MALAYSIA is a multi religious and multi cultural society. All religious groups have their right to practice their religion in Malaysia. This is constitutionally protected and an article of rights. Religious concerns are very close to the heart of Malaysians. In comparison to many other countries in racial and religious conflict, Malaysia stands out as a towering example of unity and harmony.

Today, in Malaysia we can notice how places of worship have overwhelming attendance of its devotees whether it is at a mosque, temple or church, as there is religious resurgence in our society.

Having said the positive and dynamic aspects, religion is a very sensitive matter, as it is very personal and dear to most people. The problem in Malaysia is further compounded by the fact that race, religion, culture and language are so closely intertwined. There are a number of factors which further lead us as a nation through trouble waters.

There are three matters of utmost importance which impact inter-religious relations in Malaysia. There is a need for us to articulate them and find a pathway towards better inter-faith relations.

Need for new legislative and judicial mechanisms

There are no satisfactory legal mechanisms to clarify or rectify any major difficulties among two parties namely when a non Muslim is challenging a Muslim especially in matters related to family and religion. There are a number of difficulties and conflicts which have risen in recent years.

For example with regards to conversion from Islam to Christianity in the Lina Joy case; custody disputes over children and inheritance, the Sharmila case or on the validity of a conversion from Hinduism to Islam and rites to burial as in the Moorthy case - all these show us that legislative and judicial vacuums exist in addressing them in a fair and just manner.

There have been many suggestions on resolving this matter. Some have recommended constitutional amendments to make the constitution clear on the preview of the Civil and Shariah courts. Others have advocated a constitutional court, made up of both civil and Shariah judges to hear jointly the cases which have implications over jurisdictions especially in the case of a Muslim or non Muslim challenging the other on matters related to family or religion.

The Federal Government must come to a clear and firm conclusion on this matter. Many of the cases have already had tremendous negative impact on race relations and community harmony. The damage can be long term further widening the gap between religious groups, breeding hatred and suspicion.

Our government must introduce a system which is fair and just to all parties concern. This is the key principle of all the major faiths in the world. There must be more consultation on this matter. Greater compassion must be displayed in handling these human life issues which is being battled often in the media and among authorities through the current inadequate structures.

Need for a formal dialogue mechanism

There are no formal mechanisms for dialogue between the Muslim and non Muslim groups in Malaysia. The non Muslim religious groups have established on a voluntary community initiative, a National Council on Inter religious matters among the Buddhist, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians. The Muslim groups on the other hand have state funded and coordinated institutions which remain distinctive to the non Muslim religions. There are no formal mechanisms established for cross religious dialogue, coordination and settlement of issues and concerns especially of the minority groups.

The Federal Government established a Department for National Unity and Integration with a cabinet ranking Minister in the Prime Minister s Department. This minister has appointed an Advisory panel and a working committee on religion. However, this advisory group is not made up of the religious heads of the various major religious bodies especially the Muslim religious heads. On all the major struggles such as the Moorthy struggles this committee has not been proactive or effective in addressing the concerns nor diffusing the situation. While some representation was made this however did not instill the confidence of the minorities and the grassroots.

There have been calls from various parties for the establishment of a Religious Commission which will be able to address the specific concerns. However certain quarters have objected to this and therefore the government has not viewed this proposal in positive light.

Suhakam chairperson Abu Talib Othman in his Human Rights day opening speech proposed the establishment of a Ministry for Religious Affairs with a cabinet-level minister looking into the matter of interfaith religious concerns and advising the government on it.

What is urgently necessary is a formal mechanism for inter-faith dialogue and discussion. While there are Islamic institutions such as Jakim, and IKIM, these do not provide a platform for the discussion of critical concerns which are pressing to minority religious groups. One way forward is for the Prime Minister s Department to establish a Religious Affairs Committee jointly chaired by the Minister of National Unity and Integration and the Minister in charge on Islamic affairs. This can serve as a special high level committee on religious matters in Malaysia brining the key representatives of both the Muslim and non Muslim religious leaders and their institutions together at least four times a year.

This committee could discuss matters affecting religion and Malaysian society. In addition to addressing matters pertaining to conflicts, challenges and difficulties, they must be encouraged to formulate effective strategies and programmes in fostering religious harmony and enhancing understanding and unity in national interest. Working on common values which can be formulated through inter-faith dialogue and cooperation will be a major step forward.

Need for community mediation mechanisms

At a people-to-people level, more needs to be done to foster greater interfaith understanding and networking. Increasingly in Malaysian society, we are seeing the polarization on the basis of race and religion. This is not good as it weakens our society's common sense of identity and community bonding.

The Malaysian Government has introduced a number of good initiatives such as the open house concept during all the major religious and cultural festivals which is organised and hosted by the government. This is a significant symbolic gesture of public acknowledgment and recognition of religious and cultural events in Malaysia.

However we can also see in Malaysian society, the rise within all religious groups the ritualistic dimension of the religion as seen in the outward symbolic manifestations of faith. What is urgently needed is a parallel development in understanding of the content and substance of religions.

It is often said that in Malaysia there is rise of religiosity but a decline in spirituality. This is because a deeper understanding of religions means greater humility, tolerance and respect for other faiths. However we do not see a comparable rise in these dimensions as we see of the outward expressions which are more symbolic and ritualistic. Form takes precedence over substance. There must be a radical reversal of this trend towards deeper understanding.

We must introduce the study of comparative religions at all levels from pre-school to university. At the lower grades it is an appreciation however at the higher grades we can review the teaching and practices of all the major religions of the world. In a similar way there must be more organised exposure to all to the places of worship and institutions run by religious groups especially to the historic places of worship in Malaysia.

With the assistance of residents associations and RT we can ensure that there is some understanding and appreciation of other faiths especially at the neighborhood level. It is also important for community organisations to establish crisis management units which have the skills for community mediation especially when small conflicts and misunderstanding emerges. Often they do not start of on matters related to race or religion however when unresolved they do become polluted in some way.

At the administrative level of religious practice, many of the difficulties are with the local government. Very often, enforcement officers do not go the extra mile to resolve issues. This is often the case in the demolition of places of worship. Local authorities must fully exhaust discussion with community leaders before they go out and demolish a place of worship. Many enforcement officers are seen to be heartless, ruthless and insensitive to the items of worship especially when they break or trample on images of deities.

Local authorities must establish community mediation teams to resolve local concerns. These teams must be multi-ethnic and multi-religious incorporating all the relevant agencies at the district and local government levels. There must be a national operations manual and code of practice to ensure that local government adhere to a code of conduct that will promote and facilitate religious harmony and unity rather then breeding discontent and insensitivity.

There must be political will to confront these issues from the basis of justice, fairness, tolerance and compassion. National leaders in Government must ensure that legislative and judicial mechanisms, including formal dialogue institutions and grassroots mediation teams are effectively established in Malaysian society. We must collective work for harmony and unity promoting peace and human well being for all Malaysians.

DR DENISON JAYASOORIA is president of Yayasan Strategik Sosial, the social service arm of the MIC. The above were his thoughts shared at a dialogue on Religious Harmony and Unity in the Malaysian Context organised by the Gerakan's National Interfaith & Religious Bureau on Jan 27.