PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has ironically warned irresponsible elements not to take the law into their own hand by demolishing “illegal” Hindu temples.
Yesterday (Feb 11), a Hindu temple was partially demolished in Rawang Perdana, Selangor, by a vigilante group headed by the Gerakan Anti Rumah Anutan Haram (GARAH) co-organiser Tamim Dhari Abdul Razak.
The lawyer of this vigilante group said that his clients merely acted on the instructions of Anwar for “illegal” Hindu temples to be cleared in urban areas.
Hopefully, the arrest of Tamim and three other so-called Anti-Illegal Houses of Worship Movement activists will not be counter-balanced by the arrests of Hindu activists as happened on Feb 7.
After the Hindu temple demolition in Rawang, Anwar urged for the respect of law and order and not engage in vigilantism.
But Anwar should not forget it was he who was responsible for politicising the presence of “illegal” Hindu temples in the country with the forced relocation of the 130-year Dewi Sri Patharakaliamman Hindu temple in Jalan Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur to make way for the Madani Mosque.
The shameless Indian leaders in PKR, DAP and MIC supported the re-location of the temple.
It was undeniably Anwar who created the monster of “illegal” temples that was soon capitalised by extremist elements in the Malay-Muslim society with their respective political, racial and religious agenda.
Mushrooming of illegal stalls, workshops
The presence of “illegal” Hindu temples is nothing new as they have existed from the colonial days. It was just the failure on the part of the different levels of the government to legalise them.
It was the lack of political will and the fact that these were Hindu temples without a political priority that left them in a lurch.
It was not that those managing the temples had an interest in perpetuating their illegality.
Anwar can talk about the need to respect law and order but he cannot wiggle out of the situation that his criticisms against the “illegal” Hindu temples that set the tone and direction for others to capitalise on them.
As a PM of the country well aware the ethic and religious sensitivity, he should have exercised caution and responsibility in criticising the “illegal” Hindu temples.
The sore eye in urban areas is not the minuscule presence of “illegal” Hindu temples but hundreds and thousands of stalls, illegal workshops and numerous other structures.
Why didn’t Anwar highlight these structures that requires enforcement action from the local authorities?
For Anwar, using harsh words on the “illegal” Hindu temples rather than others illegal structures are far more politically beneficial.
Ironically, Anwar by unfairly singling out the “illegal” Hindu temples has awakened the Hindu community in the country that he definitely is not the head of government who can be trusted.
The trust that the Hindu community had in Anwar has evaporated into thin air. Moreover, Anwar’s move to go against “illegal” Hindu temples has not gained the support of the Malay-Muslims in the country for the horses have already long bolted.
Former DAP stalwart and Penang deputy chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.
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