MELAKA: There will be no compromise on religious freedom and racial harmony in Melaka, Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh pledged during a visit to the century-old Pak Thiam Keong Taoist Temple on Sunday night (Oct 18).
Speaking outside the temple in Jalan Bachang, the caretaker chief minister said he would uphold the right of all communities to practise their faiths and preserve the harmony that has long defined the state.
“I will not compromise on this and Melaka will be a place for all Malaysians,” he said in an impromptu speech.
Ab Rauf’s visit, on the final day of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, drew a warm reception from devotees, many of whom approached him to have copies of a book documenting his achievements over the past three years signed.
Temple president Gary Lim said the visit was particularly meaningful as devotees were marking the festival’s closing day and the temple its centenary year.
“I was touched to see him coming to the temple on the final day of the festival.
“Devotees were also pleasantly surprised by his visit,” he said.
Also present was the temple’s legal adviser, Kent Tan Chow Teng.
Established in 1926, Pak Thiam Keong Temple has served generations of devotees and remains part of Melaka’s religious and cultural heritage.
Its centenary celebrations included a procession on Friday (Oct 16), which drew nearly 500 devotees.
Lim had earlier called for Melaka’s multicultural identity to be preserved, saying its places of worship and cultural traditions were an integral part of the state’s heritage.
He said the temple’s 100-year history reflected both the efforts of generations who kept its traditions alive and the harmony that enabled different communities to practise their faiths.
