Ridhuan Tee ups his ante against proliferation of Hindu temples; ‘tokong Cina’ also not spared

CONTROVERSIAL Muslim convert preacher Prof Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah has again reiterated his call for swift action to address the growing number of Hindu temples “before it is too late” given that enforcers presumably from local authorities have no courage to do so due to political intervention.

Describing such inaction as “playing with fire”, the preacher with a pro-opposition stance claimed that “temples covered with cloth are scattered everywhere meaning that they are in the process of being built and enlarged”.

“They were originally small and often erected on government land,” Ridhuan penned in his latest Facebook post in what is seemingly a crusade against the proliferation of Hindu temples in the country.

“Between the MRT Serdang Raya and UPM stations, there is a large-scale Hindu temple (next to the lake) under construction. I’m almost sure that it’s bring erected not on temple land but land belonging to the government land.

“The are many more lined up in the Serdang area alone whether in the vicinity of UPM (Universiti Putra Malaysia), left and right of the UPM hospital or under the UNITEN (Universiti Tenaga Nasional) overpass.”

Apart from Serdang, Ridhuan pointed to the Kajang district which he last month stirred a polemic by calling on Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari to control the excessive number of illegally built Hindu temples a.k.a. kuil haram in the state.

“It is understood that in Kajang alone, there are many Hindu temples that are being built without permission,” lambasted the lecturer of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin in Kuala Terengganu

“If this is allowed to continue, soon this country will be filled with Hindu temples built on illegal land, thus drowning mosques and surau even though Islam is the federal religion.

“Take a look along the entire north-south rail line (in the Klang Valley). This does not include trains from KL Sentral- Subang-bound to Klang. What has happened to our country especially in Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kedah, Johor and others where the (Hindu Indian) population is not many but the trend of Hindu temple proliferation is worrisome.”

Interestingly, the preacher whom many including the Malays likened to behave “more Malay than the Malay themselves” has obviously forgotten his ancestral lineage when he also put Taoist temples in the spot.

The Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam Midlands temple in Shah Alam (Pic credit: Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities)

The controversial preacher who in December 2022 was aggrieved upon his removal as a speaker on Islam in a Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) TV talk show asserted further:

When the enforcement officers want to take action, this turns into a sensitive and racial issue. It seems that mosques and surau can easily be demolished to make way for development.

But when it’s time for Hindu temples and Chinese shrines (tokong), it becomes too much trouble. At Jalan Ampang – at the last LRT station (Ampang) – the road suddenly becomes narrow with a tokong seemingly standing in an island in the middle of the road. It can’t be demolished even though this poses danger to road users.

If it continues like this, the states that are known as Darul Ehsan and Darul Ridzuan will become Darul Kuil.

Islam has never prevented the right of non-Muslims to worship or to build temples or shrines. But there are rules to be followed, not forcing the (local) authorities to legalise what is illegal.” – Feb 28, 2024

Main pic credit: TV Pertiwi

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