Building houses of worship in Malaysia may require permit in future

The Malaysian government will pass a resolution that would make it compulsory for a permit to be obtained before houses of worship are built. 

These include mosques, temples and churches, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told reporters on Wednesday (Nov 28), in a press conference following his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's leadership meeting. 

Dr Mahathir was speaking in response to a question about the recent riots near the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Selangor that was sparked by a disagreement over its relocation. The temple was built on land owned by private developer One City Development. 

"That (requirement) will solve the problem," Dr Mahathir said. "The problem now is because temples are built without any regard as to who owns the land, and later when the owner wants back the land, it will become a problem."

He added: "Temples are being built anywhere, even on other people's land. That is the problem we are seeing today."

The proposed solution will apply to future houses of worship, he added, according to Malay Mail.

"What is there now, we can't do anything," he was quoted as saying. 

Mahathir also said that the government will not stop the people from conducting demonstrations as long as they are done in a proper way and without any criminal acts involved. He said this while responding to a question about whether the riots were related to a planned rally protest against the ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. 

More details about the temple incident will be mentioned in parliament on Thursday, Mahathir said, if the emergency motion tabled by lawmakers to debate the incident is approved by Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusuf. 

Lawmakers from Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional on Tuesday submitted a motion to the speaker to debate about the relocation of the temple. 

Vehicles were set ablaze and the windows of a nearby mall were smashed during the riots which began on Monday near the temple. 

A firefighter suffered multiple injuries, including broken ribs and bruises on his chest and abdomen, on the second day of the riots. Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim is receiving treatment at the National Heart Institute. Doctors had said that his condition stable but is still in a critical state. 

Thirty people have been arrested over the riots.