By default (at least on a SuSE distribution) the httpd.conf file prevents the
use of symbolic links. Look for the following section in /etc/httpd/httpd.conf:
<Directory />
AuthUserFile /etc/httpd/passwd
AuthGroupFile /etc/httpd/group
Options -FollowSymLinks +Multiviews
AllowOverride None
</Directory>
Note the minus sign in front of "FollowSymLinks".
As another poster has said, it is not a good idea to change this (for security
reasons). It is best to rethink your configuration and come up with something
that doesn't require enabling "FollowSymLinks".
If you place your whole set of web pages in your personal public_html
directory, the default is to *allow* symlinks from there. Look for the following section in /etc/httpd/suse_public_html.conf: