Temples: Anwar warns against vigilantism, but damage done in his name

 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last night warned the public against taking matters into their own hands regarding unauthorised temples.

This came just two days after he said he had instructed local councils to "clean up" temples built without authorisation.

"This country must be based on rules and law, not the whims and fancies of individuals.

"However strong you may feel, you may like or dislike, respect or disrespect others' beliefs, but the ground rules must be observed.

"Therefore, I want to remind my friends you have been told to observe these rules and you must adhere to these principles, and you have no right whatsoever to take the law into your own hands," he said at a Chinese New Year dinner hosted by the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) last night.

He stressed that only the authorities can take action against unauthorised temples.

Too little, too late?

This is not the first time Anwar has warned against vigilantism, but his latest warning may have come too late.

Earlier in the day, one such unauthorised temple in Rawang was demolished by vigilantes - leading to four arrests.

A lawyer said the men had acted in accordance with Anwar's "clean up" directive.

Activist Tamim Dahri

One of those arrested was activist Tamim Dahri. Tamim was also arrested last Saturday, just before a planned protest against unauthorised temples.

Anwar had warned the rally organisers that he would crack down on their demonstration, citing national security interests as the protest coincided with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country.

‘Respect and follow the law’

In his speech last night, the prime minister also held firm on his stance against temples without approval - painting them as a fringe element.

"The latest incident, of course, in the issue of Hindu temples, I made it very clear: this country, if you respect the law, we cannot allow the indiscriminate building of temples without proper procedures.

"Yes, the Chinese temple has observed (procedures), the Christian churches have observed, the mosques and the surau observe, and most of the other Hindu temples also observed.

"So let us be plain, because if you do not respect this, you will create issues and problems," he said.

Critics have said that Anwar's "clean-up" remarks may end up creating problems themselves.

Misinterpretation risk

In a statement yesterday, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) warned that the prime minister's statement was too general and could be interpreted as applying to all places of worship indiscriminately.

The group urged the prime minister to clarify whether the directive applies to places of worship that existed before Merdeka, arguing that categorising decades-old places of worship as “illegal” under current laws is arbitrary and unfair.

The Hindu Temple Task Force also blamed Anwar's remarks for the temple destruction in Rawang last night.

A temple in Rawang was damaged last night

Meanwhile, Anwar, in his speech, also said that while there are issues and controversies, it is in everyone's interest to protect the stability and unity of the nation.

"While there are differences, we have shared these values for hundreds of years.

"There's no reason that we should allow a small group, a coterie of irresponsible elements trying to disrupt this," he said. - Mkini