Kuala Terengganu police chief Azli Noor confirmed the incident, stating that a worker at the Choo Men Thong temple discovered the four-faced Buddha statue on the floor with shattered glass around it at 7.15am.

The temple’s chairman filed a police report following the discovery.

The case is being investigated under Section 295 of the Penal Code for causing damage to a place of worship, which carries a maximum prison sentence of two years, a fine, or both, if convicted.

“The statue was not damaged but was pushed to the floor by an unknown individual,” said Azli.

“The temple is not guarded at night, does not have CCTV surveillance, and is not gated.

“There are visitors who visit the temple to pray for 4D lottery numbers, and based on our preliminary investigation, there is a possibility that the act was committed by a frustrated punter.”

Azli also noted that this was the first time the temple had been vandalised since it was built.

The 20kg copper statue is valued at RM2,500, with Azli saying the temple’s chairman estimated the cost of the damage to the temple to be around RM550.

Azli stressed that the case was not related to issues concerning race or religion.