Reading this has made my blood boil, and my mind goes numb with disbelief. Seriously, he proposes that all temples be built in one area simply because Hindus have many different gods (italics mine). WHAT. THE. FUCK. Seriously, WHAT. THE. FUCK?

Oh wait, this was the same guy who happily demolished temples in Selangor because they were “illegal” despite being asked to at least wait till Deepavali is over. HAH.

Updated: I just saw the second article (ironically the one I was looking for in the beginning). Khir says that the cow was brought because it was a “stupid” animal, and that there was no religious connotation, only meant to show that the state government is really, really stupid. Say it with me now: WHAT. THE. FUCK???? (article below this one)

Ex-MB: We were solving the temple issue

Former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo today said the previous state government led by BN was resolving the temple relocation issue in Shah Alam contrary to allegations that suggested otherwise.

Khir, who is now state opposition leader, said the previous BN administration had initially allocated land in Section 18 for a non-Muslim place of worship and this was ready in 2007, with fully equipped infrastructure worth RM600,000.

Speaking to reporters at the proposed site in Sungai Renggam, Shah Alam, Khir said the seven-lot site was “suitable and it was never BN’s fault as we allocated a strategic place.”

“I think there is no other state (government) in history willing to provide such infrastructure to build a non-Muslim place of worship,” he added.

However, Khir said the BN government had to subsequently propose another site in Section 22 following the objection from the Hindu community to the site allocated in Section 18.

He added that the Section 22 location was also agreed to by the Malay residents of Section 23. However, the infrastructure was not completed in Section 22 as BN lost the state in the last general election.

‘Not a valid reason’

The Section 18 site is situated beside a Telekom building and a river to separate it from a mosque and another Hindu temple. The site is currently being used by car enthusiasts for motor sport of ‘drifting’.

The current Pakatan Rakyat state government has proposed that the temple be relocated to Section 23, and this led its Muslim residents to stage a protest last Friday.

However, the protest became controversial when a severed cow’s head was paraded. The animal is considered sacred to Hindus.

Back in 2005, the Hindu community had objected to the Section 18 proposal since there were already three temples in the area and wanted the temple to be constructed in a different section to cater for devotees living there.

However, Mohd Khir said this was not a valid reason as there were many places where temples “stand side by side.”

“Along Jalan Puchong for example, they have temples built side by side because we all know that they have different gods,” he added.

PAS MP: Khir’s proposal was worse

In an immediate reaction, Shah Alam PAS MP Khalid Abdul Samad said Khir’s previous proposal would have been more ‘insensitive’ towards Muslims in the long run.

According to him, Khir (when he was the menteri besar) proposed a ‘temple complex’ where seven temples, six Hindu temples and one Sikh temple, would be located in one place.

Khalid also pointed out that Section 18 was also a Malay-majority area. “And the mosque that is located opposite to the site is even closer compared with the distance in Section 23.”

Commenting on the RM600,000 spent on the infrastructure in Section 18 for a non-Muslim place of worship, Khalid described it as a “waste of money.”

Meanwhile, state exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar also criticised Khir over his remarks, claiming that he had never solved the problem.

“If his proposal was such a great idea, why did the people reject it? If it was approved so long ago, why has the temple not moved yet?” he asked.

Urgh. I am glad he’s out of the current state government! I’d be ashamed if he were my Chief Minister.

Khir Toyo defends protesters over ‘stupid’ cow

As far as Selangor opposition leader Dr Mohd Khir Toyo is concerned, the controversy surrounding the cow-head protest in Shah Alam last week is just a big misunderstanding over a ‘stupid’ animal.

According to the former menteri besar, the protesters had no intentions of belittling the Hindu religion which considers the cow to be sacred.

“The reason (the cow’s head) was brought was to show that the (state government) had acted without thinking as the site (for the Hindu temple) was ready (in Section 18), so why relocate (to Section 23)?

“The state government did not think… the cow’s head was displayed because it is a ‘stupid’ animal, to show that the state government made a ‘stupid’ decision, and disrupted the peace of Section 23 residents. (It has) nothing to do with religious issues,” he stressed.

“I don’t know who brought it (the cow’s head)… but for me, there is no sensitivity (involved) or link to the animal being holy for the Indians (Hindus),” he added.

Khir was speaking to reporters in Shah Alam. Also present were Section 23 residents action committee deputy chair Ismail Saabri and the neighbourhood’s Umno patrons association chairperson Azmir Md Zain.

Azmir is said to be one who brought the severed cow’s head to the protest.

No comments on Hisham’s ‘charge them’ remark

Meanwhile, Khir steered clear of commenting on Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s call to charge those involved on the protest.

“That is up to him. I am not involved in that one. I am just commenting on it (the issue) because people have turned it into a racial issue and that is not right,” he said.

Khir also said that he was not sure if Umno members were involved in the protest and left that to the police to investigate.

The case is being investigated under the Sedition Act and so far more than 60 people have been quizzed over the incident.

Last Friday, some 50 residents staged the protest against the proposal to relocate a Hindu temple to their area and paraded the cow’s head from the state mosque to the state secretariat building.

The incident made international news and drew condemnation from all quarters, including Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had also expressed regret over the matter.