Hinduism in Malaysia

View from Batu Caves with gigantic Lord Muruga statue looking over devotee.

Approximately nine percent of the population of Malaysia are Tamil Indians, of whom close to 95 % are practicing Hindus.

History

Hinduism was prevalent in Malaysia prior to the arrival of Islam in the 15th century. Traces of Hindu influence remain in the Malay language, literature and art.

Indian settlers came to Malaysia from Tamil Nadu in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of these came to work as labourers on rubber plantations, while those who were English-educated occupied more professional positions. A minority of Indian immigrants to Malaysia during this time period came from Northern India and Sri Lanka.

Culture

Malaysian Hinduism is diverse, with large urban temples dedicated to specific deities, and smaller temples located on estates. The estate temples generally follow the tradition of the Indian region from which the temples' worshippers originate. Many people follow the Shaivite, or Saivite, tradition (worship of Shiva), of Southern India.

Shaivism is a devotionalist grace-based concept and emphasises love for the deity, rather than fear.

Folk Hinduism is the most prevalent variety, including spiritualism and worship of local gods.

Since the Second World War a revival of Hinduism has occurred among Indian Malaysians, with the foundation of organisations and councils to bring unity or to promote reform.

Thaipusam celebration near Batu Caves.

Persecution

See also: HINDRAF and 2007 HINDRAF rally

Between April to May 2006, several Hindu temples were demolished by city hall authorities in the country. On April 21, 2006, the Malaimel Sri Selva Kaliamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur was reduced to rubble after the city hall sent in bulldozers [1] [2].

The president of the Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam in Selangor State has been helping to organise efforts to stop the local authorities in the Muslim dominated city of Shah Alam from demolishing a 107-year-old Hindu temple. The growing Islamization in Malaysia is a cause for concern to many Malaysians who follow minority religions such as Hinduism [3].

Many Hindu advocacy groups have protested what they allege is a systemic plan of Temple cleansing in Malaysia. The official reason given by the Malaysian government has been that the temples were built "illegally". However, several of the temples have been centuries old [4].

On May 11, 2006, armed city hall officers from Kuala Lumpur forcefully demolished part of a 90-year-old suburban temple that serves more than 3,000 Hindus. The "Hindu Rights Action Force", or HINDRAF a coalition of several NGO's, have protested these demolitions by lodging complaints to the Malaysian Prime Minister [5]. Their chairman, Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy, said:

“These state atrocities are committed against the most underprivileged and powerless sector of the Hindu society in Malaysia. We appeal that this Hindu temple and all other Hindu temples in Malaysia are not indiscriminately and unlawfully demolished,”[6].

Muslim authority demolished Indian temples.According to sources so far 10,000 temples among of them 100 year old temple are demolished until todate in Malaysia ,it widely happen at Shah Alam .A rowdy fracas broke out between residents and the authorities over the demolition of a temple near Shah Alam today resulting in at least four injured and eight arrested.

Several hundred police personnel and local council authorities clashed with the residents who sought to stop the demolition of the 100-year temple in Padang Jawa.

Workers from the Shah Alam City Hall had demolished the village's Sri Maha Mariaman temple without a valid court order, said Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) in a statement today. It added that the area looked like a "war zone".

According to Hindraf, at least 300 police personnel and council workers had cordoned off the temple this morning.

It said council workers began hurling stones and beating devotees with sticks and batons when they tried to halt the demolition.

According to T Ganaraw, a lawyer who was at the scene, the demolition work began early in the morning but stopped temporarily to allegedly allow residents to remove the temple's deities.

Demolition works continued at about 2pm. The fracas was in full swing by 4pm, involving over 400 residents.

"The police were armed with automatic rifles. The temple is completely smashed up, including the temple nursery," said Ganaraw.

Samy went to negotiate

According to Ganaraw, present during the fracas were representatives from DAP and MIC, including Klang councillor Alex Thiagarajan, who tried to negotiate with the police.

