Such irreverent and sacrilegious conduct should not be condoned and allowed to be repeated with impunity. In seating the organisers of the recent demonstration in Shah Alam to his right and left during his press conference, the home affairs minister seemed to have bestowed honour to the perpetrators of a gravely offensive and dangerous event whereby seditious speeches accompanied by the stepping on the severed head of the cow were made. What signals would this send to the people?

Not surprisingly, therefore, the same disrespectful, unruly and unwilling to listen behaviour on the part of some rendered the town hall meeting between the Menteri Besar and Section 23 residents to discuss the issue on September 5 2009 unmanageable and unproductive.

The same rules must apply to all.

MCCBCHST is concerned that wheareas in the August 28 2009 Shah Alam incident the police had stood by while the demonstrators desecrated the cow head and made seditious speeches, the police acted strongly against would-be candlelight vigilers in the vicinity of Dataran Merdeka on September 5 2009. Also, Malaysiakini has now been warned by MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) not to make the video showing the terrible acts in the Shah Alam incident available for viewing to their readers. Thinking Malaysians will rightly raise the question: Which comes first- the act or the video which exposes the act? How do we as a country go about resolving our problems? In this case, stopping the video of the act will not unmake the act. We must surely first prevent the act and the video would not have existed.

For the sake and good of all Malaysians and peace and order in Malaysia, consistent, fair, just and rational measures should be applied regardless of religion, ethnicity, culture, gender or political connection.

There must be one rule for all Malaysians.

All who incite ill feelings amongst religious communities, denigrate any religion, desecrate the religious symbols of any religion or threaten to commit violence against others must be promptly deterred and held accountable. They must face charges and given a fair trial in a court of law.

Sacrilegious acts committed by adherents of any one religion upon another religion must never be condoned. We hold to the principle that all human beings and communities have a sacred right of freedom of choice as far as their religious belief and practice is concerned.

We stand with Malaysians of all religious and political persuasions who were outraged by the flagrant disregard for the sensitivities of others shown by the Shah Alam demonstrators.

We welcome the partnership of all Malaysians of goodwill. Together we can weather the mischief and bigotry of those who seek to drive a wedge between us and divide rather than unite the people of this land.

We Malaysians live in a pluralistic society and accordingly we must respect our neighbours and endeavour to learn about their beliefs, customs and sentiments. It is upon such understanding of others and what is dear to them that our nation can be firmly rooted and grow strong and united.

The way to manage our differences is not by creating enclaves whereby Malaysians will be segregated and separated from one another but through understanding and respect. Let us live together next to one another rather than to live apart. Each succeeding generation of Malaysians should grow closer rather than to be pulled apart.

The site chosen in Section 23 of Shah Alam for the Hindu temple to be relocated to complies with local government conditions. It is over 300 meters away from any housing area, six times more than the 50-meter requirement. If the authorities accept the objection to it by certain quarters, the social dynamics of Malaysian life will be affected and the consequence on national integration will be very serious indeed.

We must not subscribe to the view of thinking about Malaysians as majorities and minorities, and majorities versus minorities.

MCCBCHST therefore calls upon all Malaysians of goodwill to be in earnest prayer for the peaceful and just resolution of the issue. Those in authority at the community, religious and governmental level must be firm to unequivocally reject unreasonable, unfair and anti-social behaviour and demand.

It is also disquieting that a number of Federal Government leaders have made irresponsible statements – including blaming the Selangor state government – that have politicised and exacerbated the situation while not addressing the issues at hand.

The fact that this is a Muslim-majority area is immaterial and should not, in and of itself, be permitted to serve as an adequate basis for rejecting the establishment of a place of worship for any other faith. In a uniquely multi-ethnic and multi-faith society such as ours, we must uphold the right of every group to have access to, and build, places of worship, within the parameters provided in the Federal Constitution.

The Malaysian Bar firmly believes that individuals must be allowed to legitimately exercise their rights to assemble peaceably and to express their viewpoints, including dissenting opinions. However, we do not condone any acts that disrespect, insult, or incite intolerance towards others and their beliefs. We regret that a small group of individuals engaged in an act that, in the public perception, was deliberately calculated to inflame sentiments, offend and show contempt, and we commend all those who have spoken up to criticise that behaviour.

