23/03/2026

MONDAY | MAR 23, 2026

6

Call for govt to take decisive steps on interfaith issues

Motorists fume over bottleneck in Papar

Home Ministry, the Housing and Local Government Ministry, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. “The dialogue should include recognised Hindu bodies, civil society organisations advocating minority rights, state representatives, members of the Malay Muslim community and other stakeholders,” said Kumaran. He suggested holding two preliminary sessions, one involving Islamic groups and another with non-Islamic groups, before a final consolidated discussion in Putrajaya. “Structured dialogue is essential. It cannot be symbolic or exclusionary,” he said. Secondly, the association proposed the involvement of government agencies as facilitators and observers to ensure fairness and transparency. The Prime Minister’s Department, police, the Home Ministry, the Housing and Local Government Ministry, the National Unity Ministry and state representatives should oversee the process and help strengthen confidence among all parties. Thirdly, it suggested the establishment of a dedicated government department for non-Islamic affairs, tentatively named the National Harmony and Non-Islamic Affairs Department. Operating under the Prime Minister’s Department, it would oversee temple land matters,

support interfaith engagement and act as a liaison with non-Islamic religious communities. “The department would provide a permanent and structured mechanism to help prevent future issues,” he added. “It should be led by someone with expertise in religious and legal matters to ensure balanced and careful handling of complex issues,” said Kumaran. The association also called for a temporary pause on enforcement actions involving Hindu temples, including eviction and relocation orders, to allow space for discussions. “This cooling-off period is necessary to allow meaningful engagement and rebuild trust,” said Kumaran, echoing the views of MHS, MHDM, NHTSC and GHRF. He added that long-term solutions must address historical, legal and policy gaps related to temple land status and recognition. “The government must continue to take fair, balanced and inclusive steps to address these matters. “Let us come together as Malaysians, across all races, to build a harmonious and united nation that is admired worldwide.” On Feb 19, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim praised the peace meeting as a reflection of Malaysians choosing harmony over division. He said such unity must not be taken for granted but continuously nurtured and strengthened.

o Any discussion conducted without proper mandate, inclusivity and transparency risks worsening crisis: National coalition

KOTA KINABALU: A prolonged bottleneck near the Benoni flyover in Papar, Sabah has triggered mounting frustration among road users, with traffic often reduced to bumper-to-bumper conditions during peak hours and public holidays for the past several months. Motorists said the stretch has been plagued by persistent congestion, significantly slowing travel time along the key route linking Kota Kinabalu, Papar and Beaufort under the Pan Borneo Highway network. Daily commuter Mohd Fadzil Rahman, 38, said the bottleneck has been causing delays of between 15 and 30 minutes during peak periods, compared with smoother travel conditions previously. “Every morning and evening, vehicles are almost at a standstill near the flyover. During public holidays, it becomes even worse as traffic builds up several kilometres.” Road user Noraini Kassim, 45, echoed similar frustrations, noting that traffic flow becomes chaotic especially when heavy vehicles and construction activity converge at the same stretch. “The road upgrade is good for the long term, but currently there is no proper traffic control. It feels like the situation has been dragging on for months without improvement.” The Benoni flyover, part of the broader Pan Borneo Highway upgrade, was introduced to improve connectivity and support rapid development in Papar, particularly around the Benoni Commercial Centre and surrounding townships. Authorities have acknowledged broader infrastructure challenges in the Papar and Kinarut areas, with multiple road and bridge projects being implemented to address congestion issues. Despite these long-term measures, road users are urging for immediate, short-term interventions to ease daily congestion. The suggestions put forward include better traffic management during peak hours, deployment of enforcement personnel to control vehicle flow, clearer signage at diversion points and temporary widening of bottleneck sections where feasible. A logistics driver, who only wished to be known as Lim, said delays at the bottleneck are affecting delivery schedules. “This route is critical for transporting goods between districts. When traffic is stuck, it impacts businesses and increases costs.” Observers noted that traffic flow adjustments have been periodically implemented to facilitate construction under the Pan Borneo Highway project, but inconsistent coordination may be contributing to prolonged congestion at certain hotspots. With Papar experiencing rapid urban and commercial development, stakeholders stressed the need for more proactive traffic mitigation measures to balance ongoing infrastructure upgrades with the immediate needs of road users. – Bernama

