SUBANG JAYA, Nov 28 — Selangor police chief Datuk Mazlan Mansor said that the four men arrested yesterday for refusing to disperse from the area near the Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam temple here have been released.

He said that the men were released after no wrongdoings were found, and clarified that they were detained as a mere crime prevention measure.

"Okay, so yesterday, while we were guarding around the temple area there were few youths who were wandering there. So the police had to give them a warning and advised them to disperse from the area.

"However, some did disperse, and some did not. So those who did not leave were the ones we detained for the purpose of crime prevention. Nothing else. We just detained them to be sure and we released them," Mazlan told a press conference here.

He said that the youths were not members of any triads, and were only 'kids" who were having drinks at the area.

Mazlan added that police also did not find any weapons on them.

Yesterday the four youths were arrested after refusing to heed a warning to leave the temple.

It is also believed one of those detained was to have sat for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination today.

The four were detained immediately after police initiated a 10-second and a final three-second countdown for the demonstrators to disperse along Jalan Usaha.

The police also advanced their Light Strike Force (LSF) personnel about 500 metres away from the temple to push the demonstrators back.