No Demolition Of Temples Without 'Thorough Check And Discussions'

In the wake of protests by ethnic Indians over the demolition of Hindu temples in Muslim- majority Malaysia, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has ordered continuous monitoring of all Hindu shrines, a move to assuage the feelings of the community alleging their marginalisation in the country.

The task of monitoring has been given to Works Minister Samy Vellu, who said no temple, whether legal or illegally built, will be demolished without a "thorough check and discussions" with his Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a component of the ruling coalition.

Badawi wanted him to submit a report on the status of the temples to the cabinet periodically and forward to him and the cabinet the list of any temple that may have to be demolished for various reasons, Vellu said in a statement today.

"As temples are sensitive matters, a new approach is necessary to resolve them and the MIC will take over this task completely," the MIC President said.

The Minister said he would travel to all the states soon to prepare a report on the number of temples in the country and their problems, which will be submitted to the Cabinet.

"We will identify the illegally-built temples first and check on their status. We want to know if there have been any moves or notices to demolish or relocate them," he said.

He said he would scrutinise all matters concerning temples with a view to ensure that no Hindu shrines were demolished in the future and if they had to be brought down then suitable alternative sites were allocated first.

"No temples, either legal or illegally built, will be demolished without a thorough check and discussions with the MIC," he said.

****** At a super glacial pace, the government has albeit with great reluctance, at last conceded a millimeter of culpability for temple demolitions and taking non-Muslim rights for granted. By ordering the 'continuous monitoring of all Hindu shrines', the government is indirectly attempting to restrain the more rabid among Umno's politicians like that snake of Indonesian origin, Toyol as well as fanatically predisposed civil servants from stirring further pent-up ill-will accumulating within the very substantial non-Muslim population in Malaysia.

But my question is this. Why should Samy Vellu be the one to announce this decision? Isn't Pak Lah the Prime Minister for all Malaysians? Or does he consider himself only responsible for the Malays and therefore will refer publicly to decisions which matter to bumis only? Or perhaps if he does make the announcement it might be seen as 'weakness' in the eyes of Muslim ultras and as selling out the Malays. This way he can always deny any or all parts of Samy Vellu's claims.

If this issue is considered an important matter, and it surely is, the appropriate person to inform the public is Pak Lah and not some half has-been who for his own political survival may wilfully add and subtract to the actual decision taken by the Cabinet.
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