By P Ramasamy

KEDAH Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has declared January 8 as a holiday for Thaipusam in the state next year.

It was the same Sanusi who cancelled this year’s Thaipusam holiday due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Although Thaipusam was not celebrated by the Hindus due to the pandemic this year, there was no reason whatsoever for Kedah to cancel the holiday.

Thaipusam is not a gazetted holiday in Kedah, but the state executive council must give its approval annually.

Why the Thaipusam has not been gazetted as a public holiday in Kedah seems strange.

Other states have done this a long time back.

Sanusi was condemned for cancellation of this year’s Thaipusam because he was seen as racist and religious extremist.

It was not just the cancellation of the Thaipusam holiday, but the demolition of two historic Hindu temples in Kedah, one in Alor Setar and the other in Kulim, within a matter of months.

Putting all these actions together against the Indian community, Sanusi came to be seen
as intolerant person.

The temple in Alor Setar was built more than a hundreds ago during the British colonial period by the Indian railway workers.

This was the reason why the temple basically a shrine was placed under a magnificent tree near the present railway station.

It was demolished in the early of the morning by the Alor Setar irresponsible city council authorities.

It was demolished to make way for a motorcycle parking lot.

This is Malaysia—how the authorities could destroy a Hindu temple to make way for a mere motor cycle parking lot.

An alternative sited for the temple was not given.

The Hindu temple in Kulim more than 60 years old was destroyed on the grounds of its illegality without the benefit of an alternative land.

There is a fear more Hindu temples on private and state land might meet the similar fate of the two temples mentioned.

Under the present PAS state government, the future of the Hindus remains uncertain.

Good sense or fear of God must have prevailed over Sanusi to allow for Thaipusam holiday next year.

The Hindus in the state might be happy, but I am not sure they are willing to appreciate or forgive Sanusi.

They see evil in him.

But there is a very small section of Indians in PAS who might be eternally grateful to Sanusi and to the party, PAS, that has nothing but contempt and total disregard for non-Muslims.

It is not necessary for the Malaysian Hindu Sangam to see Sanusi through the backdoor.

Its leaders might even want to take credit for “influencing” Sanusi to allow for the Thaipusam holiday.

Such is the sad state of affairs of MHS and many other Hindu organisations for not defending the rights of Hindus in the country.

But unfortunately, they have all the time in the world to interfere and discredit the curriculum in Tamil schools with their particular variant of their religion.

It is not the time to divide the community but to defend it against racists, religious bigots and those masquerading as wolves in sheep’s clothing.

*Dr P. Ramasamy is Penang Deputy Chief Minister II.

*The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of The Hindu Press (THP)