KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Police have recorded statements from 14 individuals, including three publishers and three printers, to assist in the investigation regarding the discovery of 13 copies of the Quran believed to have been deliberately dumped in a drain at Tasik Sri Murni, Jinjang, last month.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim said the police are still in the process of completing the investigation and are trying to track down the party who committed the irresponsible act.

"We still haven’t identified the real source of the Quran and the police are still trying to trace and identify the parties involved,” he said.

He said this when asked to comment on the development of the case after attending the High Profile Policing programme in conjunction with the 216th Police Day at KLCC, here, today.

Previously, a video clip went viral on social media showing an individual collecting several copies of the Quran, believed to have been dumped by irresponsible parties in a drain near the Taman Sri Murni, causing anger among Muslims in the country.

The case is being investigated under Section 295 and Section 298A of the Penal Code.

He also echoed the warning issued by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani on Friday that the police will not hesitate to take action against any individual who raises racial issues.

"I will not compromise with this issue (racial sentiment) so I hope the community can support what the police are aiming for, which is to maintain the peace and harmony of this capital city,” he said.

On Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim revealed that there were attempts by certain quarters to fan racial and religious sentiments and thus, had directed security forces to monitor the situation closely to prevent people from exploiting it to create trouble. — Bernama