The Bar Council today urged the police to explain the reasons for a raid on the retreat of the New Testament Church religious group in Bukit Markisa, Perak early this year.

Council chairman Sulaiman Abdullah said the public had a right to know the outcome of any investigations conducted by the police following the raid on the group's followers on Jan 12.

"There has been more than sufficient time to complete whatever investigations that were being carried out. The public has yet to be given any credible explanation on why the police took such an action," said Sulaiman in a statement.

The police raided the premises of the church by cutting the chain and padlock at the gate leading to the church, catching about 100 foreign and local guests and workers by surprise.

The church is an international organisation with branches in Taiwan, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, among others, and its 24-hectare retreat comprises of orchards, ponds, dormitories, stores and a hall located on a hill overlooking the Lata Kinjang waterfall.

No threat

Batang Padang OCPD Supt Wan Mohamed Wan Abdullah, who led the raid, had said that the police entered with a search warrant to ensure that everything was in order.

Later, Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai said his officers had gone there following a number of allegations on the activities carried out at the premises. He explained that the police applied for a search warrant knowing that the members would be uncooperative.

However, Norian also added that the group's activities were legal and did not pose any threat to national security. Perak Mentri Besar Tajol Rosli Ghazali also said the church could proceed with their activities at the retreat as reports showed they were not violating state land rules and regulations.

According to Bar Council's Sulaiman, the government should provide the opportunity for all religious groups to establish places of worship and to be able to gather without interference.

"Everyone must generally enjoy the constitutional guarantee of freedom to profess and practise the religion of their choice," he said.

He added that the New Testament Church group had carried out its activities peacefully for many years and that no one had been known to have complained about them.