Houses may open but hearts stay closed in Section 23

The Malaysian Insider
By Neville Spykerman

SHAH ALAM, Sept 22 – Thousands may throng open houses thrown by political leaders but the Section 23 open house this Sunday could be a quieter affair – no thanks to the lingering frost from the cow-head protest over plans to relocate a Hindu temple.

Indian residents there say they are still upset over the protest and have no intention of turning up.

Perhaps unaware of the feelings of his Indian neighbours, Ibrahim Sabri is organising the collective Hari Raya open house next Sunday to bring both communities together.

“What happened is no longer an issue because the people here are united,” said the deputy chairman of the action committee against the relocation of the Hindu temple.

The majority Malay residents were not racist but the newspapers and media made them look that way, said Ibrahim.

“We will invite the media for the celebration, so they can come and see neighbours here living in harmony.”

Open houses during any religious celebrations are a hallmark of Malaysian’s multi racial culture and symbol of unity touted to foreigners or tourists.

But the reality is different in many neighbourhoods and Section 23 will be the latest where open houses are fast becoming a dying tradition of yesteryears, despite what’s printed on Visit Malaysia brochures.

Some of the residents say the tradition of the open house was long dead even before the cow-head protest raised tensions between Malay and Indian neighbours.

“There are no open houses for Hari Raya this year and there were none in previous years, as far as I can remember,” said K. Raja.

After the widely publicised protests, the draughtsman said, neignbours were moving on with their lives but separately, as two communities, because the damage done by the hardliners is still festering.

“We are not bothered with them and I think they are embarrassed by what they did.”

Teacher M. Sekar said there was a collective Hari Raya celebration last year but he said the Indian community is unlikely to attend if one is held this year.

“We carry the hurt in our hearts. None of us are going to get involved in their activities.”

However, he says he knows the protesters who objected to the relocations of the Hindu temple to Section 23 did not represent all Muslims in the housing estate.

“I know many who did not object and found nothing wrong and the protesters are just a small group,” he added.