Now Anwar cracks down on temples.
What do Zakir Naik and Zamri Vinoth have in common? They are Muslim hate preachers. Zakir is an Indian Muslim preacher who is a wanted fugitive in his native home, India, whilst Zamri – a protégé of Zakir – is a former Hindu who converted to Islam. For years, both men have been allowed to instigate hatred and make racially and religiously charged statements in Malaysia.
Untouchable and protected, Zakir Naik, a Malaysian permanent resident, had previously courted controversy when he said Malaysian Chinese aren’t born in the country so they, as the “old guests”, must go back to China first before he (the “new guest”) can be asked to leave. The fugitive preacher had also questioned Malaysian Hindu’s loyalty to (former) Prime Minister Mahathir.
On Saturday (February 7), it was Zamri’s turn to flex his special privilege as he stubbornly and deliberately challenged the police by organising a rally against illegal houses of worship in the country. Police officers stood in neat formation outside the famous Sogo department store in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur. But the rally ended before it could even start, as Zamri was already in custody.
Among those arrested were digital activist Tamim Dahari, political figures Shafiq Abdul Halim and Hishamuddin Abu Bakar, and attorney Haniff Khatri (who is also Mahathir’s lawyer). According to reports, Zamri and co-organiser Tamim were placed under remand for a minimum of two days until additional investigation was completed, while a few others were released on bail.
However, the arrest was seen as a political drama rather than a genuine intention of the Royal Malaysia Police to detain provocateurs stirring up racial and religious sentiments that could threaten national security. Former MIC Puchong division head Awtar Singh exposed how Zamri and a group of plainclothes cops appeared to be having a feast at the police station – sitting around a table with packed food and drinks.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohd Khalid Ismail should explain if it’s part of police procedures to serve food and drinks instead of throwing troublemakers like Zamri and his gang into lockup. The photos of such special privilege accorded to the selected few show that the arrest of the rally organisers was nothing but a gimmick.
Make no mistake – the police, known for being biased towards certain ethnic and racial groups, were never interested in arresting the rally-goers, till Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim suddenly panicked and called for individuals who flout the law at rallies to be arrested and “thrown out”. In fact, it was an eleventh-hour U-turn by the Kuala Lumpur police to declare as “illegal” the Anti-Illegal Houses of Worship Movement rally.
PM Anwar, drunk with power and terrified of offending Malay voters, had no idea that the Zamri-organised rally, which coincided with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi two-day official visit (February 7-8) to Malaysia, was designed to sabotage India-Malaysia bilateral relations and to humiliate the Anwar administration. That explains why the clueless Anwar suddenly went berserk.
Imagine the embarrassment if Prime Minister Modi, whom his supporters view as the “great defender of the Hindu faith”, suddenly asks narcissist Prime Minister Anwar about Malaysian Indians being attacked over the unauthorised Hindu temples. Even if Modi pretends nothing had happened, foreign journalists covering Modi’s visit will certainly grill Anwar if the rally turns violent.
As expected, just after Modi left Malaysia, fork-tongue Anwar immediately showed his true colours – ordering authorities to destroy and demolish temples that do not comply with existing laws, particularly those built on land they do not legally own. But in a country where you don’t hear illegal mosques, but only disputes involving temple land, he is playing with fire by attacking the Indians’ house of worship.
On the surface, the Premier’s action seems perfectly legal. But it screams hypocrisy and racism if Zamri Vinoth escapes with a slap on the wrist, whilst all temples are demolished. It’s easy to blame temples or shrines for squatting on land they do not own. Perhaps Anwar can reveal data about temple land approved under his administration since he became the 10th Prime Minister in November 2022.
Yes, illegal temples did not happen overnight. Hinduism is the fourth-largest religion in the country, after Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity, and is practised mainly by the ethnic Indian community. Yet, their house of worship has become a hot potato for decades, largely because they were erected on private or state land without approval due to a lack of funds to buy land or buildings and at the same time being discriminated.
The burning question is why the government can allocate any free land and funds for mosques, but not for other houses of worship? The answer is obvious and a sensitive one in Malaysia’s multi-religious society of about 34 million people. In truth, many temples were built before independence, with some dating back hundreds of years, often before modern land laws were introduced.
According to the Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS), which represents the country’s two million Hindu population, many Hindu temples were built with the necessary approval during the British colonial era, but land sales and urban development after independence had rendered the status of some temples ambiguous.
Anwar claimed that the issue was about equal application of the law, not denying religious rights. However, when applications are made for houses of worship for Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism, most of the time they are met with obstacles. This has led to the spread of religious structures built without approval, thanks to administrative failures and discrimination.
Sure, no new temples should be built without permission. But decades-old temples should at least be relocated rather than demolished, as suggested by Anwar. The lack of a statutory Hindu body had worsened disputes nationwide. The Pakatan Harapan coalition led by Mr Anwar had previously pledged to establish such boards in Kedah, Selangor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor, but the promise has yet to be fulfilled.
To make matters worse, politicians, including Anwar Ibrahim himself, have been playing the race and religious cards to win Malay votes. Last year, the prime minister provocatively declared “Victory” after he bulldozed the construction of “Madani Mosque” in Kuala Lumpur. To make way for the mosque, the 130-year-old Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple was forced to be relocated some 50 metres away.
While Anwar accused the temple of being old and not legally approved, Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple actually applied to convert the land title to that of a land reserve for a non-Muslim place of worship in 2012, but as expected, the application was rejected. You don’t hear such rejection involving mosques. Heck, it would be a Civil War if a 130-year-old mosque were forced to make way for the construction of a temple.
The prime minister should realise that enforcement and demolition will not resolve the long-standing disputes over Hindu temples. Instead, it would certainly backfire and risk deepening racial tensions. Anwar’s reckless order could be interpreted by Little Napoleons as a green light or endorsement for indiscriminate action against Hindu temples.
Like it or not, despicable Zamri Vinoth was emboldened – even inspired – by PM Anwar Ibrahim’s attack on the 130-year-old Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple. It was Anwar in his attempt to appease the Malay-Muslim community that he termed the 130-year-old Hindu temple “illegal”. Zamri was merely learning from Anwar by “attacking” Hindu temples. – Finance Twitter