot was an adviser to the developer.[38] Apart from that, the police investigation also found that only 50 men were involved in the attack on the temple, instead of 250 people as alleged by the Chairman of the Temple Action Body, S. Ramaji.[39]

Earlier, after the first riots subsided, Minister of Unity and Social Welfare, P. Waytha Moorthy who led a press conference at the Parliament lobby on 26 November 2018 was reported to have said that police delays and their ineffective actions had made the riot incidents uncontrollable. He also claimed that the statement issued by the Subang Jaya District Police that the cause of the riot was a misunderstanding between the two Indian groups over the relocation of the temple was false.[40] The statement issued by P. Waytha Moorthy was deemed inflammatory, causing an investigation to be carried out against him by the authorities.[41] Opposition lawmakers had previously urged him to resign or be fired as a result of his actions saying some things were seen as defamatory of the previous Malaysian government in an old video as well as the hotly debated International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) issues at the time.[42]

The demand for the resignation of P. Waytha Moorthy gained heightened attention in several protests causing Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to respond to the demand publicly by stating that it remains the prerogative of the Prime Minister to determine the post of P. Waytha Moorthy.[43] In response, an NGO known as Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) organized a protest involving about 5,000 people in the Klang on December 25, 2018, a week after the death of Adib. The purpose of the protest was to demand justice for Adib's death and also demanded that P. Waytha Moorthy resign as Unity Minister in connection with the temple riots incident in November.[44][45] Wanted their claims to be heard, the President of the Jaringan Melayu Malaysia, Azwanddin Hamzah's call for 'storming the police station' if no action is taken. As a result, on 26 December 2018, the police arrested the president of the organization for his provocative speech during a protest held the previous day in Klang.[46][47][48]

On 11 February 2019, the inquest into Muhammad Adib's death began to investigate the cause of the death of the firefighter.[49] The inquest proceedings ended on September 27, 2019, when the Shah Alam Coroner's Court, Selangor ruled that the cause of Adib's death was due to criminal acts by two or more unknown individuals.[50]

