Christians shouldn’t be allowed to build mega churches, says Ridhuan
Controversial columnist Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah is now perturbed by the size of the Calvary Convention Centre (CCC) in Bukit Jalil, the largest church in Southeast Asia, saying that Christians did not deserve such a big place of worship given that they only make up 10% of Malaysia's population.
The lecturer said instead, Buddhists deserved bigger temples because they accounted for 20% of the population.
"We have been too good in allowing them to build the biggest church here when they make up less than 10% of the population.
"This does not include the churches in each state, district and also those in shophouses and in Orang Asli settlements.
"To be fair, the Buddhist deserve more as they make up more than 20%," he said in his article in Sinar Harian titled “What is fair and what is not”.
The RM200 million 55,700-square-metre building which began operations in July last year, boasts a 5,000-seat auditorium, as well as a multi-purpose hall, classrooms, lecture halls, a nursery and retail stores and cafes.
According to Ridhuan, Muslims in Malaysia were so good, adding that the comfortable conditions enjoyed by the non-Muslims here did not exist in neighbouring countries.
He added that the government has given a lot of leeway to other groups to air their views to the extent it was now posing a problem.
"I remember the saying, 10% of conflicts arise from opposing views, 90% from the wrong voices.
"What is happening today is that we have given freedom to the 90% immoral voices that keep talking about their rights. In the end, we feel pressured."
The Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia lecturer also reminded Muslims not to be too trusting towards the “ultra kiasu” as they might find themselves trapped in the end.
He said there ought to be suspicion as it was the strategy of the “ultra kiasu” who hold the view that there was no goodness among Muslims.
"I really hope that we are not too trusting when faced with enemies of Islam or the 'ultra kiasu'.
"Use the army strategy, we will lose out if we are too trusting and the 'ultra kiasu' will step on our heads, remember these words, we must question everything.”
"Ultra kiasu" is Ridhuan’s favourite euphemism for those deemed as going against the Malays.
He also called for the powers of the Bar Council to be curbed, so that it did not behave like the opposition.
He added that those leading the Bar Council were made up of “ultra kiasu lawyers” and it was only they who attended the Bar's AGM.
"When they come up with statements criticising the government and judiciary, they are behaving like the opposition, yet they are not reprimanded nor are they called extremists.
"I agree that the time has come for the government to look into this body and curb its powers so that it does not go overboard.
"They are always saying that they represent lawyers (about 14,500 members). But only about 2,000 attend the AGM to pick their committee line-up," he added.
The Bar had earlier this month urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to withdraw his suit against online news portal Malaysiakini and its editors, saying that it set a bad precedent as Najib was, in effect, suing the media for the views and comments of the public to whom he was accountable.
Bar chairman Christopher Leong had also said public officials, especially those holding high public offices, and political parties should not resort to defamation suits as an answer to criticism or comment. – June 16, 2014.
