Academy To Train Hindu Priests in Malaysia

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Thusday,April 15,2010

IPOH, MALAYSIA: Malaysia’s first academy to train Hindu priests will conduct a five-year course developed in consultation with similar institutions in India, Human Resource Minister S. Subramaniam said. He opened the academy Sunday, stating that for now the country’s Tamil Hindu community will continue to get priests from India since the training, grading and certifying of priests will take time.

The Hindu community’s wish to have a training facility for local priests has been fulfilled with the setting up of the academy in Jelapang Tambahan. With the opening of the academy, the availability of qualified priests will be assured for over 3,000 Hindu temples in the country.

Subramaniam said although there were locals who were trained as priests, the training was not done formally by recognized institutions and was not accredited at the national level. He said a major problem facing the community was the qualifications of local priests conducting important and complicated ceremonies in the temples.