Hindu Dharma Blog

About 100 members of the MIC Youth wing protested the demolition of a Hindu temple by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council without following proper procedures. The demonstration was held in front of the Selangor state secretariat.

from The Star
MIC protests against demolition

SHAH ALAM: About 100 MIC members demonstrated here to protest the demolition of a Hindu temple by the Ampang Jaya Municipal council recently.

The crowd, which included Indian NGOs, protested at the main gate of the Selangor secretariat building yesterday morning.

Organiser T. Mohan, who is MIC Youth chief, said the PKR government had lied to the people that they would not tear down any places of worship.

“They said no temples would be destroyed, what happened now?” Mohan told reporters the MIC was unhappy with the state government’s action to demolish the Sri Mahakaliaman temple after he presented a memorandum to Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s political secretary, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

The 19-year-old temple was built on forest reserve. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times between 2002 and 2007.

Asked why the MIC did not solve the issue then, Mohan said the party had taken action and that was why the temple was rebuilt.

Kapar MP S. Manicka­vasagam has threatened to quit his post in the Selangor state government if no action is taken against council officers who demolished a Hindu temple without proper authorization.

from The Star
Kapar MP to quit PKR if no action is taken

KLANG: Kapar MP S. Manicka­vasagam has threatened to quit as the Selangor Parti Keadilan Rakyat liaison committee deputy chairman if no action is taken against council officers involved in a Hindu temple demolition exercise in Ampang re­­cently.

Manickavasagam, who is also a PKR supreme council member, said he might even quit the party if he was not satisfied with action taken by the state government.

He said action should be taken against the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) president, its en-forcement chief and other officers involved as the matter was not referred to the state govern-

ment before the temple was demolished.

“The council president also did not inform the two Indian representatives in the council’s board of the action. I have recently learnt that MPAJ sent notices of demolition to 10 other temples in the municipality.

“I feel action must be taken especially against those directly involved as this is serious,” he said. Selangor Health, Estate Workers and Caring Government Committee chairman Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar said he was not satisfied with the council’s interim report.

“MPAJ is conducting an internal probe as the demolition took place without the knowledge of the state exco or MPAJ president, who was in Mecca when it happened,” he told reporters when he visited the temple on Sunday.

Dr Xavier said the temple committee should also take responsibility as they did not apply for permission from the state government to build the temple.

“The mistake is on both sides. The demolition without prior notice from the state government and the building of temple without the state’s approval,” he said.

Temple committee chairman S. Murugiah said they did not receive any notice for the demolition.

Dr A. Xavier Jayakumarare, member of the Selangor state executive council, has said that the Sri Maha Kaliamman temple that was demolished last week was built on forest reserve land and that the temple committee was partly to blame for the demolition. He also said that the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council had not informed the state government before the temple was demolished.

from New Straits Times
Xavier: Temple was built on forest reserve

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sri Maha Kaliamman temple committee must share equal responsibility for the demolition of the temple, Selangor state executive councilor Dr A. Xavier Jayakumarare said.
Xavier said the temple was built on forest reserve land and the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council was right to take action.

He said, however, the council should have sought permission from the state government before demolishing the temple.

“The state government was not informed of this matter.

“According to our guidelines, local authorities must seek permission from the state executive council before demolishing any place of worship,” Xavier said after visiting the temple site at Kampung Tasik, Ampang yesterday.
He said the council had been directed to submit a report on the demolition but declined to say if disciplinary action would be taken against anyone.

Xavier said the temple committee chairman, S. Murugiah, had also been advised to write to the state government for approval before rebuilding the structure.

He also described the demolition as a small issue.

“This is a small issue compared with other more serious problems affecting the Indian community. Why don’t we look at the bigger picture?”

Ampang member of parliament Zuraida Kamaruddin has denied that she had said “temple committee workers had demolished the temple to carry out renovation works“.

Her political secretary, who was at the site yesterday, said Zuraida was “misquoted” by several newspapers on Saturday.

The Hindu temple at the heart of a new controversy in Ampang was in fact demolished by its own committee for renovations. The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) had been accused by various parties for illegally destroying the temple, but it has emerged that this was not the case. Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin from PKR has confirmed that the temple committee itself tore down the shrine.

from The Star
Temple demolished for renovation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Hindu temple in Ampang had been demolished by its own committee to make way for renovation and a face lift.

Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin said the public condemnation of the demolition and accusation lashed at the local council and state government was unfounded.

The PKR MP said MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy’s allegations were completely unfounded and untrue.

“The truth is the temple was demolished by its own committee to make way for renovation and a face lift. They did this of their own accord and did not consult nor seek approval from the state government beforehand.

“We did not even know about the demolition until it happened,” she said.

According to her, the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) was currently investigating the issue and was still waiting for the local council’s report.