SHAH ALAM, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged all state governments to comply with the decisions made by the Federal Government regarding the issue of the illegal construction of places of worship, to ensure the nation’s safety and maturity in the future.
He said that although the principle of tolerance had its own values and merits, it could not be continued without limits to the extent that it undermined the rule of law and the strength of national institutions.
“This country will not be mature and safe if we continue to practise endless tolerance because tolerance has its strengths, but not to the extent of tearing apart the fabric and strength of the nation itself.
“That is why on the issue of places of worship, temples and the like, I have made a decision under the Federal Government and I have also contacted all state governments, including opposition state governments, so that we set aside political differences because the leadership of the MADANI Government has made a decision with clear policies, so let us together implement it as best as possible,” he said at the dinner in conjunction with the Selangor International Literary and Cultural Dialogue (DASA 2026) at the Pro-Chancellor Hall of Universiti Selangor (UNISEL) here today.
Also present were Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari; Shah Alam Mayor Datuk Mohd Fauzi Mohd Yatim; DASA chairman and deputy president of the National Writers’ Association (GAPENA), Zainal Mohd Jais; three National Laureates, namely Prof Emeritus Dr Muhammad Salleh, Datuk Dr Anwar Ridhwan and Datuk Dr Zurinah Hassan; as well as renowned historian Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Abdullah Zakaria.
Commenting further, Anwar said that the decision on the issue of places of worship was not made hastily or based on the narrow interests of any party, but rather the government took more than two years to study and listen to the views of all parties before finalising the matter.
He said the period was necessary to ensure that every decision made was fair, in line with the Constitution, and did not trigger racial and religious tensions in the country.
“On the issue of places of worship, we have set it to a (certain) point (level), if indeed we are independent Malaysians who are subject to the law and the rule of law, why are exceptions given?
“I stated that when we were given the mandate, I requested to take more than two years to finalise it. But at the very least, Alhamdulillah, there is finally a decision in our beloved Malaysia that all races and all religions must submit to and accept the reality that Malaysia is a country with law and order,” he said.
Earlier, when delivering his address at the monthly assembly of the Ministry of Unity in Putrajaya this morning, the Prime Minister said the government would not allow any place of worship to be built illegally without complying with the regulations.
Anwar said Malaysia was a constitutional country and any construction of places of worship was subject to the law.
Meanwhile, Anwar also praised Amirudin for successfully resolving the long-standing issue related to pig farming in the state.
He said the issue had been formulated and addressed well by the Selangor state government under Amirudin’s leadership despite facing political manoeuvring.
-- BERNAMA
