KUALA LUMPUR: The local chapter of the Falun Gong, which is seeking registration from the Home Ministry, has been advised to drop terms with relevance to Buddhism to avoid confusion.
MCA religious affairs bureau chief Datuk Fu Ah Kiow urged the Malaysian group to confine itself strictly to qiqong, a form of breathing exercise.
He said the Home Ministry should seek the views of Buddhist groups here which have expressed unhappiness towards the application to register a Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Falun Gong Society.
"Buddhist groups have objected strongly towards the use of the word falun or dharma cakri which means the true nature or ultimate truth,'' he said.
Fu, who is the International Trade and Industry Ministry parliamentary secretary, urged the Home Ministry to monitor the Malaysian chapter before making any decision.
"We need to study carefully the implications of the Malaysian chapter and whether they have links with the founder group in China,'' he added.
On Wednesday, two Buddhist groups expressed concern over the move by the local Falun Gong to seek registration.
Than Hsiang Temple abbot Venerable Wei Wu, who is also the Malaysian Sangha Council member, said the Buddhist community in China had made an indepth study on Falun Gong and had openly said the group was operating under the guise of Buddhist teachings.
Young Buddhists Association of Malaysia vice-president Chiam Soon King said the use of Buddhist symbols would confuse the people into thinking it was one of the Buddhist traditions.
Malaysian Buddhist Co-ordination Committee vice-president Chong Hung Wang has urged the Government not to recognise the Malaysian chapter which submitted its application last August.