Callistasia Anggun Wijaya 

Jakarta Police have vowed to find the people responsible for painting a cross on Al-Falah mosque in Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta, on Sunday and investigate the matter further.

Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono said on Monday that the police regretted the incident.

“We regret this provocation [occurred], which was conducted by some irresponsible people who drew a cross sign on a mosque wall. We hope local residents won’t be provoked and triggered into [retaliating],” Awi said at Jakarta Police headquarters Monday.

Awi said that Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mochamad Iriawan had ordered precinct police chiefs to approach public and religious figures to anticipate any unrest. On Sunday, police have met representatives from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and clerics to discuss the matter.

“We hope religious figures can ease possible tensions in their localities. We also urge them to trust the police should any new cases emerge,” he said.

However, Awi said he still could not confirm whether the case was related to the upcoming gubernatorial election. He said police were still investigating such a probability. (evi)