Wacky councillor creates commotion

PEKANBARU, Riau: An angry councillor created a commotion in a church in Pekanbaru city after he pointed a gun at the church' ceiling, demanding the priest halt the mass.

The commotion began when local councillor A.B. Purba entered the Huria Kristen Batak Protestant (HKBP) church on Jl. Garuda in Pekanbaru city during Easter mass on Friday. Upon entering the church, Purba quickly asked Rev. MT Silalahi, who was leading the mass, to step down and stop the mass.

However, the attempt was prevented by the parishioners, prompting the councillor to pull out his gun and point it at the ceiling.

"I don't know what type of gun he was using to threaten the parishioners," Sianipar, an eyewitness, told reported on Monday. Fortunately, T. Boru Sitompul, the wife of Purba, who was also at the scene, was able to calm down her husband and escort him out of the church.

The incident was triggered by a dispute between church leaders in the past few months. Parishioners are divided into two groups after chief of HKBP church in Tarutung Bonar Napitupulu issued a letter to replace Rev. Silalahi with Rev. Pasaribu.

Purba said Silalahi no longer had the right to lead the mass because he had been replaced, but Silalahi said he still had the right because he had not been officially replaced yet. -- JP