PETALING JAYA: MIC deputy president M Saravanan has slammed the federal government’s proposed amendments to funding guidelines for non-Muslim places of worship, warning that the move could erode support for the administration, especially among the Indian community.
In a statement, Saravanan labelled the new funding rules for non-Muslim places of worship as “idiotic, illogical, and absurd”.
“Don’t disrespect non-Muslim places of worship.
“Hindu temples, in particular, play a pivotal role in fostering solidarity, understanding and social welfare among the community.”
The Tapah MP went on to highlight the financial struggles faced by many Hindu temples, adding that the new rules would deprive these temples of essential funding for repairs, maintenance and emergencies.
He argued that instead of imposing restrictive guidelines, the government should adopt monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to prevent misuse of funds.
Saravanan suggested that Putrajaya deploy teams to evaluate and monitor applications before disbursing funds.
“This approach would be far more rational and effective than amending the guidelines.”
On Monday, deputy housing and local government minister Aiman Athirah Sabu revealed the amendments in the Dewan Rakyat, which includes a three-year bar on submitting new applications for non-Muslim houses of worship that have already received government funding.
Saravanan also accused the government of taking the Indian community for granted, despite its significant contributions to the country’s development.
Two days ago, MCA vice-president Tan Teik Cheng criticised the Bill, calling the proposed ban “very unreasonable” and urged the minister, Nga Kor Ming, to reconsider it.
Tan said the three-year restriction failed to take into account situations where non-Muslim houses of worship might face unforeseen circumstances, such as urgent repairs or “accidents”, shortly after receiving government support.
