The Kota Tinggi Municipal Council (MDKT) has said that the surau at the centre of controversy has to be demolished due to non-compliance to building rules.

kota tinggi demolition notice for tanjung sutera surau "The decision was made after we found that the surau did not have a certificate of fitness (CF).

"If they do not comply (with order to demolish the surau), we will get a court order to take action," MDKT president Hasrin Kamal Hashim was quoted as saying in Sinar Harian today.

The surau at a resort in Kuala Sedili Besar, Kota Tinggi, generated controversy after a recording of a group of Buddhists using the venue for meditation was uploaded to video-sharing site YouYube.

Hasrin told the daily  that the resort management had 21 days to complete the demolition.

In another report, Sinar Harian quoted a local resident, who declined to be named, admitting that he was responsible for uploading the video that started the controversy.

"Visitors to the resort had expressed concern about a group of Buddhists who were conducting their rituals in the surau.

"I recorded their activities before asking them to leave... I also uploaded the video on my cousin's YouTube account and made a police report," he was quoted as saying.

As a result of the controversy, the Malaysian government had revoked the permanent residency (PR) of the resort’s owner, a Singaporean, for allowing use of the surau by the Buddhist group.

He is also being investigated under Section 295 of the Penal Code for allegedly desecrating a place of worship.