'PAS only opposes non-Muslim houses of worship built with no approval'

 

A Selangor PAS leader today said the Islamist party does not have a problem with houses of worship of various religions being built in the same vicinity.

Instead, Selangor PAS liaison secretary Roslan Shahir Mohd Shahir explained that the party is only opposed to non-Muslim houses of worship being built on non-gazetted land in Muslim-majority areas and without local authority’s approval.

“PAS has never had a problem with houses of worship of other religions, including those in Selangor that have been built for a long time and accepted by the local community since the beginning," said Roslan (above).

In a statement today, Roslan took aim at Malaysiakini for supposedly twisting Kuala Langat MP Ahmad Yunus Hairi's speech in Dewan Rakyat on March 16, who had urged the government to avoid building non-Muslim houses of worship in the same vicinity as mosques.

This was to avoid "noises from loudspeakers disrupting the peace of the residents there", Yunus had said.

Kuala Langat MP Ahmad Yunus Hairi

Roslan also cited a voxpop conducted by Malaysiakini around Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur and Batu Caves, Selangor - two places abound with places of worship of different races.

The voxpop revealed the majority of people had called for an end to attempts at politicising religion through such issues.

“In his speech on March 16 in Parliament, Yunus was referring to a site on the border of his area, which is Canary Garden, Bandar Bestari Klang - under the Klang municipal council.

“A non-Muslim house of worship is being built without approval on that site, which is surrounded by Malay-Muslim settlement in Sijangkang, Kuala Langat, and has received objections from the local community," said Roslan.

“This issue is different because it involves a new non-Muslim house of worship and one that has not been approved.

"What's more, it is being built in a Malay village area whose residents had raised objections," he mentioned.

Hansard says otherwise

According to the Hansard for March 16, Yunus in his committee stage debate of items under the Local Government Development Ministry's budget had touched on specific guidelines for building houses of worship - including its size based on the number of followers and minimum distances which must be followed.

Contrary to Roslan's statement that Yunus had raised objections over a non-Muslim house of worship being built on non-gazetted land near a Malay village, Canary Garden is marketed as a new 448-acre township in the suburbs of Klang, with future developments to include offices, residential properties and a shopping mall.

Yunus in his speech also described the designated area as an institutional plot that had initial approval to build a Hindu temple, but subsequent construction was rejected based on incomplete road plans. - Mkini