Lawyer M Manoharan wants Batu Caves Temple chairperson R Nadarajah to be sacked for failing in his duties.

Manoharan filed a civil suit against Nadarajah at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.

Nadarajah is the chairperson of the Hindu organisation Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Dhevasthanam Kuala Lumpur which owns 19 properties in Kuala Lumpur worth RM2 billion.

The properties, among others, comprise of Hindu temples, cemeteries, Tamil schools, a budget hotel, and shop houses.

Based on the originating summons of Manoharan ( right ), the former Kota Alam Shah state assemblyperson wants Nadarajah to be sacked as he believes that the latter had failed in his duties to administer the organisation as a “charitable, cultural, religious, and educational trust”.

Nadarajah had also abused his powers as chairperson for about 30 years, he claimed.

“We want to stop him from being a signatory to cheques, that his sons do not succeed him, and Thaipusam festival for the year 2016 is not to be led by him,” said the former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee.

The suit was filed through fellow former ISA detainee P Uthayakumar’s legal firm.

Manoharan also said that all future chairpersons should be limited to two terms (four years).

“All Malaysian Hindus should have the right to elect the chairperson, executive, and management committees, which is not the case now,” Manoharan said.

Declare family assets

He also wants Nadarajah and his immediate family members to declare their assets and advertise the same in all six Tamil dailies and English daily The Star .

“All future yearly statement of accounts should be independently prepared by a chartered accountant to be appointed by me," he said.

The suit was also filed so that Attorney-General (Abdul Gani Patail) re-opens, revives and refiles the three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) appeal against Nadarajah ( left ) to the Court of Appeal which was withdrawn on Aug 2007.

Nadarajah, on Feb 27, 1998, was convicted by a sessions court on three counts of criminal breach of trust and was jailed 21 months and fined RM11,000 for misappropriating funds.

Execution of the sentence, however, was stayed pending his appeal and he was released on RM10,000 bail.

Following an appeal, the High Court on June 7, 2001, acquitted and discharged Nadarajah of the three charges and the deputy public prosecutor filed an appeal on June 20, 2001.