RM436.1 million has been allocated to build places of worship. Now that’s good news made known to the public by one of our deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Apparently, it only appears that fools would be tricked by this figures. I made a little effort to interpret that RM436.1million figure for you. I am sure most of you know what a ‘pie chart’ is, hence I shall present those figures in the form of a pie chart.
Here you go, 98% of the allocation goes to building mosques and suraus while the other 2% goes to building kuils, temples and churches. Have you not figured out something is not right and not balance here? Look at the proportion of the allocation and compare it with what you know about the background of the Malaysian society. While you are still figuring it out, why not continue reading…
According to the 2000 census and CIA, approximately 60.4 percent of the population of Malaysia are followers of Islam; 19.2 percent Buddhism; 9.1 percent Christianity; 6.3 percent Hinduism; and 3 percent Confucianism, Taoism, and other traditional Chinese religions. (Source: Wikipedia)
Let us assume that the 60.4% of the population are followers of Islam and 39.6% of the population are followers of other faith is still applicable today (population doesn’t surge like the recent fuel hike). Shouldn’t the allocation of fund for building places of worship follow the 60:40 ratio?
It’s either the cost incurred to build mosques and suraus are higher or to say kuils, temples and churches are built with inferior cost and quality. I’ve never visited a mosque so I can’t actually tell what’s inside, but certainly the construction materials used are delicately beautiful.
Or perhaps less Christians are church-goers, less Buddhists go to temples, less Hindus go to kuils but on the contrary there has been growth in the Muslim community which explains the huge amount of money allocated to build mosques and suraus.
Parliament: RM428m to build mosques
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has allocated a total of RM428mil to build mosques and suraus, and RM8.1mil (or RM8.69mil???) to build churches, kuils and temples, said Datuk Mohd Johari Baharom, deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in his written reply to Nga Kor Ming (DAP - Taiping).
The Government spent RM3.93mil for kuils, RM3.16mil for temples and RM1.6mil for churches.
Such allocations for the years 2009 and 2010 would be determined by the Government later, he said.
Since 1991, he said the Prime Minister had allocated RM1mil for the physical development of churches and temples and RM1mil for kuils starting from the year 2000.
A co-ordinating unit under the Prime Minister’s Department would approve the applications for non-Muslim projects, he explained.
I leave it to you to express your views. I have expressed mine and would like to know what do you think of such allocation. Peace.
