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Y.A.B. DATO’ SERI ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI,

With all due respect may we refer to the above matter.

We took great comfort this morning when we read your goodselves statement in the front-page headlines of The News Straits Times (and others). PM: “Malaysians of all races and religions must be involved in every aspect of our life. They must be together in politics, in government, in schools. That’s the way it was and that’s the way it should be… The tenet is, NEVER Malay, Chinese or Indian affair… the EMPHASIS is, whatever the endeavour, THEY MUST INVOLVE ALL RACES…”

However (it had earlier been brought to our attention) on this very same afternoon Malaysiakini reported that “UMNO banners call for temple’s demolition” and wants the said Sri Maha Periyachi Hindu temple in the Tambak Paya Village, Malacca which is built on a private land with the landowner’s consent to be demolished.

We respectfully regret to bring to your kind attention that this is not an isolated incident but has become the real Malaysian story (kisah benar) over the last 50 years i.e the Malay/Muslim top leaders preaching multi racialism, multi religionsim, the importance of racial and religious co-existence, religious tolerance, accommodating all ethnic communities and all religions, “Deepavali open houses” where our leaders hug each other and feed deepavali cakes etc but the ground reality being completely otherwise.

Why hasn’t the police and the learned Attorney General not taken any action against the said UMNO members who have been inciting racial and religious hatred further to especially Section 298 and 298A of the Penal code specifically so when the said temple priest had lodged a police report. Why has law, order, the rule of law and justice not been allowed to prevail for this tiny ethnic minority Hindu Indian community.

May we humbly pray that your goodself as the Prime Minister and also as the UMNO President urgently intervene and order the Malacca Chief Minister, City Mayor, District Officer and the UMNO to lay off, stop the said demolishment order and allow this Hindu temple and the peace loving hindu devotees to co-exist in particular further to Article 11 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution.

In Kelantan (where we were brought up), even the fundamentalist Islamic PAS government in Kelantan and PAS branches had never objected to the Sivan Hindu temple being located in the midst of a 99.99% Malay village in Kota Bahru. In fact the said Kelantan PAS Chief Minister had granted a bigger one acre nearby land for this Hindu temple to be properly relocated built and expanded as the said whole malay village had to make way for the Kota Baru town expansion. This brand new Hindu temple now sits majestically in the heart of Kota Bahru town. Further, the Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu Temple in the fundamental Islamic PAS stronghold in Tumpat, Kelantan is also surrounded by 99.99% Malays but we never ever had problems. The largest sleeping Buddha in Asia is also located in Kampung Neting, Tumpat, Kelantan.

With respect we pray that your goodselves would make the necessary directives for this case and all other such instances involving especially the ethnic minority Hindu Indians to give genuine effect to your esteemed statement in especially today’s headlines in the New Straits Times.