PUTRAJAYA: The government is reinforcing governance of non-Muslim houses of worship to ensure proper management, coordination and best practices in handling issues within the existing administrative framework.
The issue was discussed yesterday at the strategic meeting on Harmony and the Management of Non-Muslim Houses of Worship, co-chaired by Deputy National Unity Minister R. Yuneswaran and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Marhamah Rosli.
The joint statement said the talks also stressed the need to improve understanding of procedures and guidelines for the management and construction of houses of worship.
The statement said the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) plays a central role at the federal level in coordinating non-Muslim houses of worship, including through the Non-Muslim Houses of Worship Fund Coordination Unit (Ribi), which monitors and manages fund allocations.
"All parties are expected to follow KPKT guidelines on approving and managing houses of worship,” the statement said.
The statement said the issue is governed by existing laws, including the Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171), the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133), and the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172), which give local authorities the power to regulate building structures and prevent unauthorised construction of houses of worship.
"The government will maintain a dialogue platform with religious community representatives to resolve issues through negotiation, shared understanding and unity,” it added.
It said that the government warned that issues involving religion, race and the royal institutions (3R) should not be exploited in ways that threaten social harmony.
"Dialogue, negotiation and mediation will remain the primary approach to managing issues among multi-religious communities, ensuring they are resolved carefully without affecting social harmony and unity,” it said.
Leaders and representatives of Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Taoist, Sikh and Bahá’í houses of worship nationwide also attended the meeting.
Also in attendance were officials from the Home Ministry, KPKT, the Royal Malaysia Police, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and PLANMalaysia. - Bernama
