8 September 2009
The Sri Maha Mariamman temple committee says it wants to either relocate to Section 23 in Shah Alam or to remain at the current site. If the 150-year-old temple were to remain where it is, the committee wants the compound to be restored to its original size and also provided better protection. Read here for more---- END OF UPDATE ---
On the issue of the relocation of the Hindu temple, the question Malaysians must seriously ask is this:
Should we appease the 50-odd Malay Muslims whose extremely inflammatory action of parading with a severed cow head was meant to insult the Hindu faith as a protest against the relocation of a 150-year old Hindu temple?There is pressure from UMNO to the Selangor State Govt to appease these 50-odd Malay Muslims by not relocating the Hindu temple at Section 23. In fact, there is move by the Selangor Govt to find another location for this 150-year Hindu temple which had been in Section19 long BEFORE the establishment of a housing estate in Shah Alam.
These 50-odd Malay Muslims had said they would shed blood if the temple is relocated to Section 23.
If the original plan to relocate the Hindu temple at Section 23 does not proceed, a very dangerous PRECEDENT will be set by the Govt (State and Federal). It will send a clear message to other extremists and religious bigots in the country that they can threaten the peace and security of the nation and get away with it.
We say, the Government must stand firm on this issue and the Selangor State Govt should NOT buckle in the face of these 50-odd Malay Muslim extremists .
These Malay Muslim extremists have shown total disregard for the safety and security of the state and, to boot, thump their noses at a duly elected government.
It is in the interest of the Federal Government and UMNO to stand firm with the Selangor State Govt, and not to let partisan politics get in the way by allowing these Malay Muslim extremists to have an upper hand in the running of the country or state.
UMNO must also come to terms with the fact that its policy in the last 30 years, especially under the Mahathir regime of buckling down to Malay racial extremism and politicising Islam, have led to the present state of affairs.
Malay extremists in the country had been using the name of Islam to undermine the rule of law in the country. And UMNO allowed itself, wittingly or unwittingly, to play their racially and religiously divisive game to maintain political power.
These Malay Muslim extremists know fully well that following March 2008 election, UMNO is very vulnerable. It is this vulnerabilty of UMNO that these Malay Muslim extremists are capitalising upon to achieve their political ends and self-interest ambitions. They are found operating in the Malay vernacular media, in several Malay NGOs, within the UMNO grassroot hierarchy as well as in the Opposition parties (PKR and PAS).
These Malay Muslims are now beyond daring, as evident in their rhetoric and street action in the recent cow-head demonstration.
Unfortunately, we also have a Prime Minister who is himself vulnerable to these Malay extremists. Allegations of scandals in his personal life and perception of him willing to play the race card at every opportunity do not help him at all to rein in these Malay Muslim extremists.
They are telling Najib and UMNO who is the real boss dictating the running of the country.
Unless the Govt stop appeasing these Malay extremists, the country is surely and steadily sliding down the slope.
These Malay extremists are more than willing to bring the country to the brink of the May 13, 1969 racial riot. In 1969, it was against primarily the Chinese, now they are targeting the Indians/Hindus. UMNO must not become a party to these Malay Muslim extremists AGAIN, as it did so in the days and hours ahead leading towards the 13 May 1969 racial riot.
We appeal to the Federal Govt to come to its senses quickly and to use the nation's security apparatus to rein in these Malay extremists before it is too late.
UMNO, as the dominant party in government is duty bound to put public and national interest ahead of partisan politics. It can start with cleaning up some of its grassroot leaders.
Coming back to the relocation of the Hindu temple, a precedent should NOT be set by appeasing to these 50-odd Malay Muslim extremists' demands. They should instead be facing the full force of the law of the land for their actions on the street and their inflammatory rhetoric.
We ask that the Selangor State Govt must stand firm in the longer term interest of the nation and the people: That is, the original plan of relocating the Hindu temple at Section 23 should stay on the table for as long as it takes.
We are in interesting times... and a very dangerous one too.
The Govt can take a leaf out of the Australian experience with the anti-Asian politics of Pauline Hanson and her One Nation Party. Read here and here and here
God Bless Malaysia!
-Malaysian Unplug
RELATED ARTICLE
Should the temple moved out from Section 23?
