Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email While there is a protest over building of a surau in Desa Mentari, the new Selangor government faces another potential bomb in Shah Alam, this time over a Buddhist park. The Bodhi Park project by Young Buddhist Foundation Malaysia is to be located in Section U12, Shah Alam. The project was kick off by Ong Ka Chuan, Housing And Local Government Minister. Just like the Desa Mentari surau, this protest happened during the ground breaking event.
According to Star, six people who claimed to be residents from the nearby Desa Alam neighbourhood led by Ahmad Shakri Tarmuchi handed a memorandum to Ong, urging him to scrap the project citing that the neighbourhood was a Muslim-majority area and Bodhi Park should not be built in there. Ahmad Shakri told reporters the residents were not informed of the project by the City Council and there was no notice board at the site announcing the project from the time they had occupied the housing estate in December 2006. Minister Ong replied that “people there should live in harmony”.
Bodhi Park is being built by the Young Buddhist Foundation Malaysia ona 0.68ha of land and the building committee chairman Goh Seng Chai said it would serve as a leading centre for Buddhist educational outreach and cultural activities. A Bernama report mentions that the park will comprise an auditorium, a centre for Buddhist research and studies, a multipurpose hall, and a main shrine for devotees.
In the early 1990’s, the foundation bought a 0.6-hectare piece of land in Section 24 for the project but the state government found it unsuitable for religious use and offered the alternative site in November 2002, Goh added. He said the land for the project was bought from the Selangor Economic Development Corporation for RM95,844 and the sale-and-purchase agreement was signed in April 2004. Goh said the development order for the project was approved on April 24 this year and construction was scheduled to commence in September.
What is your take on this? Is it the previous government’s fault for allocating land in a Muslim majority area for a Buddhist park? Shah Alam itself is 90% Muslim populated, so not much place will be suitable. Generally, I find Buddhist programs are not noisy, so it won’t be disruptive as other religion’s function. So, should the park?
Buddhist programs maybe not noisy, but the smell are different. As Muslim do not like the smell, so, there will be another problems in the future. Maybe Buddha program not so noisy, but during their ceremony with fireworks and lion dance, it will disturbing those Muslim in that area. Furthermore, nearby the Bodhi Park is the Surau, just 100 meters which already being used by the community. Some problems maybe arise in the future and we are sure they will complaint the Surau especially during ‘Azan’.
The project said for the surrounding community, but we at Desa Alam need not this facility as 99% are Muslim. So, is it really for the surrounding community? I don’t think so. If they want to built something for the community, think about the community itself. If they built school, Mosque or maybe shoplot, then the project is for the surrounding community, then we at Desa Alam will happy with that and we are welcome something that we can use. not something that others can use….think about it…
I absolutely and totally agree with desa_alam, we are not protest the Buddist park, what we are disagree is the location. Refer to the this website, http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=56,375,0,0,1,0. Notice their points
* A multi-purpose hall to conduct Sunday School for children in and around the area,
* Rooms for meditation and other activities to accommodate the needs of the local residents.
Therefore, majority people around the area and local residents do not need this Buddist park. We are tolerance to all religion, we suggest that this park should be moved to an area where majority is buddhist where they need it more.
The residents have rights.
Whatever religion you are from, it is important in Malaysia that you respect the sensitivities of other religion. We are not living in India, China, Singapore or Iran but Malaysia.
I think it is a moronic idea to built mega churches and Buddhist temples and other facilities in Shah Alam which has allmost 90% Muslims. This just doesn’t make sense. People should be guided by their common sense and respect for other people and religion in such matters.
Though I am an Indian, I am driven up the wall by those Hindus who built temples all over the place without a regard to other’s sensitivities or the law.