Man Arrested in Chow Kit for Theft and Burning of Quran Copies Across Negeri Sembilan and KL

SEREMBAN, Aug 25 — Police have arrested a 25-year-old man at a hotel in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, in connection with the theft and burning of copies of the Quran in Senawang and surrounding areas.

Negeri Sembilan Police Chief Datuk Alzafny Ahmad said the suspect was apprehended at approximately 9:30 pm yesterday following a public complaint on Aug 22 regarding a fire near a field in Senawang, which was found to involve burnt copies of the holy book.

Police had also received a report at 4:45 pm on the same day concerning the theft of copies of the Quran from a mosque in Forest Heights, Seremban.

During a search of the suspect’s hotel room in Chow Kit, police discovered two bags containing 16 copies of the Quran, along with three mobile phones and personal belongings.

“We are not ruling out the possibility that some of the copies were taken from a university in the north, following the discovery of the university’s ownership stamp,” Alzafny said in a statement today.

He added that the 16 copies recovered at the hotel were believed to have been taken without permission from mosques and surau in the Chow Kit area.

Following the arrest, a search conducted at the suspect’s family residence in Senawang yielded another 36 Quran covers seized from his bedroom.

Initial investigations established a link between the suspect and the Quran-burning incident on Aug 22. The case is being investigated under Section 380 of the Penal Code for theft in a building and Section 295 for defiling a sacred object.

Background checks revealed that the suspect has four previous criminal records and had recently completed a two-month police supervision order.

–NMT