A MUSLIM perspective
by
Dr. Rafick
Read here for more
1. Someone commented in my blog that may be it is best the temple be moved out from Section 23 to avoid bigger tragedy in the near future. As a Muslim, I say that is probably the worst thing anyone can do under the current circumstances. Running away is never a solution and in this case can it can be a precedent to bigger things.
2. Over the last 52 years since Merdeka, we have been living in under the false pretences that everything is fine with multi ethnic Malaysia and it seems that over the last 52 years things were made to look fine because we were asked to tolerate our neighbors and not accept them as what they are. The politicians has been dividing the people and ruling the country for their own self interest. In the next few paragraph, I will explain why I feel the temple should stay in Section 23.
3. In addressing the temple issue, we need to understand the background of the issue. My own take on the matter may not be accurate as I based on information told to me by friends and what I have researched on the internet. The million dollar question that we need to ask is –Is it really about the temple or about politics with the aim of destabilizing the state government?
4. From what can be seen since the infamous march with a cow head, the involvement of Dato Noh Omar and the open backing of Hishamuddin and the most recent action of few residents during the town hall meeting in Shah Alam, it can be concluded that there are bigger things at play here rather than the temple issue itself. A few ground pawns have been doing their part effectively because they know they have a big umbrella protecting them.
5. In dealing with this matter, I believe the law of the land must be respected. If the Selangor Government chose to relocate the Sri Mariaman temple (SMT), it appears that it has failed in its responsibility and the respect to the law. It would appear that a government would give in to the thugs. Is the government so weak?
6. Some people think that the whole Malay residents of Section 23 do not want the temple there. In reality, the basic issues that need to be asked are whether they have any right to object? What is their basis of objection? They keep saying it is because of “Muslim Sensitivity” but yet they cannot justify to meaning of the phrase.
7. From my observation, the people that is echoing and propagating this “Muslim Sensitivity” are very few. They are a core group of people that is responsible in inciting and poisoning the minds of the residents of Section 23. The master mind that is poisoning the peoples mind in that area is only 4-5 of them. Majorities are fence sitter who doesn’t know what is right and what is wrong.
8. Islamic law, the Malaysian law and constitution does not forbid non Muslims to practice their religion. Physically the chosen site is in Section 23 is good for everyone. It has a good access unlike the one in Section 19. I believe the best step forward is for the State Government should consider is to actually obtained feedback from residents who are able to give their views professionally and without the interference of thugs.
9. Maybe, MBSA or/and Shah Alam PAS members should form a special team and visit each resident and talk to them individually at their home and listen to their views and argue professionally in this respect. Collate this information and understand the real issues with the residents. I believe the residents if interviewed at the comfort of their home or office should be able to explain things rationally.
10. The state must stop this political interference. It must follow the law of the land. They must not be intimidated by a bunch of thugs. The country has laws. If the thugs want to create problem like killing people or burning temples down, let them do it. The state should ask the police to handle such matters. After all that is what they are paid for. The police must do their part. It is time that all Malaysian must learn to accept their neighbors.
11. As a Muslim, I am truly ashamed that the Section 23 thugs have failed to show their intellectual strength. It is a bad reflection on all of us Muslims in Malaysia. Selangor government, I urged that you maintain your stand and it would be good if PAS Shah Alam will make a stand on this matter openly.
See videos on how the thugs of Section 23 behave here.
The Face of Malay Extremism.
Read here for more article by "The Aisehman"
Running Dog
Excerpts:
This is the face of Malay extremism.
His name is Azmir Md Zain. (He is the Pengerusi PenajaUMNO Cawangan Seksyen 23 and the BROTHER of Nawawi Md Zin, Ketua Bahagain UMNO Shah Alam).
This is the dude :
- who carried the severed head of a cow to the protest the other day.
- who had his foot on the cow head.
- And as you can see from this picture, this is also the dude who disrupted the Selangor government dialogue with Section 23 residents.
Haji apa kalau perangai macam anjin’?
Tuk aku, pak aku, pak penakan aku semua haji, tapi takdak la perangai anjin’ macam ni. Pasai tu la susah sikit aku nak pecaya Azmir ni haji.
Anjin’ mungkin la. Anjin’ UMNO.
Azmir ni adalah Pengerusi Penaja Umno Cawangan Seksyen 23.
Dua beradik dengan Dato’ Nawawi Md Zin, Ketua Bahagian UMNO Shah Alam.
Nawawi dan Azmir ni barua kehormat Khir Toyo.Memang depa bedua ni anjin’.
