KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — A 500-acre mega tourism project in Pahang showcasing religions like Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity came under heavy attack today from a Muslim group who accused its developers of threatening the position of Islam here.
Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA) said today that the “1 Malaysia Spiritual Tourism” project - which will include the construction of a 30-floor pyramid and a giant Kuan Yin statue that will be touted as the largest pyramid in the world - aims to challenge the position of Islam as the religion of the federation.
“If this project is successful, the image of Malaysia as a Muslim country - in terms of its population and its history - will fade as other religions are highlighted for tourism purposes,” ISMA president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman said in a statement today.
“Besides that, Malaysia will be known as a country that can unite all religions except Islam. This mega project will be the symbol of inter-religious cooperation and unity. The image of Islam will be destroyed. This should not happen,” he added.
The 1 Malaysia Spiritual Tourism project, which is undertaken by a company called Enchant Acres Sdn Bhd, will include the creation of a religious and cultural retreat in Pahang that promotes Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Christianity, as well as the Sai Baba and I-Kuan Tao movements, according to the company website.
The project - which will be started at the end of the year - will also include the construction of a recreational and commercial area that comprises hotels and resorts, food and beverage outlets, recreational facilities like clubs and entertainment centres, parks, gardens, business centres, and even a university-college, an international school, and other learning centres.
According to Enchant Acres’ website, the 1 Malaysia Spiritual Tourism project is “fully supported by the Malaysian government”.
Abdullah Zaik also pointed out that according to a video on the website, the project will feature the largest Kuan Yin statue in the world, the biggest Kuan Yin temple in the world, as well as the biggest columbarium in the world.
Kuan Yin is the Goddess of Mercy that is typically worshiped by Buddhists.
“The columbarium (a repository for human ashes) will have five million slots to store human ashes. Each slot will be sold for RM12,000 and the total collection will be as much as RM60 billion!” said Abdullah Zaik.
The video on the website also states that tourists will need between three and five days to visit the entire area, which is larger than the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
“This mega project, as promoted by the project owners and developers, is trying to change the identity of Malaysia as a Muslim country,” said Abdullah Zaik.
He also criticised the recent construction of Calvary Church’s Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur that is touted as the largest church building in Southeast Asia.
The Pentecostal church is 600,000 square-feet large and has a 5,000 seat auditorium, as well as a multi-purpose hall, a nursery, lecture halls, and classrooms. Retail stores and cafes will also be built soon.
“I have just mentioned two mega projects that will have a direct impact on society and on this country. The question is, is this what a country with a Muslim-majority population should look like?” questioned Abdullah Zaik.
