Prayer and Prejudice: Marginalisation of Malaysian Hindus

A recent episode where Hindus in Malaysia were slighted by Muslim preachers underscores the need for the purportedly inclusive Madani government to respond in a stronger fashion against individuals who upset the delicate multi-religious equilibrium.

On 4 March, three Muslim hosts from Malaysian radio station Era FM posted a video of themselves allegedly mocking the Hindu kavadi ritual, chanting “Vel Vel” while laughing and pouncing around. Its parent company, Maestra Broadcast, was fined RM250,000 (US$55,700) under Section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998. Their case is pending a decision from the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) following an investigation by the police, who received 73 police reports within two days of the incident. While there is a theory that they were actually saying “vei vei” and mimicking the ring entrance of muay thai fighter Mikail Ghazali, its resemblance to the kavadi ritual was uncanny.

The following day, independent Muslim preacher Zamri Vinoth likened Hindus chanting “Vel Vel” during the Thaipusam festival to being “possessed and drunk on toddy”. With 894 police reports lodged against him for insulting the Hindu religion and community, Zamri maintains his innocence in the eyes of the law.

Fellow independent preacher and friend of Zamri, Firdaus Wong, actively responded to developments surrounding both incidents. He has shared posts on social media about how the radio hosts were overly apologetic in going to Batu Caves to publicly apologise. It is worth noting that both Zamri and Firdaus are protégés of controversial preacher Zakir Naik, who has also been accused of anti-Hindu sentiments.

While the police await further instruction on Zamri’s case pending the AGC’s review, this concatenation of events is yet another unfortunate chapter in Malaysia’s ongoing struggles with issues surrounding the 3Rs (race, religion, royalty). The tardy action by the authorities serves to reinforce the perceived double standards in favour of the Muslim majority at the expense of a minority community that has long been a victim of prejudice and discrimination in multi-religious Malaysia. Furthermore, Zamri has a history of insulting non-Muslims and Hindus in particular. The sensitivities of Malaysian Hindus thus continue to be trampled upon under the purportedly inclusive Madani government and may risk the repeat of a public confrontation from the community, which last occurred almost two decades ago.

Zamri’s post, which Facebook eventually removed, elicited responses from various quarters. The first response came from M. Saravanan, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tapah and deputy president of the Malaysian Indian Congress, who called for Zamri’s arrest under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma). Saravanan, who is a kavadi bearer, said he would be “prepared to debate” Zamri to educate him about Hinduism. While Zamri agreed to the debate which was scheduled for 23 March, it was called off following advice from National Unity Minister Aaron Ago Dagang. Democratic Action Party MP for Jelutong, RSN Rayer, also called for Zamri’s arrest.

Within civil society, activist Arun Dorasamy questioned the lack of action against Zamri and warned that Hindus would take to the streets if the silence continued. On 19 March, the Global Human Rights Federation, with the support of Agamam Ani Malaysia, held a press conference to discuss the matter. Various speakers, including Arun, discussed the “clear bias within the judicial system” for taking quick action against non-Muslims who insult Islam, but not vice versa. Deputy Chairman of United for the Rights of Malaysians Party (Urimai), David Marshel, said that the Indian community would “take it to the streets” if the authorities did not respond in a just manner.

The sensitivities of Malaysian Hindus thus continue to be trampled upon under the purportedly inclusive Madani government and may risk the repeat of a public confrontation from the community which last occurred almost two decades ago.

The calls for the Indian/Hindu community to publicly protest is reminiscent of the one held by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) in Kuala Lumpur in 2007 (Arun made reference to “Hindraf 2.0”). The protest, which drew almost 50,000 to the streets, was against the “local marginalisation of Indians within the Malaysian state”. Ethnic Indians who were brought to colonial Malaya as labourers to work on rubber plantations experienced marginalisation as they lacked opportunities for integration when Malaysia went through its economic transformation in the 1970s and 1980s.

Coupled with state-led Islamisation since the 1970s, the socio-economic marginalisation of Indians evolved into encroachments on Hindus’ constitutional right to the freedom of religion. Over the decades, Hindus have encountered various challenges, including attacks on and demolition of temples, unilateral and forceful conversions to Islam, and cases of body-snatching. In 2009, there was the infamous desecration and dumping of a cow head outside the Selangor state government headquarters.

The marginalisation of non-Muslim minorities entails political repercussions. The 2007 protest won the sympathy of non-Malay voters and contributed to the loss of Barisan Nasional’s two-thirds majority during the 2008 general election. Although the government at the time made attempts to uplift the Indian community, such attempts did not always materialise. Today, Malaysia’s Indians and Hindus continue to be plagued by the same issues, the most recent being the relocation of a 132-year-old temple to make way for a mosque. Ironically, Zamri was remanded for two days on 28 March for allegedly seditious comments about the issue.

In response to recent events, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, through his press secretary, dismissed claims that there are double standards in treating religious communities. Yet, he has not made a public statement in support of the Hindu community, and neither have representatives from Perikatan Nasional nor the United Malays National Organisation. Only Hafiz Roslan, a youth leader from Parti Amanah Negara, has called for a “common ground” while acknowledging Zamri’s perceived efforts to “defend Islam with courage”. While the government may not want to antagonise Muslim voters, such a lacklustre response is insufficient, especially when insults are involved.

Regardless of the AGC’s impending decision about Zamri and the radio hosts, one thing is clear: Malaysians are unhappy with the status quo, and netizens have also expressed their frustration with the lack of action by the authorities. The authorities, whether political or religious, would do well to actively abide by the unity government’s Madani Harmoni initiative which aims to promote mutual understanding, respect, and acceptance through courteous dialogue. Furthermore, Muslim religious figures and Muslim politicians must do more to counter such insensitive remarks lest their followers perpetuate such ideas.

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