Ramasamy : “Beyond the label  of “illegal ” : A call for a thoughtful approach to Hindu temples in Malaysia”

Comment
by Prof Dr P. Ramasamy
Chairman, Urimai
& Former Deputy Chief Minister II Pulau Pinang

Hindu organisations and others have a role to play in the country in terms of protecting Hindu places of worship. They should not make the same mistakes albeit in different ways as those who are riding the bandwagon of removing the presence of “illegal” temples in the country.
Even if there are temples built during the colonial days, without the necessary legal papers, it is difficult and irresponsible to label them as “illegal” and, by definition, subject to demolition.

Hindu organisations in the country should be fully aware that the recent use of the word “illegal” has political, racist and religious extremist connotations. It would be extremely dangerous for Hindu bodies, however well-intentioned, to follow the dictates of some of the Malay-Muslim extremist groups in the country.

Hindu organisations, rather than jumping to please the government of the day, should sit back and take a deeper, more analytical look at the genesis of Hindu temples in the country from colonial days to the present. Only by close examination and dispassionate analysis, a better understanding would be derived of the temples in the country. Sure there are temples and shrines that have sprung up on lands not belonging to them.

Hindu organisations can look into these temples with a view to relocating them with the assistance of the state and federal governments.
Government leaders cannot raise the hue and cry of “illegal” temples if they are not forthcoming to assist the relocation of temples by way of the provision of funds and land.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim declared the 130-year-old Hindu temple in Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur, “illegal” to be relocated last year.
There were no protests from Hindu religious organisations, but the DAP, PKR and MIC leaders endorsed the plan for the relocation of the temple.

It was not until after the relocation of the temple was agreed upon that the notion of “illegal” temples became much publicised, especially by certain Malay-Muslim groups. It is not that Hindu temples in the country are without problems. These need to be addressed in much more meaningful and considerate ways rather than being targeted for “demolitions”.

A recent attempt to categorise temples by colour is a very childish way of understanding the complexity surrounding Hindu temples in the country. The colour red is assigned to temples without land or registration. Some of the temples in this colour category were built during the colonial days.

I was told that a temple built about 80 years ago, before independence in Penang, was instructed to move the deities to another temple nearby, coming under the colour of green, meaning legal temples. Hindu temples in the country and elsewhere are built on the basis of worship of deities. It would make no sense to move the principal deity one “illegal” temple to a temple that has another principal deity that is considered legal.

Hindu worship and the presence of temples is something complex.

Each temple in the country whether illegal or not, needs to be considered without getting into the entrapment of oversimplification to appease those in power.

I urge Hindu organisations in the country to come to their senses in resolving problems faced by Hindu places of worship.
Urgency should not be at the expense of appeasing those in power.

Let us not forget that Hindus have contributed in terms of blood and sweat to the development of the country.

Hindu temples are the manifestations of their struggle and commitment to the country adopted by their ancestors.

Forcible removal of temples on the flimsy grounds of “illegality” will be resisted. Removing temples is equivalent to removing the identity of Hindu Tamils in the country.