PAS leader backs PM over temple row, says it's a legal issue

Summary

• PAS info chief backs Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s firm stance on the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple.

• Ahmad Fadhli Shaari says the matter was not a religious issue but a legal one.

A PAS leader has come forward to back Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s assessment of the controversy surrounding the land on which the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple is situated.

This came after Anwar insisted that the temple was erected on a piece of land without permission from its previous and current owners.

“This is the right stand and it should be supported. Any illegal structure on someone else’s land… we have no other option but to demolish them.

“It’s not a religious issue but a legal one. Hopefully, such issues no longer arise in the future,” said PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari on Facebook today.

Earlier, Anwar said the temple has to be relocated and the issue must be handled according to the law.

He also said that the authorities had previously even demolished illegal mosques and surau.

"My religion never teaches me to be hostile towards others or to destroy their belongings. But do not mistake us for being weak.

"There was a mosque in Lahad Datu that was torn down because it did not follow the law. So was a surau in Perak and a mosque in Sentul.

"To us, this country must be based on the law," he stressed.

‘Never relocated’

On March 23, MIC deputy president M Saravanan said the temple has stood for over 100 years and has never been relocated since its establishment.

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

“This place of worship is over 100 years old, and it has never been demolished.

“In 2006, when road-widening works were planned, the temple was asked to demolish its kitchen and the living quarters of the priest to allow the work to proceed,” the former human resources minister added.

Lawyers for Liberty claimed that DBKL had sold the land to private company in 2014 without the temple committee’s knowledge.

The land’s current owner, Jakel Group, plans to build a mosque on the site, sparking fears that the temple and its 130-year heritage would be demolished.

PM: Temple built without permission, country must follow rule of law

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

Why must DBKL seek 'squatter's' permission, Akmal asks Vigneswaran

YOURSAY | Temple crisis: DBKL has a lot to answer for