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MCA leader: Is Guan Eng afraid of offending some Muslims?
Published:  May 16, 2016 12:00 PM
Updated: 7:09 AM

A vocal MCA leader has questioned if Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is afraid of offending "some Muslims" over the Taoist shrine in the state's Armenian Park.

In a hard-hitting statement, Ti Lian Ker said instead of defending it as a religious right, Lim chose to defend the shrine on the grounds of it being a heritage object.

"I am disappointed that Lim, in his capacity as chief minister, dared not stick by his guns to defend this custom, belief and practice of the Chinese of making peace with local spirits, etc.

"The chief minister is doing injustice and diminishing our rights by saying the shrine is considered a heritage object rather than defending it as a religious right," he added.

The MCA central committee leader said it is common knowledge and an accepted practice that any devotee who mounts a shrine is to offer prayers and peace offerings to the spirits and hence it is a religious practice in nature.

"Is Lim afraid of offending 'some Muslims' whom (state opposition leader) Jahara (Hamid) said might be confused over the presence of the shrine?

"His explanation is an act of cowardice at the expense of Taoists. Rather than tackling Jahara head-on by referring to the constitutional rights of minorities, Lim is finding some excuse or middle ground to appease Jahara," he charged.

Ti accused the chief minister of evading responsibility despite having often called on MCA to fight and defend such rights.

"Freedom of religion is enshrined in the Federal Constitution. Article 11 provides that every person has the right to profess and to practice his or her religion.

"When the chief minister converts our rights and freedom into just a right based on heritage, this is shocking and smells of cowardice.

"If the DAP secretary-general, who has been vocal and advocating radically on the rights of the minority, fails in his capacity as chief minister to defend minority rights when challenged by just an Umno assemblyperson, then I am calling him a coward," Ti said.

Last Saturday, Ti, who also heads MCA's religious harmony bureau, lambasted Jahara for questioning the presence of the shrine.

Ti said he hoped to see less of such leaders in the future, in order to move Malaysia out of any race, religion or cultural trappings.

In her speech at the state assembly last week, Jahara inquired the reasons for placing the Datuk Kong shrine in the recently refurbished Armenian Park.

The Umno Teluk Ayer Tawar assemblyperson said some Muslims might become confused by the shrine and so its position must take into account the sensitivities of other races.

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