theSun | WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 25 2009
speak up!
Inter-religious goodwill
council is good
THE setting up of the inter-religious
goodwill council by the Penang gov-
ernment is a good thing. The state
must be commended for being the
first to set up such a council which
the government could consult and
where the various religious leaders
and elders could consult and inform
each other so as to avoid stepping on
each other’s toes.
Perhaps it comes almost naturally
to Penang, especially to its capital of
George Town, which has been a place
where many religions coexisted and
their adherents interacted peacefully
for well over two centuries. There are
big mosques, tall churches, towering
temples and gurdwaras and also small
ones, some of which had existed side
by side or face to face for hundreds
of years.
In the small enclave known as
Little India alone, there are numerous
mosques, churches, Chinese and
Hindu temples. The enclave is often
described as a study in religious and
racial tolerance. Such is the goodwill
generated that a Muslim restaurant
in the enclave does not sell beef
dishes simply because it is situated
near a Hindu temple. Unknown to
many outsiders, the tolerance and
understanding came about with a
some effort, informally of course, of
the elders of the community living in
it and outside.
Consultation has been a way of
life with people in the community
and every religious festival is carefully
thesun says
planned and adherents of the other
faiths are informed much earlier to
avoid problems. This informal inter-re-
ligious consultation is also a character-
istic of most of the other towns in the
state. Thus the inter-religious goodwill
council is merely a formalisation of the
consultation that had already existed
informally for hundreds of years. A for-
mal council is necessary now as many
of the respected elders, who by the
sheer respect they commanded could
prevail upon their followers to accept
their decisions without question, are
now gone. It is also necessary as much
has changed in the way things are
done now compared to those halcyon
days of rickshaws and horse carriages.
Also people are more defensive about
their faiths now. And because of all
these things the council would be a
good place where the leaders could
learn from one another.
As in the informal consultation of
the past, the council’s work does not
touch on or involve the question of
faith. Members of the council sit as
equals and the subject they may be
consulted on could be just on whether
it is objectionable to a Chinese temple
if a Hindu religious school is built next
to it or whether an old mosque with
a very small congregation could be
pulled down to make way for a road
project. The question of Islam, or any
other religion for that matter, being
ridiculed or its status as “the only true
religion” questioned does not arise at
all.
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Time to form Barisan Uniti
ISLAM and Christianity, as I’m sure
the other faiths, enjoin believers to
be forgiving and conciliatory in our
private lives as in nation building.
We are urged to use our resources
wisely and optimally to achieve the
most desirable results which will
bring benefits to all. This applies to
our physical development as well
as our intellectual and spiritual
growth.
In a heterogeneous society like
Malaysia, the fundamental aim of
nation building is to bring together
peoples of diverse racio-ethnic
backgrounds to partake of the
nation’s bounties in good and bad
times. United by a common vision
we will succeed against all odds.
In the tit for tat atmosphere of
current political developments it’s
getting harder by the day to believe
in this vision. Malaysians are being
split right down the middle, and
views are as diverse as the complex
political and constitutional issues
Allow EPF withdrawals for college fees
EPF contributors would be most
grateful if the government would
allow partial withdrawal of their
savings to pay their children’s final
year university fees.
With the slowdown and the
nonperformance of certain shares,
parents like me are caught. Our
cash is all tied down.
I appealed to the EPF recently,
but to no avail.
A little help from the govern-
the nation is embroiled in.
There is a convincing argu-
ment to support or attack each
side’s stand. The politicians and
their legal teams are having a field
day sparing no one and no institu-
tion – not even our constitutional
monarchy.
If we think that in the end truth
will prevail, think again. In the
quagmire of complex legal and
constitutional matters, a good legal
team with a Queen’s Counsel in
tow can argue a thousand techni-
calities and win the day.
Of course on the positive side
one can see this as a maturing of
the Malaysian electorate who ex-
pect their taxpayers’ money’s worth
from their elected representatives.
We want the technicalities to be
ironed out. And we are receiving
valuable education from the legal
and constitutional argumentations
that ensue in the mainstream
media and the blogs. But then we
ment will help ease our burden.
My daughter is studying in Britain
and will graduate this year. I have
difficulty coming up with her final
school fees due in April.
I hope the government will al-
low me to withdraw part of my EPF
savings to pay for her fees.
When my daughter graduates,
she will return to Malaysia to find
work here with her degree. I won’t
need to withdraw from EPF next
13
are also bombarded with a lot of
nonsense.
We are reaching saturation
point. Ordinary Malaysians are
tired of the political wrangling by
less than qualified assemblymen
and MPs.
What we want is the emergence
of solid and substantive leaders
who not only have the highest
morals and integrity but also the
wherewithal and communication
skills to reason at a more rational
and intellectual level. We urgently
need articulate voices to reassure
the rakyat that we are not heading
towards revolt and anarchy.
Perhaps it is time to form a new
barisan – BARISAN UNITI – which
comprises both Barisan Nasional
and Pakatan Rakyat to formulate
a new vision that Malaysians will
once more fervently believe in.
Halimah Mohd Said
Kuala Lumpur
year as they are giving higher
interest rates compared to other
financial institutions.
On the other hand, if my child
is unable to complete her studies
due to non-payment of her fees, she
will be unable to claim her degree.
I hope the deputy prime minister
will look into this matter urgently.
Very Worried
Via email