We have numerous examples of how our diverse and rich cultures and faiths have co-existed, and even flourished, peacefully. The location of a mosque, Hindu temple and Christian church in very close proximity in the vicinity of Pitt Street in Penang, and the presence of temples and large Buddhist statues in Muslim-majority Kelantan, are but two compelling examples.

This, then, is our cherished heritage, which we must strive to preserve.

We urge not only an attitude of openness and tolerance, but the practice of mutual respect and acceptance. The true test of a mature democracy and responsible government is how the rights of the people, including minority groups, are protected.

Nothing can be gained by provocative action on the part of any side.

MCCBCHST regrets that a severed cow’s head was brought along in the demonstration. The cow is sacred to the Hindu religion.

MCCBCHST urges that unhappy residents will give the religious authorities of both sides a chance to discuss matters with the state authorities so that an amicable solution can be arrived at.

Religious issues are best resolved around the negotiation table where mutual respect can be shown to all. No further demonstration by any side should be contemplated or allowed.

Peace and order should be maintained for the sake of all residents.

From the outset, these heinous acts of crime perpetrated by the irresponsible
few must NEVER be seen as a conflict between the two faiths or the
two faith communities. All major spiritual traditions, Islam and
Hinduism included, uphold peace and human dignity as their common and
core values. Our spirituality and love for humanity mandates us for
the perpetual quest for peace and abhorrence of all forms of hatred
and civil disorder.

The Shah Alam incident sadly reveals that violence and hatred are
still inadequately delegitimized in our society. We exhort all
Malaysians to unite in our joint efforts to decry and delegitimize
violence and hatred to prevent any individual or grouping from
resorting to intimidation or provocation when faced with any
town-planning disputes or rows of similar nature.

We the undersigned, taking cognizance of the above, do hereby :

1. URGE that all disputes in civil society must be resolved through
peaceful means such as peaceful demonstrations, rational dialogues,
extensive consultations and legal suits. The Selangor State
Government’s plan to hold a town hall meeting to facilitate
communication and engagement with all stakeholders is highly
commendable.

2. CONDEMN in the strongest possible language any act to humiliate and
intimidate any ethno-religious community, in this case the irreligious
and irresponsible display of a cow head. In the Shah Alam incident,
not only the Hindus are humiliated and hurt but also all thinking
Malaysians – Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh, those of other
spiritual traditions and atheist. We particularly share the pain and
anguish of the Shah Alam Hindu community.

3. URGE all religious authorities, community leaders and political
parties to unreservedly condemn the perpetrators of the reprehensible
“Cow-Head” act. Every racial and religious bigot should be shamed
and distanced by the general public especially by their
ethno-religious community which they seek to represent. Political
parties must also take disciplinary action against members involved in
inciting hatred. This would deprive them the pleasure and
gratification of self-righteousness and
heroism. Legal punishment alone may prove inadequate because it may
instead grant the offenders the self-perceived honour of martyrdom

4. SUPPORT a thorough investigation of those responsible for the
“Cow-Head” protest for threatening violence (not sedition) on both the
local Hindu community and the elected State Government of Selangor.
Threats of violence, for whatever reason, has no place in a civilized
society. Violence must be condemned and can only be completely
delegitimized when society has zero tolerance for it and every
offender is appropriately punished.

5. EXPRESS shock and dismay at the failure of the police force to
stop the protestors from issuing their threats of bloodshed. An
independent investigation on professional negligence should be
immediately initiated to examine these policing failures of a
potentially fulminating racial and religious crisis. This incident
among others further highlights the dire importance and urgent need
for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission
(IPCMC). The IPCMC is a must if the Najib Administration is genuinely
committed to peace in Malaysia.

6. CALL on all Malaysians to heed our plea to completely delegitimize
violence and hatred and to strive towards its elimination from our
public life. Let this be our joint resolution for our nation’s
forthcoming Merdeka anniversary. Let us usher in a Malaysia which
cherishes the values of peace, reason, justice, freedom, equity and
inclusion for all Malaysians.

