Last Wednesday, the figure of a local Chinese deity called a “Datuk Gong” was found on a railing at the main entrance to the surau, followed three days later by the idols of two small Hindu deities inside the surau. — Foto ihsan Facebook/Dino Daniel LJ

PETALING JAYA, Feb 25 — Police have arrested a 37-year old unemployed man who confessed to putting several idols of Chinese and Hindu worship at the Sabilul Huda surau in Klang last week — triggering widespread outcry from Muslims.

The man was nabbed during a raid on a house in Taman Pandamar Indah, Pelabuhan Klang yesterday following a tip-off and will be held in police custody until February 28.

“Based on initial statements obtained from the suspects who is unemployed, he confessed to both cases whom he had acted alone and also tested positive for meth,” Klang Selatan police chief Assistant Commissioner Shamsul Amar Ramli told reporters.

At a press conference in Klang earlier, Shamsul said the suspect claimed to have frequent dreams of the Kaaba — a monument housed in the Masjid al-Haram at Mecca — being surrounded by idols, and believed he had to do the same to the surau near his house.

Last Wednesday, the figure of a local Chinese deity called a “Datuk Gong” was found on a railing at the main entrance to the surau, followed three days later by the idols of two small Hindu deities inside the surau.

“His motive in the first incident was to invite the Chinese community to pray at the surau while the motive for the second incident was to invite the Hindu community to pray at the surau,” the policeman was quoted by Malay daily Berita Harian as saying in the news conference.

Shamsul said the suspect has two previous convictions for theft and causing hurt between 1997 and 2000.

“A thorough investigation will be conducted from all aspect and we do not discount the possibility that the suspect suffers from mental issues,” he said.

The senior policeman said the suspect is believed to be a practitioner of deviant Islamic teachings.

He also dismissed allegations that the acts were an attempt to provoke religious tensions within multicultural Malaysia.

“Following our arrest, we have managed to solve both cases which have garnered much attention on social media after it went viral for the past three to four days,” he said.

Both cases have been classified under Section 295 of the Penal Code for defiling a place of worship with intent to insult.