KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — Collaboration between the government and religious organisations could help combat the growth of cults here, said Melaka Buddhist Lodge (Chee Sze Lin) president Dr Ong See Yew.
Speaking at the Malaysian Dharma Stream 2018 Forum today, he said such discourse would ensure that only endorsed and legitimate organisations may conduct religious activities in the country.
“We have seen a rise in the number of cults in Malaysia, particularly those preaching that they are a part of Buddhism, this is dangerous as it gives the general public a misappropriated idea of what Buddhism stands for,” he said in an interview with Malay Mail.
“We hope to reach out to the government to have an understanding of what it takes to eradicate these cults, it has been recently brought to our attention that some have even managed to enter schools.”
Ong explained that such a collaboration with the government was already underway, but long-term goals must be put in place, such as introducing religious studies in schools.
“This is why the support of the Education Ministry is important, perhaps we could also introduce specific religious studies on top of moral studies, of course this will be based on the student’s own belief but we should instil knowledge from a young age to ensure they know when a teaching from a religion has strayed,” added Ong.
“Now, our collaboration with the government is on a project basis, when we have Buddhist youth camps, sometimes schools will allow for the student to use their attendance at the camp as a means to collect credit scores for co-curricular requirements.”
“We should not adopt a culture of dealing with a problem only when it arises, we must start from the very bottom and educate children on the dangers of swayed teachings,” said Ong, who is also the Malaysian Buddhist Kulapati Association secretary-general.
Ong also stressed that it was important for Buddhist teaching centres to educate followers on the true teachings of its founder, Gautama Buddha, rather than focusing on rituals.
“Rituals are sometimes necessary, but it is not the most important aspect of Buddhism, it shouldn’t be so that we neglect the true teachings of the Buddha for rituals,” he said.
“Beyond spirituality, we must safeguard those who come into our midst seeking support, and make sure they receive it physically, mentally and emotionally as well.”
“As Buddhists, it is our responsibility to ensure people are taught the truth of the religion because if they are not, they may fall into the hands of a cult,” Ong said.
He added that for many cult followers, the appeal was the temptation of shortcuts to their goals.
“In today’s society, everybody is looking for a way to attain their hopes and dreams the easy way, but this is not what religion teaches, every religion teaches that one grows from adversity and hardship,” Ong said at the forum.
“But cults appeal to the masses by telling them they can get what they want through simpler means, this is dangerous and it must be stopped.”
The two-day forum was attended by around 400 people both locally and from Singapore, consisting of social and religious scholars, community services providers, legal professionals, commentators, university students, media and the public.
Held for the second straight year, it aims to raise awareness on the rise of cult movements in Malaysia, with hopes of addressing the issues and fostering intra-faith and inter-faith dialogues.
