INTRODUCTION

Malaysia Hindu Sangam  is a brain child of the late Shri K. Paramalingam KMN. He was a barrister at law and was then the Director General of Public Trustee Department. He was greatly assisted by the late Shri K. Ramanathan, a lawyer by profession and an ardent Hindu. Shri K. Ramanathan was the president of Malaysian Indian Congress from 1950 – 1951. He was also the founder of Malaysian Arulneri Thirukkuttam.

By the encouragement and inspiration given by the learned saintly Shri K. Ramanathan, Shri K. Paramalingam moved fast and gathered few devout Hindus, who liked to serve the course of Hinduism and society at large. As a result of his untiring efforts, Shri. K. Paramalingam, Shri. G. V. Thevar, Shri Hari Chand Saradha, Shri. S. Palanivel Pillai and Shri S. Dhuraiappah, met on 15 April 1963.  At the meeting, they formed an ad-hoc committee.

This committee then prepared the groundwork to form an organization for Hindus in Malaysia. Finally, in January 1965, the ad-hoc committee organised a seminar of all Hindu organisations and some leading temples met at the famous Maha Mariamman temple, High Street (now Jalan Tun H. S. Lee) Kuala Lumpur. At this meeting, the name Malaysia Hindu Sangam was chosen and it was officially registered under the Companies Act on 23 January 1965.

OUR ROLE IN THE NATION

Malaysia Hindu Sangam is the only organization that the government of Malaysia consults on matters affecting the Hindu community in this country. It is also a member of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) since 1984. MCCBCHST is composed primarily of officials from the main non-Muslim faith communities in Malaysia and acts as a consultative and liaison body towards more open dialogue and co-operation.

It has organised many national Hindu conferences, seminars, Antharyogams and religious discussions and created a strong religious awareness among the Malaysian Hindus.

THE MOTTO

The Bhagavad Gita (18.46 & 9.24) states that the all-pervading God is the ultimate source of all work and the Enjoyer of the fruits of all sacrifice. Hence all work is to be done as worship and the fruits of actions are to be offered to the Lord. One of the important principles Swami Vivekananda proclaimed to the world is “To serve Jiva as Shiva’. He who sees Shiva in the poor, in the weak and the diseased, really worships Shiva; and … with him Shiva is more pleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples.” Since man is potentially Divine, service to man is indeed service to God. Instead of looking upon a needy person as an object of pity, he should be looked upon as an object of worship. Such an attitude elevates both the giver and the recipient.

Therefore, to inculcate this high values, the motto of MHS is “SERVICE“.