Another temple demolition avoided despite Umno opposition to new site
SHAH ALAM: Umno opposition to the relocation of another Hindu temple in Jenjarom, Selangor, which was scheduled to be demolished today, is already being exploited by PAS in the on-going Bagan Pinang by-election.
The move to demolish the 130-year-old Sri Maha Mariamman temple was aborted only after a meeting between the temple committee, the developer KLIA Holdings and Kuala Langat police.
Former Hindu Sangam president Datuk A. Vaithilingam said the attempt to demolish the temple by the federal government-linked company, eight days before Deepavali, was history repeating itself.
He pointed out that in 2007, former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khir Toyo issued a similar order for a temple to be demolished in Kampung Jaya, five days before Deepavali.
The demolition became the catalyst for Indian discontent against Barisan National (BN) and was among the factors which resulted in the March 8 political tsunami last year when the ruling coalition lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time.
The temple in Jenjarom was once part of the Lunderstand Estate but over the years the land had been sold and it is now owned by KLIA Holdings.
According to Vaithilingam, an alternative site in Taman Kota, about 1.5km from the present site, was earmarked by the previous BN state government to relocate the temple to in 2007.
However, he said local Umno politicians objected to the relocation and workers who were preparing the infrastructure for the site were “chased away” on Aug 23.
“The new site is in a multiracial town. Why must Umno object just because the state is now under Pakatan Rakyat.”
State executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar confirmed yesterday that local Umno chieftains had been standing in the way of the relocation and had held a demonstration at the proposed site.
He said although KLIA Holdings has obtained a court order to demolish the temple, the state government had been trying to prevent it.
According to him there was an agreement that no demolition would take place until an alternative site is found.
“I don’t understand why the company is in such a hurry.”
Dr Xavier said he had instructed the state legal advisor to contact lawyers representing KLIA Holdings to advise it against the demolition.
The Kuala Langat district officer has also been instructed to issue a stop work order on all development projects in the area until the issue is resolved.
Meanwhile, Sri Maha Mariamman temple secretary M. Thayalan told The Malaysian Insider yesterday it had lodged a police report after learning on Monday that the temple would be demolished today.
"The police called us for a meeting with the developer, and said they would not allow the demolition because it was too close to Deepavali," said Thayalan.
He said the police also told the developer to resolve the issue of relocation before the temple is demolished.
“We are grateful to the police.”
When contacted, an executive with KLIA Holdings who attended the meeting with the police and temple committee confirmed that the company had shelved its plan to demolish the temple for the time being.
Meanwhile, during campaigning in Bagan Pinang yesterday, PAS MP Khalid Samad raised the issue of the recent Umno-orchestrated cow-head protest against the Hindu temple relocation in Section 23 Shah Alam as well as the relocation of the temple in Jenjarom.
Mi
08/10/09
SHAH ALAM: Umno opposition to the relocation of another Hindu temple in Jenjarom, Selangor, which was scheduled to be demolished today, is already being exploited by PAS in the on-going Bagan Pinang by-election.
The move to demolish the 130-year-old Sri Maha Mariamman temple was aborted only after a meeting between the temple committee, the developer KLIA Holdings and Kuala Langat police.
Former Hindu Sangam president Datuk A. Vaithilingam said the attempt to demolish the temple by the federal government-linked company, eight days before Deepavali, was history repeating itself.
He pointed out that in 2007, former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khir Toyo issued a similar order for a temple to be demolished in Kampung Jaya, five days before Deepavali.
The demolition became the catalyst for Indian discontent against Barisan National (BN) and was among the factors which resulted in the March 8 political tsunami last year when the ruling coalition lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time.
The temple in Jenjarom was once part of the Lunderstand Estate but over the years the land had been sold and it is now owned by KLIA Holdings.
According to Vaithilingam, an alternative site in Taman Kota, about 1.5km from the present site, was earmarked by the previous BN state government to relocate the temple to in 2007.
However, he said local Umno politicians objected to the relocation and workers who were preparing the infrastructure for the site were “chased away” on Aug 23.
“The new site is in a multiracial town. Why must Umno object just because the state is now under Pakatan Rakyat.”
State executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar confirmed yesterday that local Umno chieftains had been standing in the way of the relocation and had held a demonstration at the proposed site.
He said although KLIA Holdings has obtained a court order to demolish the temple, the state government had been trying to prevent it.
According to him there was an agreement that no demolition would take place until an alternative site is found.
“I don’t understand why the company is in such a hurry.”
Dr Xavier said he had instructed the state legal advisor to contact lawyers representing KLIA Holdings to advise it against the demolition.
The Kuala Langat district officer has also been instructed to issue a stop work order on all development projects in the area until the issue is resolved.
Meanwhile, Sri Maha Mariamman temple secretary M. Thayalan told The Malaysian Insider yesterday it had lodged a police report after learning on Monday that the temple would be demolished today.
"The police called us for a meeting with the developer, and said they would not allow the demolition because it was too close to Deepavali," said Thayalan.
He said the police also told the developer to resolve the issue of relocation before the temple is demolished.
“We are grateful to the police.”
When contacted, an executive with KLIA Holdings who attended the meeting with the police and temple committee confirmed that the company had shelved its plan to demolish the temple for the time being.
Meanwhile, during campaigning in Bagan Pinang yesterday, PAS MP Khalid Samad raised the issue of the recent Umno-orchestrated cow-head protest against the Hindu temple relocation in Section 23 Shah Alam as well as the relocation of the temple in Jenjarom.
Mi
08/10/09
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