Ű BY KIRTINEE RAMESH newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS), National Hindu Temple Steering Committee (NHTSC), Malaysia Hindu Dharma Maamandram (MHDM) and the Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF), have expressed reservations about the PICC session. “These groups are rightfully concerned. Any dialogue that excludes established organisations cannot address the real issues facing our community.” The situation extends beyond temple land registration and interfaith misunderstandings, he emphasised. “It reflects a broader challenge in governance and enforcement.” Kumaran said despite multiple police reports and legal actions, concerns remain over individuals whose statements, speeches and online content are seen as contributing to tensions and affecting interfaith harmony. The association has proposed a three-pronged approach to support a more constructive way forward. Firstly, it called on the Prime Minister’s Department to convene a fully mandated and representative national dialogue involving relevant agencies, including police, the monitoring efforts would be intensified in hotspots frequently used by locals and Thai nationals for illegal crossings. “The public is reminded to use authorised Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complexes, such as those in Rantau Panjang, Pengkalan Kubor and Bukit Bunga.” Earlier, Rantau Panjang Border Control and Protection Agency deputy commander Bakri Sulaiman said about 50,000 travellers are expected to use the Rantau Panjang ICQS complex within three days before and three days after Hari Raya Aidilfitri. He said the figure includes inbound and outbound movements between the countries during the festive period. – Bernama

PETALING JAYA: Concerns over temple land disputes and interfaith relations have prompted calls for a more structured and inclusive approach as stakeholders seek to ease tensions and strengthen trust among communities. The Persatuan Bekas Pelajar Sekolah Tamil Malaysia has urged the federal government to take coordinated and decisive steps following a meeting aimed at addressing racial and religious matters on Wednesday at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC). However, the association said the session has drawn criticism and has not fully addressed underlying concerns within the Hindu community. “The meeting was meant to foster dialogue but it has unfortunately aggravated tensions instead,” said its president Kumaran Marimuthu. “Any discussion conducted without proper mandate, inclusivity and transparency risks worsening the crisis rather than resolving it.” He claimed that several Hindu organisations, including the KOTA BHARU: Police have advised locals living along Sungai Golok river at the Malaysia-Thailand border to use legal routes if they wish to visit relatives in conjunction with Aidilfitri. Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said police are looking into the matter seriously due to the possibility of an increase in illegal cross-border movement, especially as water levels in Sungai Golok have become increasingly shallow. “The shallow river conditions could create opportunities for certain parties to cross illegally, particularly during the festive season. I urge the public not to break the law and to use legal routes to avoid strict action.” He added that enforcement and

Police urge locals to use legal routes for Raya travel at Thai border

Mohd Yusoff said enforcement and monitoring efforts would be intensified in hotspots frequently used by locals and Thai nationals for illegal crossings. – BERNAMAPIC

Two boys found drowned at Bintulu waterfall SIBU: A day of swimming at a popular waterfall in Bintulu has ended in tragedy after two boys, both aged 12, were found drowned in separate discoveries hours apart. The victims were identified as Tristan Mariss Marissa Erna and Darren Dakun Paruscrum, who had gone to the Sungai Plan Lot waterfall in Kidurong with two other friends on Saturday afternoon. The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said the group, comprising two boys and two girls aged between 12 and 14, are believed to have been swimming at the waterfall at about 2pm. “They were last seen at around 2.30pm.” Concerned over their disappearance, an emergency call was made at 3.22pm, prompting a team from the Kidurong Fire and Rescue station to be despatched to

“After receiving a call at 11.20pm from the public regarding the discovery, firefighters rushed to the scene.” Following the discovery and after discussions with agencies involved at the scene, the search and rescue operation was called off at 12.33am yesterday. Both bodies were handed over to police for further action. – Bernama

the scene. Tristan’s body was recovered by rescuers at 5.20pm, about five metres from the riverbank, in waters estimated to be nine metres deep. A search and rescue operation was then launched for Darren, who remained missing into the night. The operation took a grim turn when Darren’s body was found by the public at 11.19pm, also about five metres from the riverbank.