By Debra Chong | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — The national non-Muslim council has given its thumbs-up to the Penang government for setting up a new interfaith portfolio, and called on other states to follow its example in a bid to counter rising religious extremism.

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) applauded Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s (picture) initiative to form and head the new executive portfolio to handle non-Muslim religious issues in the state.

“Further, we are deeply encouraged that he has taken it upon himself to head it to give the seriousness it deserves,” it said in a statement today.

Religious tensions in multicultural Malaysia have been on the rise in recent years and have led to clashes in court and on the street between Muslim and non-Muslim communities last year in disputes over religious terminology and places of worship, among others.

The MCCBCHST also urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to support Penang’s effort, and linked it to his rallying call to world leaders at the United Nations meeting in New York last September.

The PM, in his speech, had called on world leaders to build a “global movement of the moderates from all faiths who are committed to work together to combat and marginalise extremists who have held the world hostage with their bigotry and bias”.

However, several parties — including Najib’s Penang-born predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi — have reportedly dismissed the Penang initiative, saying it was not needed.

“The federal government has never marginalised anyone and as such I do not think there is need for a specific institution to look into non-Muslim affairs,” national news agency Bernama had reported Abdullah as saying yesterday.

But the MCCBCHST said it hoped all state governments will emulate the positive efforts of the Penang government and reclaim the moral ground from extremists.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, had announced last week that that the state government would be adopting a portfolio to look into the affairs of Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus.

The portfolio will be chaired by Lim himself while Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy was appointed the deputy.

Penang’s interfaith portfolio is not the first to be formed as Lim himself noted, pointing to Perak’s, which is headed by state executive councillor Datuk Mah Hang Soon.