(May 28): Putrajaya has cleared Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar from any disciplinary action after his statement that there was no element of sedition when protesters demanded that a church in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya, remove the cross from its building facade last month.

In a written reply to Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong), Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi Zahid said Khalid made the statement based on lodged police reports, when the case was initially classified as intruding into a building and not an offence under the Sedition Act.

Zahid said police investigated the protest under Section 448/511 of the Penal Code for trying to intrude into a building on April 20 where some 40 people gathered in front of the church.

"It is the responsibility of the police to classify every complaint it received to facilitate investigation," Zahid said.

He said police is in the process of completing its investigations before the investigation papers are forwarded to the Attorney-General's Chambers for further action, including if they agreed with the police's recommendations or otherwise.

A group of about 40 Muslim residents from Taman Medan protested in front of the shoplot where the church, Community of Praise Petaling Jaya, was located last month, demanding that the cross affixed to the building facade be taken down.

They said the cross was a challenge to Islam and would sway the faith of youths in the area.

Among the protesters was Khalid's brother, Datuk Abdullah Abu Bakar, who said he was there to help calm the situation.

Two days ago, Zahid told Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Bagan) in a written reply that police did not arrest or handcuff the protesters as they fully cooperated with the police.

He said they presented themselves to the police to have their statements recorded when requested. – The Malaysian Insider