Let negotiations continue in peace, PM urges amid temple polemics

Summary

• Anwar Ibrahim urges calm as negotiations continue over a Hindu temple’s relocation, stressing that both the temple and a new mosque will have a place.

• He criticises those exploiting religious sentiments and affirms that demolition is not under consideration.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is slated to launch the construction of a new mosque at the site of a Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur next week, has urged all parties to stop playing up religious sentiments and allow negotiations to continue.

He reiterated that he wants the issue to be resolved amicably.

“All parties, including friends who are Muslim, should remain calm and avoid giving any inappropriate response.

“Let the negotiations continue in peace between the private sector as the landowner, and the temple (committee),” he said on social media today.

The post was accompanied by a video of a doorstop interview, where the premier was asked to comment on the controversy.

In the video, Anwar insisted that “the mosque will be built, and the temple will be given a place”, and that he will be launching the mosque.

He said the temple is occupying the land illegally, but the landowner Jakel Trading Sdn Bhd has offered to help in order to maintain harmonious relations, while the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) looks for an alternative site for the temple.

Such negotiations are not new but have gone on for years, he said.

“The problem is when (there are) those who take advantage of religious sentiments, including those who are Hindu.

“For example, there are lawyers who were never involved in Hindu religious affairs who also became champions and made rash comments, such as (suggesting that the temple would be) demolished.

“I as prime minister cannot imagine demolishing any temple or the religious activities of others. The matter does not arise at all.

“The negotiations have gone on for years - these are not new negotiations - to find a good solution so that they (the temple committee) can get a site that is legitimate and recognised,” he said.

On Wednesday, MalaysiaNow reported that Anwar was expected to officiate the groundbreaking ceremony of the proposed mosque on March 27, which would be named “Masjid Madani”.

However, it was feared that the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple would have to be demolished to make way for the mosque’s eventual construction.

READ MORE: KINIGUIDE | Exploring temple crisis in the heart of KL

Lawyers for Liberty co-founder N Surendran alleged that the temple was originally built in 1893, but was ordered by DBKL to move to its current site a few metres away in 2008.

Then, DBKL allegedly sold the land to a private company in 2014 without the temple committee’s knowledge.

Both DBKL and Jakel have assured that there will be no demolition until the temple is relocated.

The DBKL previously proposed several sites for the temple’s relocation, but each has been rejected by the temple citing reasons such as flood risk at the Sungai Bunus site.

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