A 60-year-old Hindu temple slated for demolition in Kuala Lumpur has won a temporary reprieve. But its administrators are far from happy.

The reason? The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has stipulated a mere 10' x 10' land allocation near the to-be-demolished Sri Ayyanar Sathiswary Alayan temple for a temporary replacement structure to be built.

In a letter to the mayor dated March 16, their lawyer M Manoharan termed the allocation as 'embarrassing'.

Even burial plots in the city are bigger than the allocated land, he said in the two-page letter, a copy of which was faxed to malaysiakini today.

"The offer is most surprising and disappointing for a 60-year-old Hindu temple that has some 3,000 devotees," he added.

Manoharan was responding to a letter from DBKL dated March 14, informing the administrators of the allocation.

The DBKL letter, a copy of which was also faxed to malaysiakini , was signed by enforcement deputy director Mohd Sauffi Muhammad.

Saufi said the Sri Ayyanar Sathiswary Alayan temple in Jalan Davis had to move due to the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel Project (Smart) being earmarked for that area.

DBKL has agreed to allow the temporary siting of the temple at a new location near the Jalan Seladang-Jalan Pelanduk intersection, he added.

He said the temporary structure should be no more than 10' x 10' in measurement - the size of a small room - and no cement structures are allowed.

The reprieve will be valid until Dec 2006, after which the temple administrators must look for an alternative location by themselves. Failing which, Sauffi warned, action can be taken at any time.

He said the decision was made following a visit to the temple by DBKL officials with one VM Panjamorthy on March 6.

Statues 'destroyed and buried'

However, Manoharan in his letter said his clients had never elected Panjamorthy as their representative and are puzzled as to why DBKL is still dealing with him regarding this matter.

The lawyer also highlighted his client's grievance over the deplorable manner in which some 40 DBKL personnel armed with rotans had destroyed the deities at the temple some three weeks ago.

"Not only did they destroy the statues, they also dug a hole in the ground and buried them. This action is deplorable and insulting to the Hindu faith," he added.

Manoharan said his client and other devotees have field several police reports on the incident.

The temple administrators are demanding for a new plot of land to erect the temple and wanted DBKL to pay a compensation of RM150,000 for the loss incurred in the demolition exercise, which also purportedly saw jewelry belonging to the temple going missing.

Manoharan gave DBKL 14 days to reply, failing which, the lawyer said his clients will consider taking legal action.

Copies of the letter were also sent to the attorney-general, who was urged to take action against those involved in insulting the Hindu faith by destroying the statues, the inspector-general of police as well as MIC president and Works Minister S Samy Vellu.

Commenting on the incident, another lawyer P Uthayakumar said desecrating a place of worship is a criminal offence and action must be taken.

"The recent caricature controversy which was deemed insulting a religion saw the government take serious action but now a temple has been broken into and there is pin-drop silence," he added.