Anjin’ penjilat Tempe.
- "The Aisehman"
11 comments:
I agree wholeheartedly.
Never let them get away !
Let the temple remains in its present location.
Delay the relocation until the next GE, when PR takes over Putrajaya.
I agree and i'm sure more will agree. When i was in school, i had a malay as my best friend. I don't see any problem with tolerence. Just politics playing up. All the Malays in Section 23 who agree that the temple should not be moved should speak up. Don't worry. You are not betraying Islam. You are promoting Islam as a tolerant and compassionate religion. We shall all work together for better Malaysia. I have no problems with malay or indian friends. I have lots of them. Sometimes we share religious views and with that, we have come to respect each others belief. For a better Malaysia, lets all do our part.
Those scumbag muslims back by Umno purposely insult Hindu to provoke them to fight back so that unrest can be created & give the chance for BN to take over Selangor. So pls handle it carefully. Delay is fine until next G.E, Pakatan took over, then can sack the police chief etc & charge those scumbag muslims in court!
Dear Malaysians Unplugged,
I agree with the main point of this article: that giving in to thuggish demands will only embolden them further. However, while the principles behind this post of yours are sound, I feel that the language you use is very unfair to Malays and Muslims as a whole. Specifically, you used the phrases "Scumbag Muslims", "Should we appease the 50 odd Malay Muslims", and "Malay extremists". My question is this: while the people who paraded, stomped and spat on the cow's head (and threatened violence if their demands were not met) are indeed scumbags and extremists, was it necessary to refer to them as Malays and Muslims?
In my opinion, doing so:
1) Is unfair to the many, many Malays and Muslims who have spoken out against the cow head protestors;
2) Implies that they did what they did because they were Malay or Muslim;
3) Serves to create or perpetuate unfair stereotypes of a group.
We know that berbudi bahasa is the central principle of true Malay (and Malaysian) culture, and that true Islam is the epitome of tolerance of other religions.
Furthermore, I believe that there is no compelling reason to do so, because the fact that the protesters were Malay and Muslim does not provide any useful knowledge to the reader. They were Malay and Muslim, so what? Their actions would have been just as contemptible had they been Presbyterian Scots or pagan Visigoths. How is their race and religion important?
Last, but not least, comments like these will be pounced upon by Umno/BN's propaganda machine, and used to "prove" that Islam and the Malays are being insulted, or are somehow "under siege" in Malaysia. Such propaganda will not sway people of Barisan Rakyat, but people who are undecided, and who have little access to alternative information to make up their own minds, may be swayed. Let's not forget that we humans are very easy to polarise, by claiming (either truly or falsely) that our race or religion is under threat. Under such conditions, logic and rationality go out the window. This has been BN's strategy, especially post GE-12, and so far it has worked extremely well.
All that I have written above applies equally well for reports concerning any group.
Malaysians Unplugged have been a good source of information and analysis for Malaysians seeking an alternative point of view. It would be sad if your work was tainted and discredited by allegations of racism and bigotry against any community in Malaysia.
Sincerely,
mh
mh highlighted relevant points. No racism or extremism from anyone, any quarter and especially any politician, irregardless of partisan politics. No exception whatsoever. Consider this the cardinal rule before we can all even begin to talk on a harmonious Malaysia. I guess we are all guilty at some time and place or another. That's the failure of human nature.
malsia1206
And UMNO allowed itself, wittingly or unwittingly, to play their racially and religiously divisive game to maintain political power.
UMNO is the source. No point going after the extremists. That is like killing ants but leaving the queen ant alone. Eradicate the source and the rest will disappear.
In response to Malaysian Heart
07 September 2009 18:07
We thank you for your feedback and fully appreciate your concern.
We,, in the Malaysians Unplugged Uncensored Team have made it abundantly clear that these 50-odd Malay Muslims do NOT represent the mainstream Malays in our country. We said so too in our response to another of our reader, Read here: http://malaysianunplug.blogspot.com/2009/09/prime-minister-najibs-cousin-is.html#c696909791839729150
We have emphasised this viewpoint in various postings in the past.
For us in the Malaysians Unplugged Uncensored Team, it is important that a few bad eggs should NOT be allowed to spoil the whole basket. These 50-odd Scumbag Muslims should not be allowed to taint the generally well-cultured, "adat sopan santun" Malay community.
