Non-Muslims funded a mosque? Gasp! Happy Merdeka!

Malaysia has gone to the dogs. But that would be such a negative statement for a column that has the intentions of commerating this year's Merdeka Day. So I'm going to try my best to end it in a positive note.

First of all, we can agree that racial issues have become a trend in Malaysia. Every racial group has a problem with every other racial group.

Polarisation among the people seem to be at it's highest peak. This is happening in schools, universities, the private working sector, and of course, the public sector.

Religious conflict, although thankfully not violent, is also on the rise and taking centre stage in our media. So Malaysia is truly going to the dogs.

Now let me slightly digress to see if I can further make the point that I am trying to make. Every Malaysian is familiar with the National Mosque, or Masjid Negara, in Kuala Lumpur.

Conceptualised a month before Merdeka, completed and opened in 1965, it is a symbol of how Malaysia was, and how Malaysia should be now and forever.

Designed and built by a Brit and two Malaysians (Howard Ashley, Hisham Albakri and Baharuddin Kassim), that in itself would already be unheard of now.

What?!? They let a non-Muslim design a mosque?!? Astarghfirullah!

In a Malaysia which is increasingly being Arab-ised, where 'buka puasa' has turned into 'iftar' and mosques all around the country started to grow domes, it's refreshing to go back to 1965.

The design of Masjid Negara was indistinctively non-anything and distinctly Malaysian. It was something to be proud of if you were Malaysian. Truly Malaysian without counting creed or religion.

It's true that the architects travelled the world to see different mosque styles and designs, but the mosque is not derivative of any existing style and seems fitting for Kuala Lumpur.

The building cost RM10 million and a bulk of the amount was donated from the non-Malay, non-Muslim, community, specifically the Chinese, Indian, Christian, Buddhist and Hindu community.

What are the chances of something like this happening today? Even better, what are the chances of the Malay-Muslim community donating towards a church or temple?

What?!? Malay-Muslims donating for the benefit of other religions?!? Astarghfirullah!

So, I think it makes sense for us Malaysians today to reflect on our past and see how far we've come since then, whether it is a progression or a regression.

And, hoping that I've somehow ended in a positive not, I would like to wish a happy Merdeka Day to Malaysia and all Malaysians, irregardless if you have donated to a mosque, church, temple or synagogue.

And what a coincidence that Astro AWANI's Linawati Adnan sits down for a chat with one of the original architects of Masjid Negara, Datuk Baharuddin Kassim, in this week's special Merdeka Day episode of In Realty!