மலேசிய கோவில்கள்: தமிழ் துரோகி சாமி வேலு அல் ஜஜீரா பேட்டியில் திணறல்

மலேசியாவில் 24 லட்சம் கோவில்கள் இருக்கின்றன என்று கூறுகிறாரே சாமி வேலு.

லிஸ்டு கொடுப்பாரா?

இவரே முன்னிலை வகித்து ஆரம்பித்த கோவில்கள் இடிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கின்றனவே. அவைகள் எல்லாம் சட்டத்துக்கு புறம்பாக கட்டப்பட்டவையா?

மலேசியா சுதந்திரம் பெறுவதற்கு முந்தைய காலத்திலேயெ கட்டப்பட்ட கோவில்கள் இடிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கின்றனவே, அவைகள் எப்படி சட்டத்துக்கு புறம்பானவை ஆகும்?


HINDRAF: AL JAZEERA LIVE INTERVIEW: SAMY VELLU CHALLENGED TO REVEAL LIST OF TEMPLES

Published by Hindu Rights Action Force May 21st, 2007 in Civil Liberties, Religion and Malaysian NGOs.
Tags: Civil Liberties, Malaysian NGOs, Religion.

On 19.5.2007 on the 4.00p.m, 5.00p.m and 6.00 p.m news, Al Jazeera broadcasted over Astro channel 20, and worldwide, the indiscriminate Hindu temple demolishments in Malaysia.

The demolished Sri Siva Bala Muniswarar Setapak Hindu temple site with the Twin Towers, the international symbol of Malaysia proudly perched in the background and overlooking the rubble of the said temple was shown. The priest of this temple Mr.Sivalingam was shown expressing his disappointment with the state authorities.

Also broadcasted was the site of the Sri Kumaravel Hindu temple in Kg Medan which was forcibly demolished and relocated next to a sewerage plant. Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) Chairman Mr.P.Waytha Moorthy was shown in the midst of the rubble of this demolished temple, outlining how (almost all of these) Hindu temples had existed even before Malaysia’s independence in 1957 and were never legalised unlike all the Muslim places of worship, contrary to Article 11 and Article 8 of the Federal Constitution –Freedom of Religion and Equality before the law.

Malaysian’s longest serving and only Hindu minister Dato’ Seri S.Samy Vellu was then featured boldly stating that these temples were in the way of development and had to be demolished. Samy Vellu further arrogantly stated that he knows better than us and had “resited” more than 100 Hindu temples when asked (about the 68 Hindu temples demolished for the year 2006 vide Hindraf’s letter dated 20.11.2006).

Instead of directly answering the question, Samy Vellu evaded and side-stepped the whole issue by answering that NGOs’ fighting this cause were “politicising” the issue, as he had no real answers.

In the 6.00p.m news coverage, Human Rights Lawyer P.Uthayakumar was interviewed live and he outlined Article 11 of the Federal Constitution (Freedom of Religion) and Section 295 of the Penal Code (Defiling a place of worship) and that the Malaysian authorities had no respect for the Constitution and the law but continued to act with impunity. When asked by the host whether these temples were in the way of development P.Uthayakumar replied that if need be, these temples were prepared to move but no alternative land was alienated, gazetted as Hindu temple reserves and mo funds granted for their relocation by the Government of Malaysia.

When suggested by Al Jazeera host M/s Divya that critics were saying that NGOs’ were politicising the issue, P.Uthayakumar replied that they were merely temporary relocations only to be demolished later and challenged Samy Vellu to furnish us the list of the said 100 over temples “resited” with land alienated, gazetted and funded for relocation and further stating that Samy Vellu would not be able to furnish the same.

We hereby once again challenge Samy Vellu to furnish us this “resited” temple list with land alienated, gazetted as Hindu temple reserves and the amount of funds granted for the said “resiting”. Mr.P.Uthayakumar labelled Samy Vellu as a mere proxy of the (Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s) government.

We further challenge Samy Vellu to an open debate on this matter and also with a view for Al Jazeera and the media to cover the same live, and let the world decide on the state of freedom of religion in Malaysia.

We wish to record our disappointment that despite having served the Malaysian Cabinet for about half of Malaysia’s 50 years of independence, Samy Vellu is still unable to resolve this issue of indiscriminate Hindu temple demolishments, and most other even more elementary social problems affecting especially the Malaysian Indian poor.