Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email Previously, many quarters have called for a department to be established by the government to handle non-Muslim affairs. But nothing really materialised, instead issues related to other religion were pushed to department handling national unity or passed to Minister like Koh Tsu Koon who is in charge of unity.
Recently, the Gurdwara Council provided their support as well, especially in relation to places of worship. This is because issues related to place of worship (registered ones) are handled by ROS. That too only covers administrative and management issues, not the religious aspects.
I think its been long overdue. There should be a department handling land issues, funding, religious official training, permits for foreign priest etc. This will ensure funds are not misused by being handed out via political parties for self-serving purposes. It will also ensure uniformity in helping places of worship to get registered, and managed well.
The Government should consider setting up a body to regulate places of worship for non-Muslims, the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council said.
Its vice-president Jagir Singh said there should be a body for non-Muslims like the Malaysian Islamic Development Department for the Muslims.
“This would be the best way forward. Having a regulatory body setting guidelines for non-Muslim places of worship would be good,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“This will provide an avenue for non-Muslims to go to if there was any dispute, instead of going to the Registrar of Societies (ROS),” he said.
When Sikhs have disputes in gurdwaras, the council would step in to look for an amicable solution, said Jagir.
“The complaints received by the council are mostly related to election procedures but not involving funds,” he said.
There are 118 gurdwaras in Malaysia with 82 affiliated to the council but all would heed its directives on religious matters, he said.
Jagir said the ROS was not a proper body with which places of worship should be registered.
“I am aware that many churches, Hindu temples and gurdwaras have registered with the ROS because of the difficulty in opening bank accounts,” he said.
Jagir, who is also the chairman of the legal panel of the council, said the Federal Constitution was clear that places of worship need not register.
