Thursday, September 04, 2008

Najib should also apologize about "illegitimate" temples comment by DBKL

Very good that Najib has apologized - and this must also be followed with actions that will show that the apology is sincere. The speaker of those words must also apologize now... and Malaysia is waiting for it..

Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has apologised for the statement made by one of the party's division leaders which resulted in a lot of criticism from the Chinese community.

“We will apologise. Umno apologises,” he told a press conference after launching the Chery Eastar multi-purpose vehicle at a hotel here yesterday.

“It (The comment) was totally unwarranted and doesn’t reflect the position and attitude of Umno or the leadership of Umno. We regret it very much,” he said. - Star Online, 3/9/2008,Najib: Umno apologises


The Malaysian Hindus also are awaiting an apology from the PM, DPM, DBKL and the BN government for the "missing temples", which are now existing and have existed for many many years, in the KL Draft Plan 2020. To make it worse, DBKL calls these existing temples as "illegitimate"...

This treatment of Malaysian Hindus was, in my opinion, even more worse that the name calling of Malaysian of Chinese ancestry by an UMNO Division leader.

Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail had called the Chinese pendatang (immigrants) at a ceramah prior to the Permatang Pauh by-election. - Star Online, 3/9/2008,Najib: Umno apologises

With regard the now existing temples and crematoriums in Kuala Lumpur, that is not there in the 2020 KL Draft Plan, a matter that was raised by Hindu Sangam - not even any of the MPs of KL.

HINDU temples and the crematorium in the Kuala Lumpur area had been left out in the draft of the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan by City Hall recently, according to Malaysian Hindu Sangam president A. Vaithilingam, the Malaysia Nanban said in a front page report.

He said that it was disheartening to note that the names of some temples in the Pudu area had been left out and nothing had been stated about the crematorium in Jalan Loke Yew.

He said that it was not proper for the authorities to remove the crematorium in the name of development.

He said the non-allocation of places for the Indian community to conduct religious rites for the dead reflected City Hall's insensitivity towards the Indian community.

He said that a meeting had been scheduled to be held on Tuesday at the Auditorium Tan Sri Soma in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the flaws and the recommendations to be made to City Hall. - Star, 18/8/2008 -Temples left out in draft plan

And the response that came from the DBKL was that it was left out because it was not legitimate , i.e. illegitimate...

How could the DBKL call temples that have existed for so long in Kuala Lumpur illegitimate, and this apparently also includes the Paranjothy Vinayagar temple in Jalan Ipoh and the Courthill Vinayagar Temple in Jalan Pudu. Are you also going further and say that the prayers, devotion and worship done was also "illegitimate"

There has been concern that over 100 Hindu temples and two crematoriums were not included in the draft plan.

The concerns were raised by the Malaysian Hindu Sangam which has asked temple representatives to submit their objections on the draft plan.

According to Vaithilingam, among the Hindu temples not included in the draft plan are the Paranjothy Vinayagar temple in Jalan Ipoh and the Courthill Vinayagar Temple in Jalan Pudu. - Star, 28/8/2008, Temples included in draft KL plan

Illegitimate Mosque....illegitimate church...illegitimate surau....how could the DBKL use the word Legitimate or "illegitimate" for Temples and places of worship of Malaysian people...

LEGITIMATE places of worship are definitely included in the Draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020.

According to Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) master plan department director Zainab Mohd Ghazali, if the places of worship are on legitimate sites with approval, then they will automatically be included in the plan.

“A place of worship, such as a temple, has to be on specific land area and it should not be on curbs or at the side of the road because our plan is based on lots,” she said.- Star, 28/8/2008, Temples included in draft KL plan


The DBKL, and in fact authorities elsewhere in Malaysia should now immediately "legitamize" all churches, temples, kuils, suraus, mosques, chapels where ever they are today - the authorities should be proactive.

And, if there are places of worship or religious sites (including cemetries, crematorium, other resting places, etc...) that has not been recognized as such yet by the 'government', then it must be done so immediately - and if there needs to be any 're-location', then it can only be done with the approval and consent of the persons using it.

How long it has been in that location, is of course, a very relevant consideration - and I believe that if it was in existence more than 10 years, it should not be anymore considered "illegitimate" or "illegal" anymore.

When you tell me that my place of worship...my religious site is "illigitimate" - you have insulted me, and rightly you should apologize...

Respect me... respect my religion... respect my belief... respect my places of worship - that is the Malaysian way.

6 comments:

LALILOo said...

Well, all DBKL has to do is to LEGITIMATE all the ILLEGITIMATE temples.

If they can't legalize those temples, then DBKL should at least provide a proper land for them to carry on their divine deeds on legal land.

