GEORGE TOWN, March 4 — Steven Sim Chee Keong has called on organisers to cancel a planned rally against a Hindu shrine near the entrance of Bukit Mertajam Hospital this Saturday, warning that such gatherings would only inflame tensions.
The Bukit Mertajam MP said Malaysia’s multiracial society should not be undermined by religious or racial provocation, adding that he had asked the police to ensure no provocative assembly takes place.
The rally was reportedly organised over claims that the shrine was built illegally, allegations that several Penang leaders have disputed. RA Lingeshwaran said the shrine predates independence, while P.
Ramasamy previously noted such shrines were common near hospitals due to the workforce’s background. The planned gathering follows recent tensions involving Hindu places of worship elsewhere in the country.
