By Ida Lim

February 02, 2013

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is seen at the Buddhist Maha Vihara during the World Interfaith Harmony Week. – Photo by Saw Siow Feng

BRICKFIELDS, Feb 2 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak covered the places of worship of the nation’s five main religions centred in Brickfields today, in conjunction with the World Interfaith Harmony Week. Najib visited the Sri Sakhti Karpaga Vinayagar temple and the Buddhist Maha Vihara temple, where he spoke about the need to hold on to the three principles of moderation, respecting those of other faiths, and fairness and being considerate.

He had started off at the Tamil Methodist Church this afternoon, before moving on to the Taoist Sam Kow Tong temple and the Madrasathul Gouthiyyah Surau – stepping foot in the compound of each place but only entering the house of worship of the last one.

Najib handed over donations of RM30,000 to each house of worship.

Malaysia is known to be a country where citizens of different faith and races co-exist peacefully.

But there appears to be some religious tension simmering between Muslims and non-Muslims ahead of Election 2013, in particular the recent public furore over the use of the word “Allah” by the latter group.

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