MUCH is being made of the “#Solidarity4Peace” rally held in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

If it is to usher in a new era of race relations, well and good. Then as from now on, we should be seeing spontaneous mixing of the races and religions without any organiser behind them and anyone making derogatory statements about such mingling of the races should be immediately taken in for some tough counselling.

This morning, I experienced “perpaduan” at its best at a wedding in a Hindu temple.

There were a couple dozen Malay-Muslims, including several women with tudung, present at the temple. They were inside the temple where the ceremony was going on and they didn’t show any “sensitivity” or throw any tantrum for not being given some special treatment.

The women were even posing in front of the altars with deities.

I’m sure they didn’t lose even a tiny bit of their Islamic self and neither were they drawn to change their beliefs.

I must say it was the most beautiful perpaduan I have seen in recent times. Perhaps this could happen because the occasion was on Penang Island.

Mujahid Yusof Rawa, Jakim, Jais and other religious bodies and muftis should take as lesson from this. Having rallies is no use if they do not result in people changing their view of others of other faiths and freely mixing with those others.

Mujahid would do well to put his perpaduan plan into practical action and lead the way as an example to the general public, and particularly to the bigoted Muslims.

He should together with his officers and those from Jakim etc drop in at churches, Hindu temples, Chinese temples and other prayer houses to say “hello” to those gathered there and create bridges between them and those different from them.

There is no need to bring any gift. All that is required is mere presence, smiling faces and polite words. It is these that go a very, very long way to create genuine perpaduan.

Similarly, the non-Muslims should be welcomed at the occasions and functions of Muslims held in their normal, natural setting and not in hotels and other special locations.

Perpaduan happens on the ground as at the Hindu temple this morning, not hotel ballrooms.    

If food is served, this is where the pantang-larang of the guests must be given proper respect.

Looking forward to Mujahid doing more than organising rallies. – March 24, 2019.

* Ravinder Singh reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.