news feature

At Penang's Jalan Waterfall Sri Muneeswaran Hindu temple, Lord Shiva sits in a meditating posture. He has long matted hair which holds the flowing Ganges river and a crescent moon, a serpent coiled around his neck, a trident ( trishul ) in one hand and his body is smeared with holy ash.

The 149-year-old shrine is situated directly opposite the Jalan Waterfall-Jalan Gotlieb junction. It did not have a shelter until several decades ago when one A Arumugam erected a concrete room.

Nothing much is known about the late Arumugam but devotees who frequent the temple say he felt compelled to protect the shrine after he saw a vision of Lord Shiva there.

Today the Sri Muneeswaran temple is famous world over and thousands flock to the shrine every year on Thaipusam.

But now things look rather bleak for the shrine due to the RM1.02 billion Penang Outer Ring Road project which is expected to be completed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) in three years.

Nothing can be done

Arumugam's brother-in-law, K Mohan, 61, said he was upset that the shrine has to be removed for the project.

"We will definitely feel bad. It is like staying in a house for many, many years and suddenly you are asked to move, you have built a life here, known sadness and happiness, how do you feel?" he lamented.

"But it is a government project and that means there is nothing we can do about it," Mohan who is also the temple priest told malaysiakini today.

His defeatist attitude has more to do with the fact that no one has approached him about the matter let alone seek his opinion on the impending eviction.

He says he has to know if the project would be a reality because it is not easy to remove a holy shrine, which has been kept well over the years by generous donors and devotees.

"If we need to move, we need to ask permission from the Lord. We would have to pray until he gives his approval. After removing the shrine, we would have to conduct prayers for another 48 days," he said.

Financial compensation must be reasonable and the government must assure the devotees of an alternative place for the shrine, he added.

'The answer'

Other places of worship affected by the 17km highway, touted as "the answer" to the worsening traffic woes on the island, are three Chinese temples — two in Island Glades and one in Kampung Pisang.

Also affected are three Chinese shrines in Reservoir Cresent, Batu Gantung and Youth Park — which also houses a Hindu temple.

Seventy-six private homes, 30 squatter houses, 70 government squatters, 50 graves and a 1.6ha of the Penang Turf Club will also be scrapped due to the road alignment which begins at Tanjong Tokong and ends at Tengku Kudin — a stretch of eight interchanges.

MHA and the project concessionaire Peninsular Metroworks Sdn Bhd (PMW) are currently seeking feedback from the public by displaying 17 exhibits in the Caring Society Complex for a month.

Breaking his silence on the matter, Penang Deputy Chief Minister Hilmi Yahya said on Monday that the toll charges for the highway has been fixed at RM1.

He said the state government has managed to reduce the rate from RM1.70 to RM1 after holding several discussions with PMW and the Economic Planning Unit.

In order to control the toll rate, the state government has agreed in principle to surrender six plots of state land covering 31ha worth RM200million to PMW, he added.

What is not reassuring, is the state's "utter silence" on the amount to be compensated to those affected by the project.

But then again, not everything is about money.

Damaging move

Devotee A Shanti, who frequents the Sri Muneeswaran shrine once a week, said she would never agree to the relocation or the removal of the shrine as it would damage the cultural landscape of the island.

"We have a long history and rich heritage of Hindu culture along these two roads.

"This shrine is also a symbol of that heritage, why must the state government touch this area?" queried the 46-year-old welfare organisation worker.

Visibly upset about the matter, she added that the federal and state governments must have "better ways and better ideas to spend their money" without making life difficult for its residents.

Shanti has joined the campaign organised by the Consumers Association of Penang to try and halt the road project.

About 800 people have already signed the petition, which was submitted to Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon outside the state assembly building on Monday.

"Where will the thousand of Thaipusam devotees go to when construction work starts?

"This place is internationally known for its Thaipusam celebration and it is insensitive to disrupt an entirely religious and cultural area," stressed Shanti.