The undersigned groups:
1. All Women’s Action Society Malaysia (AWAM)
2. Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI)
3. Civil Rights Committee, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly
Hall (CRC-KLSCAH)
4. Civil Society Committee, LLG Cultural Development Centre (LLGCSC)
5. Civil Society Initiative for Parliamentary Reform (CSI@Parliament)
6. Coalition of Malaysian NGOs Against Persecution of
Palestinians (COMPLETE)
7. Coalition of Selangor Indian NGOs
8. Consumer Association of Klang
9. Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) Youth
10. Council of Malaysia Indian Trustee
11. Friends in Conversation (FIC)
12. Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC)
13. Hindu Youth Organization, Port Klang
14. Human Development and Research Centre
15. Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia (IMAM)
16. Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF)
17. Jemaah Islah Malaysia (JIM)
18. Justice for Beng Hock Facebook Group
19. Kelab Sukan Depot Port Klang
20. Klang Vellarun Kalai Pannai
21. Letchumi Pooja Dhana Manbran Klang
22. Majlis Kelab Bell Tamil Selangor
23. Malaysia Belia Hindu Negeri Selangor
24. Malaysia Hindu Sangam Klang Council
25. Malaysia Hindu Sangam Selangor state council
26. Malaysia Indian Youth Council Selangor
27. Malaysian Hindu Dharma Mamandram Selangor
28. Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF)
29. Nadaraikia Sangam Selangor
30. Pamban Swami Maha Teja Mandala Sabai
31. Persatuan Alumni PBTUSM (Lihua) Selangor and Kuala Lumpur
32. Persatuan Kebajikan Bharathana Selangor
33. Persatuan Kebajikan cahaya wawasan Selangor
34. Persatuan Kebajikan Nammakkal
35. Persatuan Kebajikan Vanniar
36. Persatuan Kemajuan Pendidikan Malaysia
37. Persatuan Pembaca Tamil Klang
38. Persatuan Peniaga little India Klang
39. Persatuan Penyelidikan Astronomi Selangor
40. Persatuan Prihatin Belia Malaysia
41. Persatuan Thiruvallavar
42. Persatuan Wawasan India Selangor
43. Pertubuhan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian India Selangor
44. Pertubuhan Kesedaran Hara Krishna Klang
45. Research for Social Advancement (REFSA)
46. Selangor Indian Video graphers Association
47. Sri Vadivelu Culture and Welfare Association Selangor
48. Sri Vaishnava Paribalana Saba
49. Suara Raykat Malaysia (SUARAM)
50. The Divine Life Society Port Klang
51. The Micah Mandate
52. Vishnu Periyaval Sabai
53. Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)
54. 1BLACKMalaysia Facebook Group

It has been said that to transform a society you first have to transform its politics. In Malaysia where politics is very much male-dominated, can women transform politics?

Women’s potential in the area of practical politics to promote a transformatory agenda that moves toward a vision that advances a gender responsive and inclusive democratic system is best represented by the down to earth and hardworking YB Teresa Kok, Member of Parliament for Seputeh cum Selangor senior executive councillor andstate assemblyman for Kinrara.

To hear the voice of women, it is important to understand their silence.

The All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) has for the past 20+ years been in the forefront of empowering Malaysian women. Ms Judith Koh, past president of AWAM gives insights on the role of women in influencing discourse and policy, and raising consciousness of women’s rights.

Both Teresa Kok and Judith Koh will also share some insights on their personal life journeys and  how their Christian faith has helped them stay the course

Day/Time:  Thursday, 25 June 2009. 7.30pm – 10 pm
Venue: Assumption Hall, Church of the Assumption, Petaling Jaya (next to Assunta   Hospital)

Light snacks and refreshments will be served.

All are welcome!

This talk is organised by the Independent Christian Renewal Society (ICRS) of Malaysia under its ongoing monthly Spiritual Skills for Everyday Living (SSEL) programme. The next forum: “How Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) can Transform Society and Nation” is scheduled for July 23, 2009.