GEORGE TOWN: A famous Hindu shrine near the Goddess of Mercy Temple here was found smeared with human faeces earlier this morning.
The Lord Ganesha shrine at Pitt St here was found desecrated with excrement on the altar’s double doors at 6am.
A florist, who works nearby said the incident was nothing new.
He said the pillager had also struck in the wee hours of the morning on Friday.
“We have once stayed up all night to catch him, but once we stopped watching, he would strike again.
"He would often come when we leave, say about 4am. We have been losing sleep.
“The police tell us that the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage were ‘not clear’ and it was impossible to catch him,” said the Indian national who worked at the 'Florists' Row' today.
Another florist met said CCTV footage sighted the pillager, a man in his 40s, approaching the shrine in a Honda EX5 motorcycle.
"We have lodged reports before, but the crazy man is not bothered.
"He has struck at least 30 times... for more than a year now." he said.
Meanwhile, state executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo said he would call Penang police chief SDCP Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi to investigate the matter thoroughly.
“I urge the police to leave no stones unturned. This is not a one-off incident.” he said.
Meanwhile, Penang Hindu Endowments Board chairman P.Ramasamy said the acts were clearly to stoke racial tension.
"Hinduism is a forgiving religion but such acts are intolerable.” he said. Rahim was not available for comment.
Northeast district police chief ACP Mior Faridalathrash Wahid vowed to nab the culprit, saying police would record witness statements from occupants near the shrine.
He said the case will be investigated under Section 295 of the Penal Code for injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class.
Those found guilty can be imprisoned for two years or with a fine or both.
The shrine is widely credited for George Town’s awarding of a Unesco World Heritage Site status in 2008.
This was because it was more frequented by more non-Indians, fulfilling an Outstanding Universal Value-Intangible Heritage criterion by the UN body.
Additional reporting by Balvin Kaur and Priya Pubalan.