Doubtless, the attacks on churches were carried out by a fringe group and roundly condemned by the mainstream. But following the firebombings, the Malay polity is further inclining to the hardline.

On Jan 15, Sinar Harian, a more neutral publication compared to the rest of the Malay papers, had the front page headline: 'Jais senarai 25 kalimah larangan' .