Although Malaysia is a melting pot of different cultures, races and religions all trying to live together in harmony, sometimes it is hard for some to be accepting and tolerant of others.
On Facebook, it was recently shared that the Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya had sectioned off a piece of land and declared their intention to build a temple on the spot in Damansara Damai.
However, it was met by huge criticism by the Muslim community in the area who protested against the proposal. The Facebook page of Surau Al-Huda at Apartment Impian, Damansara Damai recently shared some pictures of community members protesting against the proposal.
In their Facebook post, the group wrote, “We (the) residents of Damansara Damai object because this area is not where the majority of the temple-goers live. The visitors will be people from outside this area who will not be sensitive to the residents here.”
“Peace and security will be disrupted. We request that the authorities consider our appeal. Because a lot of land has already been allocated for them in Peninsular Malaysia compared to us who are the majority.”
They also said that the proposed land is adjacent to the site of the proposed Islamic religious school owned by the Malaysian Ministry of Education.
Other community members seem to agree
Meanwhile, it seems that other community members agreed with the surau’s stance and said that there was no need for a temple in the area as those who practice the religion are in such small numbers.
“(It’s) majority Muslims in Damansara Damai. No need to build a temple here, please take note. We need to ensure the rights of the Malays in Damansara Damai,” said a user.
Another commented, “We request that the authorities cancel their plans to build the temple. The Indian residents of Damansara Damai are only a handful, (so) there’s no need to build a temple.”
A handful of users think it would be more beneficial to build public facilities such as clinics as it would bring benefit to the community as a whole without regard to race or religion.
Some even said that the temple would just cause unnecessary traffic and congestion in an already congested area. “The road in Damansara Damai is already one way… the road is very jammed during peak hours, what more with a temple and the various festivals that they have.”
On the other hand, some Malaysians believe that it’s just downright racist and discriminatory for them to protest against the building of a temple in the area.
One of our readers who wants to remain anonymous said, “People can be still so racist. I’m so disappointed. Hope this can be widely shared so that the younger and upcoming generations will be much wiser and open-minded.”
Also read: Local Sushi Restaurant Criticised By M’sians For Their Racially Insensitive & Offensive Advert
