Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today called on the public to be wary of claims that the student protesters camping out at Dataran Merdeka were attacked .

Falling short of condemning such attacks, he said such allegations can be spread through mobile text messages and online media to stoke public anger.

“There have been such cases where allegations of such nature have been used...to raise emotions, be it in the areas of race, religion and now involving students,” he said.

He added that it is important to differentiate between real and fake allegations, also advising the public not to react.

“Let the necessary agencies investigate, and at the moment the one who has control... of Dataran Merdeka is the Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) and I don’t see it as a major security issue,” he said.

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Hishammuddin ( left in photo ) said if members of the public feel unsafe because of the protest for free education, they should complain to DBKL.

“As I see it, the protesters only occupy a corner of the Dataran, but in terms of the legality of this, you should ask the KL mayor,” he said.

He also laughed off claims that the camp-in protest has spread to Terengganu , following the protest by students whose scholarships were revoked after the joined the Bersih rally in Egypt last year.

“I don't really see the traction. There are one or two people making trouble and raising issues, but even those who attended today’s event are more than those who demonstrated in Terengganu or in Dataran Merdeka.

“Twenty or 30 people set up tents in Dataran Merdeka and it’s as if the world is coming to an end,” he said after officially opening the annual general assembly of the Security Services Association Malaysia.

DBKL had previously tried to dismantle the tents, saying that the students are going against its by-laws.

About 2.30am today, an group of unknown assailants destroyed the tents and attacked the students, resulting in one being taken to hospital.