When asked to comment on P Waythamoorthy’s criticism, the FT Minister asks reporters if they are trying to pitch him against a fellow Cabinet member.
KUALA LUMPUR: After coming under fire for allegedly insulting Hinduism and Hindus by interpreting on what constituted a Hindu shrine or temple, Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor today alluded that no apology was needed.
Instead, he turned on the reporters accusing them of trying to pitch him against his fellow cabinet member. He also claimed to be some sort of a religious expert by saying: “I’ve studied Hinduism, I’ve studied Buddhism, I’ve studies Christianity.”
Yesterday, Hindraf chairman and Deputy Minister in the PM’s Department P Waythamoorthy said Tengku Adnan should stay away from Hindu religious matters since the minister had no knowledge on practices and beliefs of Hindus.
He called Tengku Adnan to immediately apologise to the Hindu community for the demolition of the 101-year-old Hindu temple, Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman Alayam, at Jalan P Ramlee in Kuala Lumpur, merely a week after the Deepavali festival, and also for his unwarranted interference with Hindu religious affairs.
Tengku Adnan however refused to comment on Waythamoorthy’s demand for apology for allegedly insulting their religion.
“Why do you want to pitch me against him? He’s a Cabinet member…it’s up to him (to say what he wants),” the Umno secretary-general said when met by reporters in Parliament.
“I don’t want to comment on his statement. There is no need for me to comment. I do not want to start a fight with him.”
Tengku Adnan said: “I’ve studied Hinduism, I’ve studied Buddhism, I’ve studies Christianity. There are rules and regulations when it comes to building a temple…for example, there are some places where we allow some people to operate, like a car park.
“But towards the end, when it’s people’s land, when people want to develop (that land), they start to protest and say you can’t do that. It’s not fair (on the developers).
“I do not like to make people unhappy. I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings. Your religion (is) your religion, my God is my God,” said Tengku Adnan.
Abusing religion
When asked to respond to the fact that some quarters were unhappy with his remarks on what constituted a temple and a shrine, Tengku Adnan suggested that those people were “using” religion for their own gains.
“Certain people, maybe they don’t follow (the religion), but they just use the religion for their own gain. Same like people in the mosque who use religion for their own gain.”
He then turned on opposition party PAS, whom he claimed used Islam to gain votes. “You ask PAS. (The party says) if you don’t vote for PAS, you don’t enter heaven.”
On Sunday, an estimated 300 DBKL enforcement officers and police personnel demolished the temple without proper notice.
The temple had been issued an eviction notice on June 13, ordering it to vacate the premises before June 26. The order was issued so that a developer could build a multi-storey building.
KUALA LUMPUR: After coming under fire for allegedly insulting Hinduism and Hindus by interpreting on what constituted a Hindu shrine or temple, Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor today alluded that no apology was needed.Instead, he turned on the reporters accusing them of trying to pitch him against his fellow cabinet member. He also claimed to be some sort of a religious expert by saying: “I’ve studied Hinduism, I’ve studied Buddhism, I’ve studies Christianity.”
Yesterday, Hindraf chairman and Deputy Minister in the PM’s Department P Waythamoorthy said Tengku Adnan should stay away from Hindu religious matters since the minister had no knowledge on practices and beliefs of Hindus.
He called Tengku Adnan to immediately apologise to the Hindu community for the demolition of the 101-year-old Hindu temple, Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman Alayam, at Jalan P Ramlee in Kuala Lumpur, merely a week after the Deepavali festival, and also for his unwarranted interference with Hindu religious affairs.
Tengku Adnan however refused to comment on Waythamoorthy’s demand for apology for allegedly insulting their religion.
“Why do you want to pitch me against him? He’s a Cabinet member…it’s up to him (to say what he wants),” the Umno secretary-general said when met by reporters in Parliament.
“I don’t want to comment on his statement. There is no need for me to comment. I do not want to start a fight with him.”
Tengku Adnan said: “I’ve studied Hinduism, I’ve studied Buddhism, I’ve studies Christianity. There are rules and regulations when it comes to building a temple…for example, there are some places where we allow some people to operate, like a car park.
“But towards the end, when it’s people’s land, when people want to develop (that land), they start to protest and say you can’t do that. It’s not fair (on the developers).
“I do not like to make people unhappy. I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings. Your religion (is) your religion, my God is my God,” said Tengku Adnan.
Abusing religion
When asked to respond to the fact that some quarters were unhappy with his remarks on what constituted a temple and a shrine, Tengku Adnan suggested that those people were “using” religion for their own gains.
“Certain people, maybe they don’t follow (the religion), but they just use the religion for their own gain. Same like people in the mosque who use religion for their own gain.”
He then turned on opposition party PAS, whom he claimed used Islam to gain votes. “You ask PAS. (The party says) if you don’t vote for PAS, you don’t enter heaven.”
On Sunday, an estimated 300 DBKL enforcement officers and police personnel demolished the temple without proper notice.
The temple had been issued an eviction notice on June 13, ordering it to vacate the premises before June 26. The order was issued so that a developer could build a multi-storey building.
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