I refer to the Malaysiakini report Changing the face of Batu Caves.

Batu Caves is the only place where Indians gather once a year to fulfill their vows to their lord. If we now transform this holy place into a recreation and tourism centre, it will automatically become nothing more than a theme park much like Sunway Lagoon or the Lost World of Tambun.

What is the necessity for this mega-transformation? Rather than turning Batu Caves into a recreation centre, the government could use the funds to develop other temples which could also serve as tourist attractions.

Indians only get government funds once in a blue moon but when we get it, we waste unnecessarily on projects like these. Batu Caves is a place for prayers; it is not there to fulfill commercial purposes.

From my view, I think the whole project is to make this holy place generate revenue rather than to safeguard the oldest culture and religion in the world. Here are some suggestions on how to better spend the RM20 million allocated for the development of Batu Caves (and get Indian contractors to do the project):

1. Facilitate the whole area with convenient and proper public transportation.

2. Allow the caves to be seen from a distance. Remove all advertisements which block the view of the caves from afar.

3. Create a better landscape for tourists and devotees to rest.

4. Create a better traffic flow system

5. Have better lighting for the area to encourage more visitors and devotees to drop by at night.

8. Build a water treatment system for the river.

9. Build a larger rest area near the riverside and maintain cleanliness.

10. Provide free drinking water for devotees and visitors at designated points within the area.