The police have completed its investigations into last Sunday's protest by 500 people in Penang against a public forum to discuss the issue of religious freedom.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan said police were discussing with the Attorney-General's Chambers for the next move.

"We have investigated the matter. From the investigations, we have identified the parties involved," he was quoted as saying by Bernama .

However, Musa declined to comment further on the matter.

The demonstration took place in front of the Cititel Hotel against the forum entitled "Federal Constitution: Protecting All".

The forum was organised by Aliran and a 14-member NGO grouping known as Article 11 to discuss Article 121 of the Federal Constitution.

The organisers said the forum was to discuss cases concerning the overlapping of jurisdiction between the civil and syariah courts as seen after the deaths of Nyonya Tahir and Everest climber M. Moorthy and also the children's custody case of S. Shamala.

Uncalled for

The protest, on the other hand, was organised by the Anti-Inter Faith Commission or known by the Malay acronym Badai began at about 8.30am and ended two hours later.

The protest had been criticised by several quarters, including Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Abdullah had said that the protest was 'uncalled for' but also urged organisers of such forums to exercise caution.

Nazri was more hard-hitting and dismissed the protest as ' wrong and stupid '.

However, those involved in the protest had defended their action.

"The point is, people protested because the petition (by Article 11) is being done under the guise of constitutional rights when it is basically about apostasy and conversion, the two most important and sensitive issues for us Muslims.

"This, I think, is being dishonest," said Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, president of Teras, a Malay empowerment movement