MBPJ will withhold approval to any proposed developments at two temples site in SS19, Petaling Jaya until an amicable settlement is reached, said Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua today.

NONE Pua ( right ) said he will lobby to MBPJ about the current situation facing an Indian temple and an adjoining Chinese temple and advise the authorities to defer granting a green light.

Pua’s reaction came after both temples received a legal notice on May 16 from landowner Selangor Dredging Berhad (SDB), which required them to vacate the land immediately.

Pua said the notice was served in bad faith as he and the devotees committees had been conducting talks with the developer since March.

“As landowner they are entitled to issue a legal notice, but as the government we are also entitled to defer approval for their developments,” he told media representatives and some 50 devotees at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple this morning.

NONE Last week the developer had also put up a signboard announcing the developments, but the last date for objection was backdated to April 19.

Pua said SDB was well aware of the conflicts facing the 50-year-old Hindu temple and the 45-year-old Tow Boo Keong temple when they bought over the land in 2006.

“In 2007, MBPJ has deferred development approval on the land until SDB produces a full-fledged plan and compensate the temples with 10,000 sq ft of alternative land each.

“We request the developer to seriously consider this as part of the resolution,” he said while showing a copy of the letter.

He stressed that the devotees are willing to negotiate with the developer to reach an amicable settlement.

Devotees prefer the temples to stay at current site

Sri Maha Mariaman temple committee secretary Raman Muniandy NONE ( right ) said they prefer the temple to remain on its current site.

He said SDB has once offered compensation of RM300,000 for relocation of the temple, but this was rejected by the devotees.

“This is the only Hindu temple in Petaling Jaya Utara, we don’t want a sen of compensation, we just want it to remain here,” he said.

Tow Boo Keong temple committee chairman Tan Kam Piew said the temple should ideally remain in the community because its devotees are mainly from the Damansara Bistari flats next door.

He noted that the entire area around Jalan SS2/72, where SS2 Mall and Ken Damansara 3 Condominium are situated, was previously the site of Kg Damansara Dalam.

NONE “The two temples were the places of worship for the villagers, who have been relocated to Damansara Bistari low-cost flats now,” he said.

A staff member of SDB’s corporate communications department, who gave his name only as Yeoh, when contacted, clarified that the legal notice was merely to inform the temple committees about the landowner.

“Nowhere in the letter is it stated that the temples will be demolished or the devotees will be evicted,” he said.

He said SDB is prepared to negotiate and agree on a reasonable amount of compensation.