Lawyers urge govt to disclose details of temple land sale in 2014

Summary

• Lawyers Ambiga and Surendran call on govt to release a 2014 sales and purchase agreement between DBKL and a private company over the land housing a temple.

• The pair says the agreement is believed to contain provisions and information about the temple's rights and status.

Two lawyers have urged the government to disclose the sale and purchase agreement between the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and a private company regarding the land housing the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple.

Ambiga Sreenevasan and N Surendran said they were informed that the agreement dated May 12, 2014, contains provisions and information about the temple's rights and status.

"We have good grounds to believe that the release of the sale and purchase agreement may substantially assist towards achieving a resolution of the current situation, in addition to ensuring public accountability and transparency regarding the sale of government land to a private entity," the duo said in a statement today.

The temple, located at Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur, is slated to be demolished to make way for a mosque.

Surendran had earlier claimed that the temple is in a quandary due to DBKL’s past actions despite the latter appearing to distance itself.

The temple's original structure was built in 1893 on a nearby plot of land and remained there until 2008 when it was relocated at DBKL's request.

However, MIC deputy president M Saravanan yesterday clarified that the temple was never relocated.

Instead, only its kitchen and priest’s living quarters were demolished to make way for road widening works in 2006, he said.

Dissatisfied parties

The issue has become a controversy sparking debate from several quarters, with Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh likening the temple committee to a "squatter" when criticising MIC president SA Vigneswaran.

The MIC leader had slammed DBKL for selling land, which includes the lot the temple is situated on, to textile company Jakel Trading Sdn Bhd without consulting the temple committee.

Independent preacher Firdaus Wong also claimed to have received death threats after questioning the establishment of religious sites illegally on other’s property.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is slated to launch the construction of the mosque on March 27, stepped in to urge all parties to stop playing up religious sentiments and allow negotiations to continue, reiterating his wishes for the issue to be resolved amicably.

After that, PKR MP Hassan Abdul Karim issued an open letter to Anwar, telling the latter to resolve the issue with fairness and wisdom.

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