Demolishing Pig Abattoir, Temples and Kuils

In a multiracial society like ours, pig abattoir, temples, kuils, surau and masjid are highly sensitive issues. Often, it has to be managed well; otherwise it will be exploited to the fullest by vested interest group. This calls for experience, be sensitive to other races’ needs and managing people’s sensitivity and emotion. This is something that wakil rakyat have to learn the hard way, what we call the school of hard knocks. To an outsider, they may say that we are much ado about nothing. In a clinical manner, some of the pig abattoirs, temples, kuils and surau are no longer in the right place because of development.

Because it is highly sensitive, there is political mileage; hence a lot of political parties would want to champion the cause. Some would want the pig abattoir or the temple/kuil/surau to make way for development. Others would defend it at all costs. For the wakil rakyat where the subject matter is located, it is often a nightmare. Inability to prevent its demolition will signal that the wakil rakyat is politically impotent and has no clout to influence the administration. If the subject matter is prevented from demolition, it will sure boost up the image of the wakil rakyat. When the subject matter becomes highly controversial because of publicity, then it becomes a do and die for the wakil rakyat.

In the early stages of our country’s development, temples, kuils, surau and pig abattoirs were often built without consideration to the local development plan. To be fair, there was then no local development plan. Over a period of time and because of development plus the intermingling of the various races as a result of development, what was once an area dominated by one race suddenly become multiracial. This is when an innocent looking pig abattoir, temple/kuil/surau becomes highly sensitive to the local community.

If we do not allow emotions to be in control, then problem can be resolved in a very professional manner. However, while our country has developed physically, our political system is still stuck with race and religious consideration. What is a straightforward problem becomes one that is delicate and calls for some administrative and political acumen.

Demolition of all these sensitive premises sounds easy. It is finding the alternative location that presents the biggest headache to the power to be, especially at the state level. Because of the publicity generated, residents of the proposed site will invariably oppose. This only serves to complicate the matter. How to persuade residents to accept a new pig abattoir within their vicinity is never an easy problem. When I was an EXCO in Johor for 3 terms, I only had 2 incidents involving pig abattoir. One was successfully demolished since it generated a lot of problems to the surrounding residents because of the noise, pollution and the smell that finally, the abattoir had to go. There was no replacement for the abattoir since there was already a newly built abattoir. In the other incident, I managed to persuade the residents to accept a very old pig abattoir near the vicinity of the housing estate. I am not too sure whether the pig abattoir is still standing.

As for the demolition of temples and relocation, I must give credit to the Johor administration for adopting a fairly liberal attitude to what we call illegal temples and kuils. Most of them are allowed to exist as they have existed years ago. Demolition is hardly done. The Johor administration chooses relocation. In my 5 terms as wakil rakyat in Johor, I have yet to encounter a Chinese temple been demolished because of development. I dealt with 2 cases of kuil, which initially was supposed to be relocated and demolished. Since we are unable to find suitable alternative site, the developer was forced to accept the kuil in-situ and the development plan took into consideration the presence of the kuil. Of course the kuil was downsized since the number of Indians have correspondingly dropped considerably because of the development.

There is always this suspicion that the government is very restrictive in the construction of Chinese temples. It cannot be denied that the construction of new temples or extension of existing temples has to go through a very tedious process of red tape. I must admit that when I was an EXCO in Johor, I failed to address this issue. Often it becomes a fire fighting method of solving problems where by I have to bring the problem directly to the MB or to bring up at the EXCO meeting every Wednesday. Of course I am aware that this is not the best method of resolving issues.

Many years ago, I did a survey with some Chinese NGOs about the distribution of Chinese temples in the district of Batu Pahat. This survey revealed that there are more than 350 temples in Batu Pahat. It came as quite a shock to me. Batu Pahat district then had about 300,000 people of which about 40% are Chinese. This means there are 350 temples serving a Chinese community of 120,000 people. In short, one temple for about 350 people. At least in Batu Pahat district, there are more than adequate temples to serve the needs of the Chinese community.

在我国多元种族社会里，宰猪场、寺庙、祈祷所及回教堂被列为高度敏感的事项，必须谨慎处理。否则，容易被有心的利益集团利用制造课题。所以，这考验了我们的经验、对各族人民需求的敏感度以及人民感受和情绪的管理。这也是人民代议士必须苦学之道，唯有从现实吸取经验，甫在逆境中锤炼成才。外局人或认为我们小题大做、无事生非。但实际上，因为地方发展，许多宰猪场、寺庙以及祈祷所的坐落点已经不合适了。

由于课题性质高度敏感，因而具有政治效应，所以许多政党争相维护。有人支持拆除宰猪场或寺庙或祈祷所让路予地方发展，有人誓死捍卫保全。这种局面，有如当地代议士的梦魇。若无力阻止拆除行动，将显示该议员的政治无能，在政府没有影响力。相反的，若阻止成功该议员的形象和声誉将即刻大增。

在我国发展初期，寺庙、兴都庙、祈祷所及宰猪场的建立一般上未考虑到地方发展计划。事实上，当时也没有所谓的地方发展计划。经过一段时间后，不断的开发和发展让不同族群交集一起，使本由单一种族主导的地区，突然变成一个多元种族社区，也让那些“无辜”的宰猪场、寺庙/兴都庙/祈祷所顿时成为高度敏感的地方课题。

其实，只要不感情用事，就能理智而专业地解决问题。然而，虽然我国在发展领域已取得具体的成果，惟其政治体系还停留在种族和宗教的框架，使一项简单的问题变得复杂脆弱，处理时需要政治的敏锐感。

要拆除这些被指敏感的场所很容易，但要寻找替代地点却让有关当局，特别是地方政府伤脑筋。基于事件被广泛宣传，建议中的替代地点居民必极力反对，而使问题更复杂。要说服居民接受在他们家附近建新宰猪场犹如登天。我担任3届州行政议员期间，曾处理过两宗宰猪场事件。第一宗，该宰猪场因严重的噪音、污染和臭味问题被关闭和拆除。由于已有一所新宰猪场，被拆除的宰猪场未获迁移至替代地点。在另一事件中，我成功说服居民接受一家久远经营的宰猪场迁移至此。不过，我不确定该宰猪场至今是否还存在。

在拆除和搬迁庙宇行动中，我必须赞扬柔佛州政府合理和开明对待那些列为“非法”的寺庙和兴都庙，因为大部分仍获准继续存在或搬迁。我当了5届议员，都没有出现因发展而被拆除的华人寺庙。曾有两间兴都庙面临搬迁后再拆除，但鉴于有关当局无法寻得适合的新地点，发展上被迫接受该庙在原位立存，还把该庙列入当地的发展计划中。当然，由于不少印裔居民因发展而逐渐搬离该区，这间兴都庙也因信徒人数减少而缩小规模。 人们总有这般迷思，认为政府百般限制建设华人庙宇。建造新寺庙或扩展现有庙宇都必须经过非常繁琐繁文缛节，这一点则无可否认。我承认担任州行政议员期间，也无法纠正这项弱点，以致我们常以灭火式途径来解决相关问题。通常我会直接上传州务大臣，或在每周州行政议会中提出。当然，我了解这不是最好的解决方案。

多年前，我对一些华裔非政府组织进行巴株峇辖区内的华人庙宇分布调查。调查结果显示，单单在巴株峇辖就有350间华人庙宇，让我震惊不已。目前，巴株峇辖人口约30万人，华人占40％。12万人和350间寺庙的比例，意味着一间寺庙只有350位信徒。这表示，巴株峇辖拥有足够的华人庙宇应付和满足信徒的需求。