Two mosques in Felda Triang, Bera, were hit by a break-in incident involving donation boxes in the early hours of Friday, with two unidentified men believed to have caused total losses estimated at around RM2,500.
The affected mosques were Masjid Al-Taqwa in Felda Triang 3 and Masjid Al-Hidayah in Felda Triang 1, where a total of nine donation boxes were reportedly forced open and damaged.
The incident came to light when mosque officials and congregants discovered the damaged tabung derma upon arriving for Subuh prayers later that morning.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from Masjid Al-Taqwa showed two suspects arriving on a Honda EX5 motorcycle before entering the mosque compound at approximately 4.50am.
Such incidents have raised concern among local communities, as places of worship are increasingly being targeted despite their role as safe communal spaces.
One of the suspects was seen wearing a helmet and gloves before entering the mosque and forcibly breaking open the donation boxes to steal cash.
The break-in was only discovered around 6.30am after worshippers alerted the mosque imam about the damaged collection boxes.
Checks revealed that four out of six donation boxes at Masjid Al-Taqwa had been tampered with, with an estimated RM1,000 in weekly collections believed to have been taken.
At Masjid Al-Hidayah in Felda Triang 1, a similar incident occurred, where five donation boxes were pried open, resulting in losses of about RM1,500.
Community security in rural areas often relies heavily on trust and local vigilance, highlighting growing concerns over opportunistic crimes during late-night hours.
However, CCTV equipment at the second mosque was found to be non-functional after being damaged by a lightning strike prior to the incident.
Police confirmed that both cases are being investigated under Section 380 of the Penal Code, with efforts underway to track down the suspects.
Authorities are reviewing available footage and evidence as part of ongoing investigations to identify those responsible.
Members of the public have been urged to come forward with any relevant information to assist in the case and help prevent similar incidents in the future.
