MIC president G Palanivel has insisted that the action by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) against the Sri Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman temple yesterday did not amount to a demolition of the place of worship.

NONE "I received all kinds of reports that the temple had been demolished but it is only the sides of the temple.

"Only the stalls of the temple was demolished, the temple itself remains intact," Palanivel ( left ) told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Local authorities have said that the temple had exceeded its legal compound and extensions of the temple had to be demolished for a development project.

A demolition attempt by DBKL in September failed after activists blocked officers from carrying out the work.

The government then put a stop to the demolition pending negotiations with the temple owners.

However, DBKL conducted a surprise demolition yesterday morning and succeeded in removing part of the temple.

Th temple owners claimed that DBKL had demolished more than it should and encroached into the temple structure.

Areas demolished include altars where deities were placed and the temple-keepers’ living quarters.

The altars were located a few feet next to the main temple, while the living quarters were attached to the rear section of the main temple.

The area in which the altars were sited had allegedly been used to sell drinks but the licence for this was revoked in 2009, and the deities were restored.

A section next to the altars was said to have been used as a place to serve food during ceremonies.

Now still standing is the main temple building - a small one-room building - and the gopuram (monumental tower) in front of it. 

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