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PENANG Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has acknowledged that a Taoist temple's intention to host a Hari Raya Aidil Fitri celebration in Butterworth was a good intention, but it has nonetheless sparked a sensitive backlash.
Chow said the matter was sensitive because it involved a non-Muslim place of worship proposing to hold a Muslim religious event near a temple.
“I was shown a poster featuring the temple as a backdrop. Naturally, this would touch on sensitivities among certain quarters, especially Muslims who see it as a religious celebration.
“I think it is fine for a residents’ association, or even companies, to host an open house in a hall. But this involves a religious organisation holding a celebration not of its own religion, but of another. That is the issue,” he said.
Chow said that checks by the state on the comments online about the intention saw the concept as good, but many netizens had concerns about its execution.
The controversy began when the Penang Islamic religious affairs department (JHEAIPP) stopped the Thean Hock Keong temple association from holding an Eid Fitri open - house celebration outside the temple, slated for tomorrow.
JHEAIPP director Marzuki Hassan ordered the temple in a March 31 letter to cancel the event, adding that celebrations of Eid Fitri was interpreted as Islamic in nature and required permission from JHEAIPP.
The association said it would respect the decision, but it has also denied that the Zhao Zi Long Cultural and Arts Association of Penang – an entity under the temple association – would be involved in any “unity banquet” reportedly scheduled to replace the open house.
This was after Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mohamad Abdul Hamid said the banquet would be co-organised by Zhao Zi Long and Bagan Ajam residents.
The temple was also involved earlier this year in another controversy when there was a proposal to rename a 280m - 300m branch road in front of the 155-year-old Thean Hock Keong Temple to "Dragon Temple Lane" (Jalan Tokong Naga).
There was a protest by elements linked to PAS, and the state has yet to decide on the proposed inclusion of the new name on the branch road.
Only a short, ungazetted stretch is considered for renaming, not the main 1.1km Jalan Pantai Bersih. - April 10, 2026.