your say 'Here's the subtle message of 1Malaysia. We are ‘one' provided all of us eventually belong to one faith - Islam - and follow one culture - Malay.'

Finas defends controversial Deepavali ad

Anak Malaysia: If the advertisement was said to be a matter of creativity, then it must be creativity that leaves a sour taste in the viewers' mouth.

We do have to question the limited streak of creativity bred in our nation. It always seem to be along lines of a non-Muslim boy falling in love with a Muslim girl. It always seem to have the suggestive and persuasive power of interracial relationship which unfortunately leads only one way - the road of conversion.

Interracial marriage may not be wrong. But being compelled by law to renounce one's life long faith for the sake of love is nothing short of oppressive. It brings untold grief to the families at the receiving end of the compulsion. For that reason, any advertisement touching on this sentiment will always touch a raw nerve in many.

Being Malaysians, the people at Finas should know better of the sensitivity trodden on. Oh, but in Malaysia and Malaysia alone, do the Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, etc, have any sensitivity worth considering?

Wira: I saw the advertisement. Even being of a different faith, I felt extremely uncomfortable with the message it conveyed. Deepavali is supposed to be a joyous occasion for the Hindus and the advertisement should honour the occasion instead of creating a controversy.

Just as in the last festival where Santa made an ugly intrusion to Hari Raya Aidilfitri, it looks like this ‘halal' practice by Finas should not be spared of an equal crime. An equitable punishment ought to be meted out.

Ramakrishnan: The girl who is married to this convert refuses to eat food cooked by her Hindu family until she is assured that the food is cooked by another Muslim. Is that creativity? No Bollywood film will display such behaviour.

Articles 295-298A of the Penal Code provides penalties for those who commit offences against religion. Prosecutions for blasphemy usually target those who offend Islam, but an insult to any religion can give rise to prosecution. Clearly Finas and the film producer have violated the law.

Orang Jabor: As a Hindu, I take offence to such commercials which were aired during Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Deepavali.

There is no reason for the Hindu father of the Muslim convert to feel elated after he buys him a Malay attire for Hari Raya or their Muslim daughter-in-law giving birth to twins during Deepavali when their convert son is not supposed to celebrate Deepavali in the first place.

I guess this is the subtle message of 1Malaysia. We are ‘one' provided all of us eventually belong to one faith - Islam - and follow one culture - Malay.

Just watch the Malay dramas and see how they portray the Muslim converts praising their newfound religion sky high just days after their conversion or how the convert condemns his or her previous religion. Doesn't the TV stations know that such portrayal hurts the feelings of non-Muslims? Or is it that they just don't care because it's part of the government's hidden agenda.

What is the MIC's views on these commercials? Silence is golden, perhaps!

Rick Teo: Why don't Finas come out with a movie where the Muslim girl converts to Hinduism or Christianity? Why must it always be the other party converting? If you want to show something about 1Malaysia, it has to be one of mutual respect, not a one-way street only.

Anonymous: Finas director-general Mohd Mahyidin Mustakim, you say the ad is like a Bollywood drama. Can your next ad follow the storyline of ‘My Name is Khan' where a Muslim, played by Shah Rukh Khan, marries a Hindu and she retains her religion?

And Shah Rukh Khan has, in real life, married a Hindu who retains her religion. Yet Shah Rukh is greatly respected in Malaysia and was even bestowed the title of ‘datuk' in this country.

Temple devotee critical after self-immolation

Anonymous: When suicide bombers blow themselves up, there are many who ask, "What's the root cause that drive people to take their own lives?"

First, that this kind of act has reached our shores is discomforting. Second, can someone answer the question about the root cause of this particular act. As one other commenter asked - why only Hindu temples? Who is the true beneficiary of such acts? Can someone answer that too.

Whether Pakatan Rakyat or BN government, they represent the developers. They are the same as far as poor people are concerned. They (Pakatan and BN) do not care for the poor more than it takes to relieve them of their votes.

Bozuka: The need to understand history is important. During the British rule, they allowed estate workers to build schools and temples side by side. During that time, the need to register the temples was not required.

After Independence, the registration of temples and new temples are needed. As the estate workers were illiterate, and together with the bureaucracy of the local council (unnecessary red tapes, especially on temples), this made it difficult for the registration of such temples.

No attempts were made by the Umno government to register them as what it had done with the surau and masjid . That's the root cause of these unregistered pre-Independence temples in Malaysia. They did not bloom overnight.

Md Imraz Muhammed Ikhbal: It is interesting to see some Indians prepared to even burn themselves alive due to injustice whilst some other Indians still continue to vote and throw their support behind a government that personifies injustice.

Temenggong: This happened in Puchong, Selangor - a Pakatan state. Not even BN have accomplished such an unprecedented end result. Anyone can see big trouble ahead.

Dr Pang HC: Imagine what would happen to the country if devotees of every religion construct one's own structure anywhere one sees fit. What distinguishes this demolition under a Pakatan state from the days of Umno is the manner it was done. Remember how thugs were hired in the demolition of temples under Dr Mohd Khir Toyo's reign?

Petestop: Despite the highly charged emotional aspect of this act, we have to ask ourselves whether it is right to build a religious structure on illegal grounds in the first place. If the devotees really care so much about their places of worship, why can't they either purchase or get legal permission to use such grounds in the first place?

Otherwise, we will see religious structures sprouting out all over the places, including public places that not only inconvenience everybody, but also an eye-sore and a potential hazard.

TakPuasHati: Whoever run the goverment doesn't matter. People should fight for their rights, not kill themselves. Hinduism does not preach their devotees to burn themselves.

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