Since all mosque and surau are built on allocated and given land, DBKL should do the same for all temples and churches.

Anonymous said...

Yes, yes Sdr Charles, say it as long it serves all Malaysian and their religions of their own right. Let eliminate this racist and religious sensitivity. We have to do it now and dethrone the BN so that we can put it right for we the people of Malaysia and the future.

tzarina said...

"A place of worship, such as a temple, has to be on specific land area and it should not be on curbs or at the side of the road because our plan is based on lots,” she said

Does that mean the Murugan temple in Jalan Ipoh also has to go? Funny isn't it when you think about it. Many of the temples existed long before there were roads built around them, or this new "side road" ban came about. I would like to know about Masjid Jamek and all those suraus and masjids which are also on the side of roads. Does the ban apply to ALL PLACES OF WORSHIP??

Heck, which place of worship is NOT at side of a road?

I think the recent Home Ministry fiasco on restricting foreign Hindu temple priests and artisans are related to the temples-disappearing-from-map-plan. This is the bigger picture. Racists and Bigots!

Hindu Temple vs Home Ministry

Samuel Goh Kim Eng said...

In fairness to all worshippers everywhere
There must be proper provisions for worshipping
By various worshippers located here and there
Instead of being shuttled like open sea's shipping

(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 040908
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Thu. 4th Sept. 2008.

Anonymous said...

MALAYSIANNIGER HAS THIS TO SAY.....

A MONTH AGO MALAYSIANNIGER DI ASK IF THE PERSON WHO WAS APPOINTED TO THE POST IS FIT FOR THE JOB.
WHO THE HELL IS INTERSTED IN TEMPLES,OR CHURCHE OR IN TOTAL PLACE OF WORSHIP,FOR A PERSON WHO IS THERE AT THE POST NOW KNOWS,WHAT IT CAN BE TURN INTO IN TIME TO COME....WHAT INCOME CAN THIS PLACE OF WORSHIP GIVE TO HIS PERSNOL INCOME....
MALAYSIANNIGER WHOUL SAY THAT WHEN YOU PUT A UNFIT PERSON ON THE JOB,THIS IS WHAT YOU GET. PEOPLE LIKE HIM NEVER HAD THE COMMUNITY IN MIND FROM DAY ONE,A GANGSTER,A GANGLOAD,THEN AN HID MAN OF A SO CALL COMMUNITY LEADER AND NOW THE NO 2 MAN OF DBKL.
TIME IS VERY SHOT AND THAT HE KNOWS,HE WILL HAVE TO ROUND UP WHAT EVER THAT HE CAN,FOR HIS SELF INTEREST BEFORE THE NEXT ELECTION DUE TO COME ANYTIME.
WHO THE HELL IS INTERSTED IN THE COMMUNITY,PLACE OF WORSHIP....
THEY NEED TO BE THE YES MAN TO THE BN GOVT,..... JUST LIKE THE FOMER SO CALL LEADER,WHO HAD ALL THE BANANAR'S OF THE BN IN HIS MOUTH,TILL HE CAN'T TALK OR ASK FOR THE RIGHT OF THE DEAR INDIAN COMMUNITY.....
IT IS TIME TO SAY NO TO BN GOVT AND SET THE RULE,AND ASK FOR OUR RIGHT....
KITA PUN DATANG,DIA PUN DATANG, KITA SAMA SAMA DATANG......
BIAR KITA TANYA ITU ORANG ASLI BILA DIA DATANG.......
SIAPA DATANG,BILA DATANG ITU SAYA MALAYSIANNIGER TAK KIRA...
SATU HARI INDIA AKAN DATANG....

Anonymous said...

Dear Charles,
Thanks for highlighting the predicament faced by the illegality issues of the temples in KL according to the DBKL master plan.

The complete omission of these temples of worship by the Indian community as well as the crematroiums shows a very SINISTER trend in Malaysia brought about by UMNO hagemony and religious bigotry.

These religious bigots seem bent on the annihilation of temples of Indians either by tearing them down as they did in Padang Jawa and other places or by purposely denying their existence so that at a later date they too would be torn down.

The right to choice and freedom of worship is enshrined in the Federal Constitution. The Malaysian BN leaders tell the whole world that Malaysia is a multi-religious nation. Yet the practise otherwise. Their hypocrasy and double standards are shocking.

The UMNO controlled BN government has no respect for the Constitution. Nor does it have any respect for the sensitivities of the other races and their religions and cultural practices.

The UMNO, MCA and especially the MIC leaders should APOLOGISE to the Indian community for hurting them and undermining their religion.

If UMNOled BN does not offer a public and uncoditional apology to the Indian community, then MIC should leave. MCA should also walk out of the BN because it would be their turn next at the hands of the Ketuanan UMNO.