The Buddhist religious festival is tomorrow and a public holiday in Malaysia.
“There is an urgent and serious need for dialogue amongst all parties and religions to address the existing problems,” the DAP secretary-general said in a statement.
“All religions are peaceful and avoid conflicts. In that spirit, we hope that this inter-faith committee is permitted to perform its function to improve civilisational dialogue and resolve perceived disputes between adherents of different faiths.”
He lamented the abandonment of the Inter-Faith Committee due to opposition from “extremist groups” like Perkasa, and challenged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to allow its establishment to demonstrate his commitment to the 1 Malaysia concept.
“An interfaith dialogue, whether in a form or a council or a certain body, is never meant to undermine or to surpass any faith or religion. It is merely a mechanism to resolve problems arising from the administrative and technical difficulties pertaining to peoples of different faiths,” he said.
“Thus in the spirit of the holy Wesak Day, I call on all Malaysians to be open minded and open hearted in accepting the need to have a mechanism for experts from various faiths to sit down and discuss matters that have been a thorny issue for many of us.”
Lim said the struggle for tolerance was not an easy task but neither was it impossible, adding that strong political will from those in power was needed as well as support from the people.
“We pray for peace and dialogue in Malaysia just as in Thailand. Confrontation and violence is not a solution to our problems. Only by returning to the universal values of all religions of mutual respect and compassion can we live in peace, harmony and a civilised society,” he said.