See also

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References

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  2. ^ a b "Muhyiddin bentang kronologi rusuhan kuil". Berita Harian. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  3. ^ Kamaruddin, Fazrik; Bahaudin, Nurul Hidayah (26 November 2018). "Lelaki warga asing dibelasah, didakwa bakar rumah kongsi di kuil". Berita Harian. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  4. ^ Tee, Kenneth (2018-11-26). "Eyewitness recounts temple attack, claims mob behaved in 'trance-like state'". Malay Mail. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  5. ^ Tan, Vincent; Zolkepli, Farik; Zack, Justin; Chung, Clarissa; Loh, Arnold; Shah, Mohamad Farhaan; Nordin, Remar; Tan, Tarrence (27 November 2018). "Seventeen held over riot at temple – Nation". The Star. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  6. ^ Zack, Justin; Emma, Lipi (26 November 2018). "Huge but peaceful crowds around USJ temple, traffic choked – Nation". The Star Online. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  7. ^ "Cops zeroing in on riot mastermind – Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  8. ^ "Apa nasib dua budak kena belasah depan kuil?". Milosuam. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
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  10. ^ "Himpunan Aman Melayu di kuil". TRShow. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  11. ^ Sidek, Hasbi (27 September 2018). "Sila beredar - Polis". Harian Metro. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  12. ^ Michael, Prasadh; Kamarulzaman, Zikri; Kumar, Nantha (28 November 2018). "Enggan bersurai, 9 individu ditangkap berhampiran kuil Seafield". Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  13. ^ Sidek, Hasbi (28 November 2018). "Rusuhan kuil: Dah suruh bersurai degil..." Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  14. ^ Kamarudin, Fazrik (3 December 2018). "Polis cari 28 saksi rusuhan kuil". Berita Harian. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  15. ^ Noor, Mohd Husni Mohd (27 November 2018). "Rusuhan kuil Sri Maha Mariamman bukan isu perkauman - PM". Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  16. ^ Timbuong, Jo (27 November 2018). "Police may have leads to those who attacked fireman at temple". The Star Online. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  17. ^ Khalizan, Mohd Izzat Mohd (27 November 2018). "Luahan rakan bomba". mStar Online. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
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  19. ^ Yaacob, Mohd Azam Shah (27 November 2018). "Anggota bomba cedera, jentera rosak diserang perusuh di kuil". Berita Harian. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
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  21. ^ Malik, Hilmi (14 February 2019). "Inkues Muhammad Adib: Nyawa saya juga terancam - Saksi keenam". Astro Awani. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  22. ^ "Firemen just doing their job, says Zuraida". The Star Online. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  23. ^ a b "Petaling Jaya temple violence: Critically injured fireman due to be married next month". The Straits Times. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  24. ^ "Firefighter injured in Malaysia Hindu temple riot was not hit by fire engine: Department chief". Channel NewsAsia. 28 November 2018. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  25. ^ Zainal, Hanis; Timbuong, Jo (28 November 2018). "Fire dept: Man in viral video standing behind reversing fire engine not Adib". The Star Online. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  26. ^ "Fire and Rescue Department lodges report against allegations that Adib hit by fire truck". The Star Online. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  27. ^ Kumar, Nantha (28 November 2018). "Video clip depicts men helping injured firefighter". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  28. ^ "Fireman injured in riot recovering well after transfer to IJN". Malaysiakini. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  29. ^ Timbuong, Jo (28 November 2018). "Fireman Adib transferred to IJN". The Star Online. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  30. ^ Fong, Loh Foon (29 November 2018). "Temple riots: Dr Dzulkefly says injured fireman is recovering, urges Malaysians to pray for him". The Star Online. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  31. ^ "Kedah Sultan visits injured fireman at IJN". The Malay Mail. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  32. ^ "Muhammad Adib meninggal dunia". Astro Awani. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  33. ^ "Jenazah Muhammad Adib selamat dikebumikan". Berita Harian. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  34. ^ "Muhammad Adib's name inscribed on Fire Dept's 'Fallen Heroes' monument". The Malay Mail. 22 December 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  35. ^ Muzaffar, Chandra; Govind, Suresh Kumar (3 January 2019). "[PERSPEKTIF] Mencari jawapan kepada rusuhan kuil melalui Dewan Rakyat". Astro Awani. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  36. ^ Kamarudin, Fazrik (8 December 2018). "Rusuhan kuil: 106 sudah ditahan". Harian Metro. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  37. ^ "Two law firms deny hiring thugs in temple riot case – Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  38. ^ Jayamanogaran, Thasha (2018-11-29). "IGP: Lawyer arrested in Subang temple riot was adviser to One City". Malay Mail. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  39. ^ Ismail, Irwan Shafrizan (28 November 2018). "Peguam pemaju upah RM150,000 untuk ceroboh kuil: Muhyiddin". Berita Harian. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  40. ^ Ramasamy, Manirajan (26 November 2018). "Seafield temple riot: Waytha blames police for delayed response". New Straits Times. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  41. ^ Palansamy, Yiswaree. "IGP: Minister Waytha Moorthy to be probed under Sedition Act or Penal Code". Malay Mail. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  42. ^ Tan, Tarrence. "PAS deputy president demands Waytha Moorthy resign over remarks made in viral video – Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  43. ^ "I haven't decided yet on Waytha Moorthy – Dr Mahathir". The Edge Markets. 2018-12-20. Archived from the original on 2019-01-02. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  44. ^ Dzulkifly, Danial. "In Klang, Muslims march from funeral prayers to demand justice for Adib | Malay Mail". www.malaymail.com. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  45. ^ "Suasana himpunan Justice4Adib di Klang". Malaysia Gazette. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  46. ^ "JMM president arrested over fiery speech at Klang rally". TheStarTV.com. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  47. ^ "At rally for Adib in Klang, speaker uses the P-word on Waytha". Malaysiakini. 25 December 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  48. ^ hermesauto (2018-12-26). "Malaysian police arrest Malay NGO leader for threats in rally speech". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  49. ^ "Prosiding inkues kematian Muhammad Adib bermula 11 February". Berita Harian. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  50. ^ Hussien, Khairul Azran; Azmi, Siti Nurazlinee; Arshad, Norrasyidah (27 September 2019). "Kematian Muhammad Adib akibat perbuatan jenayah: Mahkamah Koroner". Berita Harian. Retrieved 28 September 2019.

Further reading

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