Eight held over Hindraf protest at Chinese temple

Police intervening in the dispute between Hindraf supporters and MIC members

BUTTERWORTH: A shouting match arose when supporters of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) confronted a group of Hindus praying at a Chinese temple in Seberang Jaya yesterday.
Police detained eight Hindraf supporters, including two women.

The group of about 50 supporters had gathered outside the Kuan Yin temple in Jalan Todak here to protest the event organised by MIC.

Trouble started when the group, led by Hindraf Penang coordinator M.N. Anbalagan, gate crashed a press conference in the temple about 4pm.

The press conference was being held by former Hindraf secretary V.K. Regu, who is now with Sewai Sangam (MIC), to explain the purpose of the prayers at the temple.

Anbalagan had scolded Regu for holding a Hindu event at a Chinese temple and questioned Regu's authority to do so.

A shouting match took place between the two and worsened when a Parti Keadilan Rakyat leader, K. Kalaivanar from Sungai Petani, advised the crowd not to fight.

Police stepped in to calm things and the event, led by Swami Bramanandha Saraswathi from Ku-lim, continued. However, the quarrel did not end there.

Anbalagan and Hindraf supporters protested outside the Chinese temple for another half an hour, causing a jam in Jalan Todak.

They demanded that Regu and organisers of the event vacate the Chinese temple immediately.

Some supporters lodged a police report at the Seberang Jaya station against the organisers of the event. Police appealed to the group to disperse but later light strike force personnel detained eight people.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had earlier stopped at the temple for a visit.

Superintendent Hamzah Ismail, the supervisor for the election zone, said police picked up the eight to defuse the situation and would release them after recording their details.