Bigotry or awareness? Netizen raises alarm on the creation of a new “temple”

 

RACE and religion has always been the two-headed hydra that seek to upend the delicate harmony of multiracial Malaysia. And for quite some time now, the story of the so-called “illegal” temples has been fanning the flames of racial hate.

It shows no sign of abating, and has instead, given birth to dangerous, radical elements.

Take for example a recent post by netizen @dahfollowbelum on X who pointed out a red cloth coiled around a tree trunk. 

“At Klang there is a tree wearing a skirt. The location is Klang Jaya, near the school,” he said.

The post can be found at: https://x.com/dahfollowbelum/status/2034175568955248860

Although nothing else was mentioned, the accusation is obvious, that someone may be attempting to turn the tree into a place of worship.

Take a look at the comment section and people will be alarmed to note the amount of hate there too.

Take it from netizen @nyctophiliakid7 who claimed that Malaysians have a responsibility to end such a practice by burning the cloth.

Then there was @dahfollowbelum, listing out step-by-step how the tree will be converted into a temple.

Sarcasm is also evident in the comment from a netizen who turned the age old Malay adage of, “sedikit sedikit lama lama jadi bukit,” into a biting, “sikit sikit lama lama jadi kuil.”

Also, @unicornsistic said people should act fast before the tree gets chopped down. But is this the full story? 

A sharp-eyed netizen identified that the cloth usually used by the Hindus were yellow in colour, not red. So perhaps this is not done for religious purposes.

But @MunirCryptical claimed their modus operandi had been exposed, so they are now changing the colour of the cloth.

Regardless of all the accusations, stereotypes and hate, it is good to be reminded once in a while that Malaysia is a country of law and order.

Let us not blur the line between activism and authority in this country. There are many ways to solve a problem that doesn’t involve fire and violence. — Focus Malaysia