Shah Alam Section 19 (23) Hindu Malaysian Temple

So I finally decide to break my silence on the issue. In some ways, I am disappointed in myself for what little I’ve done regarding this. I apologise for dismissing you, those who have been seeking, sometimes provoking a comment (perhaps more) from me. Besides being busy, what happened was too unacceptable to me.  Thus I choose to become selfish in an attempt to be in denial.

On Thursday last week, I received the following e-mail from a Malay friend.

“…Please join us this Friday,the 4th of September, 8:30 pm in front of the De Palma Inn Hotel in Shah Alam where we will be picked up by someone from the temple to take us there”.

Take us where?

To the temple in section 19, Shah Alam. The temple that was proposed to be re-located to section 23. The temple that sits in the eye of the controversy.

- Excerpt from The beautiful Malay by Haris Ibrahim, The People’s Parliament

I apologise, sincerely, for this extremely distasteful image, behaviour and insult.

Not too long ago, there was a group of disrespectful ignorants (not radicals or extremists) who embarrassed themselves and many others by their choice of conduct in protesting towards the relocation of a Hindu Malaysian temple to a Muslim majority populated neighbourhood.

Last week, (family friend, now) friend Juana Jaafar and a group of other Muslims went to visit that place of worship and interacted with the people there in ways of respect and understanding, among other things.  As I was tied up handling post-production work for two projects that took place in one day only a few days prior, which Juana came to help, I can’t remember if she had just mentioned this to me or did actually ask me to come with.

Juana, Ineza, Julia & Hafidz (I think) at the visit.

This is right up her street as she did Religion for her Bachelors and Civilizational Studies for her MA.  On my end, I suppose I could call her a political analyst, activist, researcher and journalist. For her blog, click here.

Activist & lawyer Haris Ibrahim wrote about the visit on his blog, The People’s Parliament. Juana, among many (many) others, commented on that post entitled The beautiful Malay (somewhat in reference to Marina Mahathir‘s The Ugly Malay). Her comment was also in Facebook Notes where I was tagged. Below is an excerpt of the comment, which struck me for a number of reasons I don’t feel the need to elaborate.

we don’t always have to move in big groups to make our point. and we certainly cannot afford to wait for another incident to happen before we make our move.

- Juana Jaafar

April 2008. Pravin Pillai, Zain HD, Juana Jaafar, right after one of the events we organised together ended. Pic by Sarah Kamarudin.

I actually only had just met Pravin for the first time, two months prior to this pic, and Juana at the same meeting after many years of not seeing her. This is by far, for me, the most depressing post I’ve written here. Now, a little after midnight, I actually need that shower.

In January 2008, I joined a Facebook group called United Colours of Malaysia (UCM) founded by Pravin Pillai and Jennie Yang.

Some weeks after, Pravin (a stranger to me), made me an administrator of the group. Shortly after I initiated a Free Hugs event through the group and Pravin suggested a meeting for the five admins of the group. I became friends with Pravin and closer with Jennie. Later I found out that both of them had worked with Yasmin Ahmad at an earlier point of their career.

I imagine Yasmin had a part, somehow, however little, in the concept and formation of the group. Just as how I attribute the group UCM, the contribution of Yasmin, Pravin and Jennie to the concept and formation of the collective I founded, RA.

Yesterday, after receiving news about Yasmin’s passing, I sent out this message to members of UCM.

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To date, there are 4767 members of this group.

I find myself asking, if 4766 of us accumulated our efforts AND results, in making Malaysia more united in colour, would it match of that one other member we had: Yasmin Ahmad.

We can discuss endlessly. So did she, I imagine.

But more importantly, she turned her views into actions. So we would, I imagine.

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