Recently, a number of mainland-linked bookstores, banks, and retail stores have been repeatedly vandalized during the violent protests, which have been going on for nearly five months.

Veteran Malaysian journalist Wong Chun Wai told China Daily on Sunday that the attack on the Xinhua bureau was "unacceptable" as it went against the very essence of democracy. "To put it bluntly, it borders on terrorism." Wong said.

"In any democracy, we may not agree with each other, but we must defend and uphold the right of the views of others," said Wong, a former chief editor of Star Media Group Berhad, a leading Malaysian news outlet.

He added that if such an incident were to occur in Malaysia, the culprits would have been swiftly identified, arrested and charged in the courts.