KUALA LUMPUR: The move made by a non-Muslim non-governmental organisation to urge authorities to stop the practice of animal sacrifice in schools and public places is uncalled for, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said.He said this was because it could touch the sensitivities of the Muslim community who had been living with the non-Muslim community with high tolerance for all these years.
“I don’t think that the issue should be raised. This will only lead to misunderstandings. It can touch the sensitivities of Muslims and their religious practices.
“In Malaysia, it has been a part of our culture for generations. We do it because Islam requires us to do so.
“It is also being done according to the methods and regulations stipulated by the Veterinary Department, which requires that the cleanliness in the areas should be preserved so that the meat distributed to the poor is safe for consumption,” he told reporters after attending a dialogue with the Teach for Malaysia Fellowship participants here today.
Muhyiddin was commenting on the official statement issued by the Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) last Friday, urging that the sacrifice of animals in public places, especially cows, which are considered by Hindus to be holy animals, to be stopped.
“I hope such an issue will not be raised again, especially by the non-Muslims because they may not understand the practice or they probably raised ithe issue on purpose. Let’s not create more problems in Malaysia,” he said.
Nevertheless, Muhyiddin said that the practice of animal sacrifice should be approved by the authorities before it is carried out.
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