Let them bark… ignore them, Saravanan begs Hindus

MIC urged the Hindu community to ignore preachers who are trying to prove that they are “more Malay than the Malays” by provoking the Hindus.

MIC deputy president Datuk M Saravanan said this in reference to controversial converted preachers Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu and Firdaus Wong Wai Hung.

“We know the Malays and Muslims are tolerant in this country. Those who are making noises now like Zamri Vinoth and Firdaus Wong… Thus, I am asking the Indian community to ignore them.

“Let them say what they want. Let the government and the Prime Minister’s Office take the appropriate actions.

“This is their job. They are trying to prove that they are more Malay than the Malays. We don’t see the Malays doing what they are doing because the Malays are already living in harmony,” he told reporters after accompanying BN candidate Yusri Bakir to the Ayer Kuning by-election nomination centre in Perak this morning.

He said this response to a question regarding a Hindu temple built on a vacant land beside MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Muslim groups recently protested the presence of the temple which is close to a surau operated by Malaysian Islamic Welfare Organisation (Perkim).

Saravanan pointed out that there are certain quarters who have masterminded the recent controversies which targeted the Indian community.

The Indians or any other race have never had any problem with the Muslims or the Malays. Do not entertain people like Firdaus and Zamri, ‘biar mereka menyalak’ (let them bark).

“I beg the Indian community not to entertain Zamri any more.

“We can see that this only became an issue recently. Why was such an issue never raised over the years? So the Indian community suspects that there is a mastermind behind this. We will know who that is when the time comes,” Saravanan said.

Temple near Perkim

Regarding the temple near Perkim, Saravanan took Firdaus to task.

“If Firdaus Wong is sincere, he could have met MIC to ask for an explanation.

“But instead they staged a protest and claimed that it (temple) was a provocation.

“We shouldn’t entertain this. We know the Malays and Muslims are educated,” he said.

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall has confirmed that the temple is a temporary meant for the owner’s personal use and will be relocated, based on a discussion with the land owner on April 7.