Former Selangor Menteri Besar Mohd Khir Toyo said the call to demolish the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Rimba Jaya in 2007 was not his, but a Federal Court's decision, and the demolition was urged on by former MIC president S Samy Vellu.

NONE The Malay Mail front-paged MIC president G Palanivel ( right ), who at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the same temple on Sunday, said that Samy had come down and actually tried to stop the demolition from taking place.

Palanivel further criticised Khir for not helping and said Khir was "stubborn" when the Indian community expressed its resentment over the temple's demolition then.

"Samy came down to the temple and fought for his temple, tried to stop them from destroying (the temple), but the state government leaders were adamant and went on with it anyway," said Palanivel.

The temple has since been relocated to a 15,000 sq ft-land that is located behind new Ken Rimba residential development, some 500 metres away from the original site. It recently received RM1 million to speed up the construction works.

Khir: Samy told us to demolish temple

The temple demolition issue became a thorn for the Barisan Nasional during the 2008 general election (GE) when it had control of the state.

Officers from the Shah Alam City Council, Subang Jaya Municipal Council and the Klang Municipal Council conducted a demolition operation on the 100-year-old temple, which was done in two stages.

Khir said that it is not right for Palanivel to accuse him of tearing down the temple and lose the BN Indian support.

"The decision was made by the Federal Court and we were only carrying out the duties," he told The Malay Mail .

abdullah ahmad badawi pak lah parliament pc 101208 He further claimed that then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ( left ) had intervened as they were about to demolish the temple on Deepavali eve.

"Tun (Abdullah Ahmad) intervened and asked us to stop. One week later, Samy Vellu called me and told me that they were about to conduct some prayer in the temple, and if the prayer is done, then the temple cannot be touched for some 40 days. So, he said we had to demolish it then," Khir said.

Khir also said that the temple committee had then agreed to relocate the temple and also to a RM40,000 compensation from the state government.

'Temple issue will create problems for BN'

Samy, when contacted, refused to confirm what Khir had said and kept on insisting that the issue of the demolition should be left alone.

"When you touch the temple issue, it will create problems for BN. I would not touch the subject. The matter is finished and past, and now we (BN) is blooming in the state," said Samy, who refused to confirm or deny Khir's allegations.

samy vellu mic Samy ( left ) also refused to comment on Palanivel's claims that by enlarging the voter base of Indians, MIC is able to deliver Selangor back to BN from the opposition.

"The Indians in Selangor have come back (to BN). They support the leadership of  Najib (Abdul Razak) because he has shown he cares for the Indians," Samy said.

When asked for the proof of support, he has only this to say: "I have been a politician for 35 years and I know. I have gone down and done my own survey. Indians in the state tell me that it was all a "slip" in the 2008 GE. Next GE, they will vote BN," said Samy, who is now the Malaysian Special Envoy of Infrastructure to India and Southern Asia.

- The Malay Mail

Part I: MIC struggling to win votes, concedes party boss