MIC president S Samy Vellu also visited the village at about 5pm when it was clear that racial tension was raising.

Contacted today, DAP lawyer A Sivanesan said at least eight residents have been arrested and detained at Section 11 police station in Shah Alam.

He said the MIC president had tried to calm residents by telling them that he had spoken to both Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Selangor Mentri Besar Khir Toyo on the matter.

"Samy Vellu however told me Khir was not cooperative at all," said Sivanesan.

The temple chairperson was K Sivalingam, the late assemblyperson for Ijok. His position has since been replaced by Selangor executive councillor Kamala Ganatathy.

"When we checked with the authorities, the notice to demolish was dated November 2005. But the demolition was only meant for the houses there," said Sivanesan.

Hindraf also said that at 4am today, another 160-year-old Jai Muniswarar Hindu temple in Taman Puchong Hartamas was demolished.

Over the past few years, a number of temples, some of which were more than a century old, had been demolished by the local authorities as they were built illegally.

A Malaysian woman held for months in an Islamic rehabilitation centre says she was subjected to mental torture for insisting her religion is Hinduism.

Revathi Massosai, the name by which she wants to be known, says she was forced to eat beef despite being a Hindu.

Miss Massosai was seized by the Islamic authorities in January when she went to court to ask that she be registered as a Hindu rather than a Muslim.

The case is one of a number that have raised religious tensions in Malaysia.

Miss Massosai was born to Muslim converts and given a Muslim name, but she was raised as a Hindu by her grandmother and has always practised that faith.

However, under Malaysia's Islamic law, having Muslim parents makes one a Muslim and, as such, one is not allowed to change one's faith or marry a non-Muslim.

But Miss Massosai married a Hindu man in 2004 and the couple have a young daughter.

Headscarf

When in January she asked a court to officially designate her a Hindu she was detained and taken to an Islamic rehabilitation centre.

Only the Islamic courts can allow a Muslim legally to change faith

Her detention was twice extended to six months, during which time she says religious officials tried to make her pray as a Muslim and wear a headscarf.

However, the claim that will particularly shock Hindus is that the camp authorities tried to force her to eat beef.

A lawyer representing the Malacca state Islamic department responsible for Miss Revathi's arrest, rejected her allegations and said officials believe that she can still be persuaded to embrace Islam.

She is adamant that she will remain a Hindu. In the meantime, Miss Revathi and her daughter have been placed in the custody of her Muslim parents.

In 2007, Malaysian Hindu organizations protested the destruction of Hindu temples by the Malaysian regime. On October 30, 2007 the 100-year-old Maha Mariamman Temple in Padang Jawa was demolished by Malaysian authorities. Following that demolition, Works Minister and head of the Malaysian Indian Congress Samy Vellu, who is of Indian origin, said that Hindu temples built on government land were still being demolished despite his appeals to the various state chief ministers.

Such temple destructions in Malaysia have been reported by the Hindu American Foundation.

HAF notes that the Government of Malaysia Restricts Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association contrary to Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and Article 10 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution, and that the application filed by Malay Hindus to hold gatherings have been arbitrarily denied by the police. The Government has also tried to suppress a campaign launched by an NGO, the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) to obtain 100,000 signatures in support of a civil suit against the Government of United Kingdom. HINDRAF has accused the Malaysian government of intimidating and instilling fear in the Indian community.

See also

• List of Hindu temples all over the world
• HINDRAF - Hindu human rights Action Force.

External links

• Malaysia's clash of cultures
• dbkl-smashed-statues-of-hindu-gods blog
• 100-yr-old Hindu temple razed in KL
• Video of Hindu temple demolition in Malaysia
• New religious dispute sparks fears of rising Islamization in Malaysia
• Malaysia 'convert' claims cruelty
• Malaysia Hindu activists arrested
• Malaysia Hindu activists released
• Scores charged over Hindu rally