YOURSAY | “Anwar has shown a complete lack of judgment in calling for a clean-up.”
Temples: PM warns against vigilantism after damage done in his name
Nada Villa: When leaders speak about “cleaning up” or “illegal structures” without clearly outlining criteria, timelines, regularisation mechanisms, and safeguards for long-standing places of worship, it creates uncertainty, anxiety and carves the way for vigilantism.
That’s exactly how vigilante elements were emboldened during the Rawang temple incident, seizing ambiguity as licence to act before rules were even defined.
Vagueness in sensitive matters doesn’t calm tensions; it amplifies them. Mind you, this is not the first time Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his administration have faced criticism over communication gaps.
If the objective is the rule of law, then a structured, disciplined government communications machinery will spell out:
What qualifies as illegal?
What is the cut-off date?
What is the pathway to regularisation?
Is enforcement consistent across all religious structures?
Koel: Anwar is no longer in opposition. He has shown a complete lack of judgment in calling for a “clean up”.
He should have realised that this would be interpreted as an open call to hot-headed elements.
When an ordinary individual makes such a call, authorities may take action.
But what happens when a prime minister makes such a call?
It is high time he surrounds himself with advisers who possess sound judgment, not rabble-rousers stuck in the mindset of past regimes.
Rostataram: Who decides which are unauthorised? There are various provenances why some temples were built way before such laws came about.
Are you leaving that in the hands of a bunch of gung ho local authorities and the hooligans assisting them? Stop making comments that show no foresight, no considered planning.
MarioT: As a responsible leader, you are expected to make cautionary statements that do not encourage or give the upper hand to certain troublemakers to take advantage of the issue of public concern.
You have let your emotions take control without realising that you are the PM for all citizens.
We have the necessary laws to handle these matters, and your statement should have emphasised that it is not an open statement to attract the vultures to have a field day.
Raja Chulan: The government must first address the root causes of non-Muslim places of worship being built without “proper” approvals.
The reason is plain and simple - government authorities act unreasonably and do not grant approvals.
Can the government show us how many approvals were given for non-Muslim places of worship over the last 10 years?
I ask Anwar and the Madani government to be fair. Do not say one thing and do the opposite.
When you want their votes, you are pleasant. But after ascending to power, you betray them.
To non-Muslims, I have this advice: vote them out.
Robbie98: Dear prime minister, with due respect, you started the ball rolling by your injudicious involvement with Jakel Trading’s desire to remove an old temple and replace it with the Madani mosque.
Your insistence on a ceremony to announce this and describing it as a victory for Islam cut a deep wound into all rational-thinking Malaysians.
Your clarion call, and repeated calls to remove all “illegal temples”, are now being taken up in earnest.
Multiple historians and fair-minded citizens have taken pains to explain the origins of these temples and their location on old estate lands. Their calls for rational appraisal have so far fallen on deaf ears.
Yes, relocation may be necessary when places of worship stand in the way of development. You certainly do not need one in every area with Indians of the Hindu faith.
But a bit of help from ruling leaders would certainly assist in relocating the larger, older ones.
Let wisdom prevail.
Wisermann: There are three issues here:
- Places of worship built before independence without land titles. These were usually allowed by landowners such as estates or mines.
List these out and work out a solution for each. Allow them to remain, amalgamate with another nearby, or relocate with costs covered. Then issue land titles.
- Places of worship built before the Land Code came into effect. Give them a five-year grace period to relocate or remove.
- Places of worship illegally built after the Land Code was established.
Authorities should give a six-month grace period to dismantle them before proceeding with removal. This issue can be solved logically.
But Anwar, whom I supported since the reformasi days, has shown no backbone and cannot be trusted. Never vote for him, his wife or his daughter again.
V S: It is human nature to respect all religions and faiths. Religions only preach goodness for humanity. They do not preach violence.
There will never be any attacks on any religious bodies if a person is of sound mind and character to understand this.
The worst happens when people instigate or provoke this with such speeches. Such issues should be best settled in an understanding and cordial manner befitting the madani culture.
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