As such these Malay Muslim extremists must be flushed out for who and what they really are. They must be identified as such to separate them out from the mainstream Malay Muslims.
We strongly believe mainstream Malay Muslims must confront themselves directly and accept the fact there are these Malay Muslim extremists in their own midst using "Bangsa dan Agama" rhetoric that cause serious racial and religious unease to non Malays and non Muslims. They must be nipped in the bud. The mainstream Malay community has remained quiet and silent for far too long with the racially divisive antics of these Malay Muslim extremists.
Unless they come forward, as they have now done so, to SPEAK OUT to differentiate themselves from these Muslim scumbags, the mainstream Malay community will always be tainted with the behaviour of these Malay Muslim extremists, who we will continue to call them the Muslim Scumbags hiding among the decent Malays and good Muslims .
There are extremists, chauvinists, rednecks, radical fundamentalists in all communities. They hide behind others and spew their hatred and vicious attacks in the name of their community. We should NOT allow them to do so.
In Malaysia, for the past 50 years, UMNO's call for Malay NATIONALISM has allowed to evolve into Malay EXTREMISM . In addition, the unchecked creeping radical Islamisation in almost all spheres of life of every Malaysian, Muslim and Non Muslims during Mahathir's 22 years has caused great unease and it confronts the basic principles in the Federal Constitution. We would not go into details on these as they are already well reported here and elsewhere .
UMNO continues to REFUSE to differentiate between Malay Nationalism and Malay Extremism. Made worse, Malay extremism became entangled with the politicisation of Islam especially in the partisan politics of UMNO and PAS.
This Malay extremism has reached a point whereby these 50-odd Muslim scumbags have been more than brave to confront a duly elected govt like organised thugs and behave threateningly in the town-hall meeting called by the Govt in Shah Alam.
We stand by the need to identifiy these scumbags as what they are: Malay Muslim extremists hiding in mainstream Malay community.
It is also for UMNO to realise that Malay Muslim Extremism should not be allowed to be put on the same page as Malay Nationalism. Sadly, UMNO had even allowed "Bangsa dan Agama" clarion call to be hijacked to promote Malay Muslim Extremism.
Furthermore, after 52 years, the call for Malay Nationalism through "Bangsa dan Agama" is obsolete and irrelevant. What is required in 21st century Malaysia is MALAYSIAN Nationalism, a true spirit of One Malaysia, not MALAY Nationalism.
On your concern, we still say these Malay Muslim extremists can only be exposed by calling them as who and they are, so as to differentiate them from the mainstream Malays in the country.
We beg to differ with you that calling these scumbags as Malay Muslims Extremist or Muslim Scumbags will taint the general Malay community. We want the mainstream Malay community to recognise them as who they really are in their own midst.
Malaysians Unplugged Uncensored Team
In response to lezz
07 September 2009 21:42
UMNO feeds on these Malay Muslim extremists for its power and its raison d'etre as a race-based political party. These Malay extremists since the March 2008 election have become anchors for UMNO's drive to regain its power base.
We need to empty the fuel feeding into the fire in order for the fire to be extingushed. These extremists are UMNO's fuel.
Malaysians Unplugged Uncensored Team
Very rational clarification coming out form Malaysians Unplugged Uncensored Team. I chose the word 'clarification' deliberately because their response was not supposed to be seen in the context of a reply. A copy should be sent out by Posalaju for the attention of the PM. And another copy must be specially extended to the former PM, the Tun himself AND his son.
For some reasins, these top VVIPs do not seem to get in their heads. We all know they pretend not to know. Malaysia is just but one distinctive and notorious Nation full of hypocrisy coming out from her very own people who are supposed to be 'Leaders'. In actual fact, these leaders are the very same people who sound out the call but walk the opposite direction instead.
malsia1206
I cannot agree more with what is suggested.The government, especially the Selangor state government must NOT/NEVER give in to these hooligans.The site allocated for the temple must stay.The BN government must not be allowed to blackmail the state government in this matter.The Selangor MB must have the guts to stand up to such criminals of society.
This is a subtle version of the 'divide and rule' concept; we live in 2009, in a multi-ethnic country..supposedly practicing 'tolerance'..is this what it is...the mainstream media is fully responsible for this state of affairs...championing the cuase of thugs and extremists...political power is won if the hearts and minds are won; if you convince us that in this country it is "one for all and all for one"
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