KOTA KINABALU: The City Mosque management here has expressed their disappointment and shock over the light sentence on the two foreign tourists for dancing provocatively in front of the mosque last week.
Its chairman Datuk Jamal Sakaran said both had committed a serious offence as they were acting inappropriately within the vicinity of the mosque, which should not be compared with other public places.
He added they will propose to the religious department to amend existing laws that will provide for stricter and heavier penalties.
“The management of the mosque is informed and obliged that the prosecution duty falls under prosecuting team and the court.
“However, at the same time, the act should be seen as serious offence. A mosque is not a mere public place but a place of worship to pray,” he said in a statement, adding the wrongdoing creates implications that could touch on Muslims’ sensitivity.
The Magistrate Court fined the two Chinese tourists – Wang Han, 37, and Zhang Na, 25 – RM25 each for the offence under Section 15 of the Minor Offences Ordinance.
Jamal added that a special tourism committee has been formed to evaluate the current state of the tourism industry, in particular tourist arrivals to the mosque to prevent similar incidents from recurring again.
The committee will include representatives from the State Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Sabah Islamic Affairs Department (Jheains), the police and Kota Kinabalu City Hall.
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