You have to read this or else you won't understand what the issue is about - At least read the very last bits.
The poster gave a very good argument on the issue of the demolition of Hindu temples in Malaysia, an issue that often raise anger and racial insults and claims that Islam wants to kill Malaysian Hindus.
This is what Anonymous wrote:
ANONYMOUS
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Only one problem.
Hindu Temples are known to be built on places no mosques or even churches would dare venture into, like govt & private (of other ppl) owned lands, road & canal reserves, under big trees, forest reserve etc. Places which are unlawful for any kind of construction/structures unless special permission is given beforehand.
Unfortunately in most if not all cases, they are built without any permission i.e. illegally. Even in some cases, they present danger to road users, even upsetting landowners and neighbouring residents.
So, how can the govt replace them with new ones when they are already 'illegal' to start with ? Not to mention, there are countless of them. Each for different deity. Millions of deities.
Imagine that happening in Singapore ! What will Singapore govt do ? How will they react ?
For a small red dot, I doubt that they will rebuild one on the seafloor !
p/s :
I like the One Wedding & A Funeral article.
Now, tell me, who really needs to " give and take " in this matter concerning the temples and the likes. One friend lamented to me, upon hearing about Kg.Buah Pala. He said, " Kalau org Melayu duk situ, dah lama kena bulldozed ".
Indeed, the Malays are always known to give, but sadly, they never received ...
REME's REPLY
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(Apols if I sound like I must have the last word, just because it is my blog. You can reply to this of course!)
(I had written this under your comments, but Blogspot.com said the reply was too long - so pardon the small letters with no capital letters at the start of sentences).
Anon,
You posted the comments at 8:49. Awalnya dah bangun main komputer!
Terima kaseyyyy.
Living in Malaysia full time for 12 years and part-time in the last 2 years (since I got posted back to Tumasick), we all know about this kind of stories well enough - I have seen these small shrines in my area too.
First there was an empty piece of land - usually govt land.
Then a group of Hindus decided to build a small prayer altar there.
The altar grew into a shrine.
Years later it has grown into a temple.
When the govt wants the land back, susah.
1) I thought there are district offices everywhere, so what happened to the enforcement side?
In rules-based Singapore, squatters would have to move out FAST, or else they will be forced by the court to pay RENT for occupying govt land (incl in kampung buah pala).
2) the indian leaders themselves should stop this. petition the govt to get land legally BEFORE hindus in the area start doing this, samy vellu. the problem is, he was so busy with other matters.
once the govt has given-sold you land to build a large temple, ensure that the hindus in the area do not build illegal shrines.
3) it always boggles my mind, when i put on my Tumasick hat, why groups of people who sat on land illegally for FREE for years and years, instead of being asked to pay rent to the landlord, can instead make demands! instead of leaving fast when the landowner wants it back, can ask for bungalows and threaten police!
the court system is weak? or is it because the laws are weak? (plus ofcoz there are groups like Hindraf, Jerit and the opposition muddying the waters).
another issue is: Hindraf, the opposition and the likes of blogs/Malaysiakini (I have friends working there in Kini and i am glad that it had introduced new ways of looking at things,but I am unhappy with this bit of their coverage) always report the issue in this manner: 'Malay-Umno govt wants to tear down another Hindu temple. Injustice! Racist! Islam wants to kill Minorities!'
(some bloody wire agencies have also started to follow).
they never discuss much its illegality, nor do they even bother to mention at least as one last word or paragraph that in developments, many suraus and mosques got torn down too!
in kampung buah pala why make noise about indian rights being trampled, when in a radius of about 2-5km from my house in Wangsa Maju, there were many Malay villages and their suraus torn down (using rough tactics too) when the new Duta-Ulu Kelang Highway (DUKE) was being built.
still, once the shrines and temples are there, then the govt in taking back the land - please use softer tactics.
it does not help that you have a bunch of malay boys in uniform of local authorities started to (allegedly) break the images of the gods. let these be removed by the temple officials. if they refuse let MIC types cart these to a nearby temple after a reasonable period of discussions and time.
but whether the govt likes it or not, since it was its fault for being lax in enforcement, a better way would be to have built a temple/shrine elsewhere to replace the one/s to be taken down.
or else, perhaps ask the developer (or the govt itself) to make a sum of donation to the nearest temple to cool heads.
(notice that CHINESE temples do not have this issue - errrr or do they? - because i think most of their prayer houses are built legally on land donated by people).
ofcoz, there is another issue: the role of hindraf, the opposition and blogs/malaysakini types who like to report things from one side of the coin only.
Tok Sri Naj had better appoint a respected mediator NOW - if he hasn't - so that when the next 'temple demolition' issue is about to arise (dont lah wait for Kini and Insider to report before appointing a mediator) to talk to all parties (hindraf and oppo) and work out a mechanism on resolving this issue.
i don't know. ultimately as a stranger in paradise with no voting rights (and who better not talk too much) - it is not up to me, but up to the dwellers within to try and resolve issues. from the media to NGOs to the opposition and govt.
the problem in malaysia is everything becomes a political football and a good media story - incl the very sad deaths of teo beng hock and kugan.
some matters stopped being problems that everyone wants to resolve for the sake of the country, but just golden opportunities that can be exploited to show the other side's weakness.
(Ah kan! aku pun dah cerita panjang-panjang!)
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