DETERMINING the legality of any non-Muslim place of worship must be discussed in detail before any action is taken, said interfaith and Christian groups.

They told The Malaysian Insight religious bodies should be consulted before any structure is demolished.

Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) and the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) are calling for the authorities to be more diligent.

MCCBCHST president R.S. Mohan Shan said the authorities must consult them before acting against non-Muslim places of worship.

“Please don’t go and say this temple is illegal and that temple is not illegal.

“Everything can be solved by discussion, not demolition,” he told The Malaysian Insight.  

Mohan was commenting on National Unity Minister Halimah Mohamed Sadique’s proposal to set up a committee with the participation of the local councils to identify illegal temples and churches.

Halimah said she spoke with Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin about forming a committee in all the local councils (to check) non-Muslim places of worship.

Officers from her ministry will sit in the committee and identify all the registered and non-registered non-Muslim houses of worship.

Mohan said the Unity Ministry must confer with religious bodies on the status of places of worship.

“Some temples were built many years ago and some recently. But what has the local authority done? Why didn’t they caution those who put up these structures recently?

“Ninety per cent of the religious places are supervised by us (MCCBCHST). So, they must consult us.”

Mohan also questioned setting up a new committee when there are religious committees in each state.

“Why the need for a new committee and who will be sitting on it? Putting unknown people there won’t solve the problem. We must be involved in the committee.”

Last week, the Alor Star City Council demolished the Sri Raja Muniswarar Temple in Taman Bersatu, Kuala Kedah, as it sat on state land.

Following the incident, Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor described his critics, who were MIC and DAP leaders, as “drunk and incoherent”.

CCM general secretary Reverend Hermen Shastri said the proposed committee has caught the religious bodies by surprise.

“This may cause concern among religious communities because it is a radical departure from the normal practice, where a ministry, which is not a religious body, is undertaking this task,” Hermen said.

He said that it will be best for the state or local councils to deal with non-Muslim places of worship.

“Discuss first before taking any action. There must be maximum consultation and sensitivity when dealing with non-Muslim places of worship.”

Hermen said not all religious communities have a national governing body.

“A temple in Sabah may have religious leaders who deal directly with state authorities.

“They do not need to relate to a panel set up by a ministry that does not relate with them meaningfully.”

He said the terminology referenced, legal and illegal, is highly problematic.

“Under the freedom of religion provision in the federal constitution (Article 11), it gives the right for religious communities the right to belief, to associate and to handle their own affairs.

“So where does the ‘illegal’ category fit into this discourse? It is the question of land use, it is always a state matter not a federal matter.” – December 10, 2020.