GEORGE TOWN – Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor must apologise to the Indians for offending the community in his home state over how Hindu temples are managed there, said Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy.
Ramasamy, who is a DAP central executive committee member, said that if Sanusi refuses, he should then resign as menteri besar as he has made the post untenable with his series of blunders on the temple issue.
He said that Sanusi had erred on three counts; first, two Hindu places of worship were demolished under his watch without due consideration to its religious and historical significance, second, Sanusi had refused to allocate funds to manage such temples in Kedah, and third, he had called for MIC to be banned.
“PAS is the cause of misery among non-Muslims in Kedah because it advocates extremism in its undertakings despite having a non-Muslim wing of supporters,” said Ramasamy.
He said it was not just the demolition of temples that the community was upset about.
“It is the manner in which Sanusi responds to criticism. The temples have been around longer than any development. Surely we can find a win-win situation whereby demolition is the last resort,” he said.
Ramasamy said Sanusi may have overreacted because he may have limited experience in dealing with people.
He asked why Kedah should stand out in demolishing such premises even though other states face similar predicaments, especially over licensing.
Meanwhile, Kedah MIC leaders confirmed that MIC president Tan Sri S. A. Vigneswaran and other leaders will be meeting PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and party secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan soon to air their concerns about Sanusi to the top leaders.
The leaders, who preferred not to be named, said that Sanusi needs to calm down and see MIC as an ally as PAS works together with Barisan Nasional in administering Kedah.
The Alor Star City Council recently demolished a 30-year-old Hindu temple in Taman Bersatu, Kuala Kedah, as well as a hall and five parking areas.
This came after the state government’s decision to build a futsal facility.
The demolition triggered an outcry from Kedah MIC, which said religious freedom is being eroded in the state.
Another temple, located near the Alor Star train station, was razed earlier this year.
Asked about the matter in the state assembly, Sanusi had said that Kedah’s budget for next year has no provisions for non-Muslim houses of worship. – The Vibes, December 4, 2020
