By Ravindran Raman Kutty on reflections from Prof Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi’s 17th Swami Satyananda Memorial Lecture 2025
In the shadow of the soaring Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields, amid the serene setting of a peaceful glow of a hundred oil lamps, Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi delivered a keynote address that cut to the core of the nation’s collective soul.
At the 17th Swami Satyananda Memorial Lecture 2025, themed “Justice as A Pillar of Nation Building,” Prof Faruqi did not just reflect on what Malaysia was; he issued a sobering wake-up call on what it risks becoming.
“Much depends on the character and subjective views of the interpreter whose limited views often get confused with the religious doctrine he supposedly represents. We must, therefore, distinguish between the faith and the faithful,” he said.
Once, Malaysia was a beacon — mosques, temples, churches, and gurdwaras dotting every landscape. Prof Faruqi reminisced, “At the very outset, it needs to be stated that till the 1990s Malaya/Malaysia had a record of religious tolerance that was the envy of plural societies.
“Mosques, temples, churches and gurdwaras dot the landscape. Citizens celebrate each other’s religious festivals. Tax exemptions are granted to all religions. Foreign priests and missionaries are allowed to work in the country.” That uniquely Malaysian way of celebrating each other’s festivals — Hari Raya, Deepavali, Christmas, Wesak — felt like a lived tapestry of tolerance.
But something broke after the 1980s, a shift as subtle as whispers at dawn but as consequential as a raging storm. What happened?
From Model of Tolerance to Mosaic of Suspicion
Prof Faruqi outlined a dramatic change:
“It can be stated that the overall situation of religious tolerance in Malaysia was exemplary till the late Eighties. However, since then the calm has been broken in West Malaysia by a number of legal, political and moral dilemmas that defy easy solution.”
Instead of forging bridges, the focus turned inward. “The law has become swathed in contradictory principles. A wide gap has developed between constitutional rights and existentialist reality,” he noted.
Malaysians found themselves ensnared by restrictions not grounded in the constitution’s original spirit of moderation, but fuelled instead by the “amateur, lay-persons’ views rather than the provisions of our well-drafted supreme Constitution which travelled the path of tolerance, accommodation and moderation”, the legal expert asserted.
The Letter Versus the Spirit of the Law
The Federal Constitution, arguably among Malaysia’s most liberal instruments, promises under Article 3(1) that “other religions may be practised in peace and harmony.” Yet, by the 1990s, context and interpretation began to erode this assurance, said Prof Faruqi, adding that following that period some sections of the Malaysian population faced a growing list of restrictions.
Legal Dilemmas and Social Frictions
The rights of minorities to build or retain places of worship have become contentious. Even more painful is the order to relocate places of worship that were built decades ago on state land or on private land but without a planning permit, he said.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Malaysia’s journey from envy to regret is not irrevocable. Prof Faruqi urges:
“We all, especially members of the majority community, have a role to play to reverse this tide, to restore constitutional rights and to rebuild bridges of moderation, tolerance, kindness, respect and love which all our religions teach – that is if we search deep enough.”
He closes with an invocation rooted in wisdom:
“It is understandable for us to venerate our own religion, but we should never condemn other faiths nor resort to hate speech. To belittle is to be little.”
So, is it too late for Malaysia to regain its lost glory of religious diversity? Prof Faruqi remains hopeful: “It is not too late to repair the bridges of intercommunal friendship; tear down the walls of separation and suspicion; and revive the spirit of shared destiny.”
Let us hope his words echo far beyond Brickfields—into the highest corridors of power and the quiet corners of every Malaysian heart.
Our rich diversity stands as Malaysia’s distinctive strength on the global stage. Let us celebrate and preserve this priceless heritage, not just for ourselves but for generations to come.
(The views expressed here are entirely those of the writer based on his focused subject)