Kuala Lumpur City Hall demolished the annexe of a 101-year-old Hindu temple this morning after failing to do so in September following protest from Hindu groups and politicians from both sides of the divide. In the course of the demolition work, one activist was detained by police for trying to stop it.
PKR activist S. Jayathas was detained and brought to the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters to have his statement recorded.
"It was done in the same way the previous demolition attempt was carried out. They came early in the morning on a weekend and began their work," Jayathas told The Malaysian Insider from the Dang Wangi police station by phone.
He claimed that this time, the authorities want to demolish the entire temple structure.
"I kept telling them that I have a scheduled meeting with the Deputy Federal Territories Minister, (Datuk J. Loga Bala Mohan) on November 19 but the officers paid no heed and went ahead," he said.
"I suspect that this is all being done under the instruction of the Federal Territories Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor," he said.
The temple committee chairman, R.A. Balasubramaniam said that temple members were not allowed to enter the premises and were not informed earlier of such an activity.
"The government has played us out," the temple's legal adviser, M. Manogaran said.
The former Teluk Intan MP said that the Federal Territories Ministry had promised an appointment with the temple committee to discuss the temple's fate on November 19 but yet went on with the "surprise" demolition.
"This is all being done in an utter bad faith," he said.
Manogaran said an architect appointed by the temple has already drafted a structural design for the temple renovation which was promised by the government and was scheduled to be presented during the meeting.
The Malaysian Insider was made to understand that Padang Serai MP N. Surendran will also be filing a motion to debate the demolition in parliament.
"This incident is also an example of how the corporate sector is abusing the state apparatus for their own gains."
Manogaran alleged that Menara Hap Seng is also behind the demolition activity.
"This is not just an incident involving this temple alone but an indication of the state of Hindus in this country," he added.
More than 300 officers from City Hall, police, Federal Territories Land and Mines office (PTG), Syabas and Tenaga Nasional were present at the temple site and after an approximate 7-hour work, the temple area was cordoned off with barricades.
MIC members who were also present, demanded that the temple be rebuilt back on the same site it is housed on.
"Loga Balan and his boss, Tengku Adnan, must also be sacked over this fiasco," the party National Youth Wing's Head of Social and Welfare Bureau, Arvind Krishan said, adding that the manner in which the temple issue was being handled is "ridiculous".
"Tengku Adnan had said previously that he aspires to beautify the temple. Is this your idea of beautification?" he questioned.
Arvind said that the authorities also failed to produce a court order for the demolition and had roughed up several party members who had questioned the absence of the document.
"We are not going to accept any apology from the Federal Territories Ministry. I am only holding Loga Balan and Tengku Adnan accountable," he added.
In September, MIC Youth chief T. Mohan was held by police in a protest to stop Kuala Lumpur City Hall from demolishing the temple in Jalan P. Ramlee in the Federal capital.
Police had also arrested a few others after a commotion outside the temple as more supporters streamed into the area to try and stop the demolition.
Following the incident, Tengku Adnan had been reported as saying that the temple was only a shrine.
"I know what a temple and shrine is all about... I am also a pious man. I pray. I would not want to break something which people pray to,” he had said. "This country has laws so please abide by it."
Tengku Adnan had also said that the ministry would be upgrading the temple into a tourist attraction and was looking into gazetting the land where the “shrine” sits.
"Why do we always have problems with temples? Not with churches, mosques nor Chinese temples... why? Ask yourself, don't ask me," he had questioned.
"We will take action against anyone who does not abide by the laws, regardless of Christians, Hindus or Muslims."
Tengku Adnan had insisted that the temple would be identified as a "shrine" and would not be given the entire land on which it currently sits on.
The action taken by City Hall came a day after Malaysia celebrated its 56th National Day.
The temple, which was built in 1911, sits on reserve land meant for roads or walkways and has to make way for a pedestrian walkway.
Last year, the temple committee received an eviction notice after Hap Seng Land, which is constructing a 30-storey office building on the adjacent plot, was told that it would only be given a Certificate of Fitness if it built a 2.4m walkway along the building according to City Hall requirements.
But that could not be done because the temple occupies the land. - November 10, 2013.
Courtesy: themalaysianinsider dot com
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