Much ado about prayer altars

If prayer altars must be dismantled on account of being an inconvenience and hindrance to others, the ruling must apply to all other items as well.

COMMENT

A short while back, there was a big hoo-ha when the Perlis state government banned non-Muslims from placing their prayer altars along the walkways of a flat in Kangar. Most non-Muslim netizens condemned the ruling, claiming it was the norm for Chinese to place their Jade Emperor altars along the corridor and that banning this practice was rude and insensitive, especially with the Lunar New Year just around the corner.

As someone who has lived in eight different flats/apartments in different parts of the country through the years, I believe it is a common rule that residents are not allowed to place their personal belongings outside their units as it could inconvenience other residents and prove a hindrance during an emergency for instance when evacuation is necessary.

Personally, I do not see how an altar, placed on a wall at a reasonable height can either be an inconvenience and obstruct the pathway. However, religious and cultural sentiments aside, we have to agree that if this is indeed a rule, the administrative bodies have no choice but to enforce it. Hence as members of the public, we must abide by it.

The truth is, the ruling should not specifically apply to prayer altars. It should by right include all personal items in the common areas of a residential building. Having said that, if the authorities wish to enforce the rule for the sake of the resident’s safety, security, convenience and comfort, it should cover a lot more than prayer altars.

I have taken the liberty of listing a few things which should be given consideration by the Perlis state government and all other authorities who wish to enforce similar rulings.

Motorcycles, bicycles, tricycles, children’s toys, roller blades, roller skates, skate-boards and the like shall not be used or stored in any common area.

No furniture or like objects no matter how small should be left outside the unit.

No potted plants should be placed on parapets or ledges where such items may fall and cause bodily harm to others and damage the property of other residents.

No potted plants should be grown in flower pots or containers which could pose a danger to other residents by being possible breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

No children should be allowed to play along the corridors, stairways and other common areas.

No authorised sports or activities should be allowed in the common areas.

No shades, screens, blinds, television aerials, cable TV discs, awnings, grills or external structures shall be installed.

Air-conditioning compressors should also not be placed in common areas, and instead be placed only in designated areas.

No rubbish shall be thrown or emptied or allowed to fall out of the windows, balconies, doors, corridors of the residential unit or left abandoned in any part of the common area.

No brooms, mops, dustpans, recyclable boxes and old newspapers shall be placed where they are clearly visible from outside the unit.

No article of clothing, bedding or rugs and carpets should be hung from any door or window opening, balcony or any passageway visible from the exterior.

No clothes or any other items should be hung to dry on poles protruding from windows or roofs or any fence or structure.

No shoes, slippers, rugs or welcome mats should be allowed outside residential units.

No framed board comprising Quranic verses or pictures of the Kaaba should be hung from above the gates of a unit.

Seriously, if the ruling is to provide convenience, comfort and security for other residents, why not enforce all the above? Why are the authorities picking on which rule and regulation should be made mandatory?

While we are at it, perhaps we should also ponder on why there is a need to have religious structures such as the surau inside residential buildings. Shouldn’t residential building be used solely and exclusively for residential purposes only?

I suggest the state government of Perlis take note of all the above before deciding to ban something as harmless as the prayer altar.