Roti canai at risk, temples hard done by

Roti canai, priests, temple musicians and sculptors - what do they have in common? They all have their roots in India, especially South India for one. And soon they may all be totally extinct from our shores, except for roti canai perhaps.

First the favourite food item.

This time next week, the favourite Malaysian treat might be off the menu, thanks to the flour shortage as well as the cooking oil drought.

"There will be no roti canai from next week. This is because we have run out of flour and are finding it tough to secure further supply at reasonable prices," says Malaysian Indian
Restaurant Owners Association president Ramalingam Pillai.

Get this - flour wholesalers were charging about 15 to 45 percent above the price-controlled rate of RM33.60 for a 25-kilo bag of flour.

Ramalingam adds: "We cannot afford to pay more because we have agreed to the government's call not to increase (the) price of food. And at the same time, we do not want to bear the additional costs."

Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, it is not just roti canai that might be disappearing from our breakfast menu, though I don’t think this will happen, seriously.

More worryingly, some other more valuable products of the Indian community might be off the menu as well.

I am talking about priests, temple musicians and sculptors - presently many, if not all, are imported from South India due to their expertise and the dearth in finding local talents.

Apparently the Immigration Department has suddenly stopped issuing work permits to new applications for foreign priests, temple musicians and sculptors.

Also it has given final renewal permits for six months only for priests, three months only for temple musicians and one week only for sculptors – after with they have been told that there will be no further renewal.

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) is shocked by this new ruling as:

1. The sudden decision was made without any dialogue or consultation with MCCBCHST unlike in the past whenever there is a change in the system, and
2. The sudden change in the policy has become a very highly sensitive issue to the non-Muslim community.

I am not expecting the great leader (SV) to say or do something to save roti canai from becoming extinct but surely he (and other community leaders such as temple Nadarajah) can use their clout to change this temple human resource policy which reeks discrimination and a total lack of understanding on the part of the government department.

Check out the slide show (a new for me!!)