MCA once endorsed rules for non-Muslim houses of worship, says rep

The controversial requirements for non-Muslim houses of worship in Selangor were enacted when the BN was in power, DAP's Bukit Gasing assemblyperson R Rajiv claims.

This comes after Selangor MCA called on all parties not to politicise the issue and to give Teng Chang Kim and DAP two weeks to tackle the guidelines, which included a rule that a non-Muslim house of worship must not be built 50 metres or less from a Muslim household.

Teng, the Selangor executive councillor, offered to resign over the guideline, which he said were mistakenly printed in the latest Selangor Town and Country Planning Guidelines.

Rajiv said the 50-metre rule and height restriction on non-Muslim houses of worship were part of the first Selangor Town and Country Planning Guidelines issued during BN's rule of the state.

"These requirements were taken away by the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government in 2010, when it published the second edition of the Selangor Town and Country Planning Guidelines.

"While DAP has quickly owned up and is making quick steps to rectify the error, the same cannot be said of Selangor MCA, which endorsed these very same policies in its time as the government," Rajiv said in a statement.

Teng said he would seek clearance from the state executive council to suspend the provisions at the exco meeting today.

Selangor DAP has also formed a committee, which includes Rajiv, to assist Teng in revising the guidelines.

Rajiv also reminded MCA that Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Terengganu, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan also have guidelines limiting the heights of non-Muslim places of worship and how close they can be to Muslim homes.
also have guidelines

"Will MCA (as well as MIC and Gerakan) stop politicking and own up to these as well?" he asked.

Selangor DAP also said Teng need not resign as "to err is human" and no one had suffered because of his mistake.- Mkini