KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, January 12, 2008: (HPI note: this is the summary of an interview given by Malaysia Hindu Sangam’s President, Datuk A. Vaithilingam.)
“Practicing Hinduism, or any other faith for that matter, is no problem in Malaysia. I don’t see it being a problem now and also in the future. Despite the differences in our belief system, Malaysians remain tolerant to one another and respect each other’s faith. Remember, each year we celebrate our religious festivals freely and major celebrations are accorded public holidays. And getting a permit for religious procession or congregation is no problem as long as they stick to the guidelines. We must appreciate the fact that the Malays (Muslims) being the majority have accommodated us in many ways. Nonetheless problems do crop up from time to time testing the tolerance limit of the freedom of religion enshrined in the constitution. MHS is of the opinion that this should not be happening in a society that boasts for liberal attitude in religiosity and blames the lack for inter-faith dialogue for this poor state of affairs.”
“I would like to state categorically that Hindus should not build a temple or shrine at their home or compound. It is only proper to have a prayer room or an altar at home to be strictly used by the family members only and not outsiders. If they are keen to invite outsiders to pray along, then it’s only proper that they organize a special prayer (oobayam) at a temple.”
“It is also most unfortunate the fate of the places of worship was not taken into consideration during the bargaining process for independence (from the British). Today when estates make way for progress and railway lines are expanded, everyone blames the temples for standing on the way. I personally feel that the best solution would be to gazette the land occupied by the worship places and this must be done fast. “