Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has once again warned that the government will not hesitate to use the Internal Security Act (ISA) against those playing up religious and racial issues as it will affect national security.

NONE He also assured that the ministry would investigate and identify those responsible for throwing firebombs at several churches.

"We will not hesitate to use the law including the ISA and will act against anybody irrespective of their background," he said in the 'Soal Jawab Khas' programme on TV3 last night.

Hishammuddin reminded the public not to believe the SMS messages being circulated as the ministry and police were keeping them informed of the latest developments.

"We had issued official information via the ministry and police. We did not make it up and reported as it is," he said.

Investigation since Jan 8 however showed that the attacks were not planned and coordinated by certain groups.

Latest attack against a Sikh temple

Hishammuddin said the government had always been cautious in its action to check threats against national security.

Hishammuddin had similarly issued a warning last week that he will use the ISA against people who were protesting against the Allah issue.

Yesterday he had come under attack from Islamist party PAS over the minister's threat to use the detention-without-trial law to solve the problem.

PAS' information chief Idris Ahmad had said that the threat camouflaged Hishammuddin's failure to solve the problem.

Until now, nine churches and one school have been targeted following the Kuala Lumpur High Court's ruling on Dec 31 to allow Catholic publication Herald to use the word 'Allah'.

Yesterday a Sikh temple in Sentul was targeted where stones were thrown, damaging a glass door. The Sikh scripture also uses the contentious word 'Allah'.

- Bernama