The decision by the court caused some disconcerts among Malay
Muslim population, majority of whom shared the view that the word
‘Allah’ was exclusively Islamic. The over-zealous among them went a
step further when they attacked some churches in some parts of the
country. Three churches in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya were
attacked during the night of 8 January 2010, and another in Petaling
Jaya on 9 January. On 10 January, four more places of worship were
attacked: three churches and one mosque. Between 11 to 16 January five
more places of worship were attacked: three churches—two in Negeri
Sembilan and one in Johore; one gurdwara in Kuala Lumpur; and one
mosque in Sarawak. These attacks on places of worship further heightened
an already tensed situation. There was a fear that these incidents
might escalate into a full scale religious strife.