Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple agrees to relocate

Summary

• The Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple will be relocated to a new site after an agreement was reached with Kuala Lumpur City Hall yesterday.

• Temple committee secretary Karthik Gunaseelan says technical details will be discussed and announced later.

The Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple will be relocated to a new site, in an agreement reached with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Temple committee secretary Karthik Gunaseelan said the agreement was reached yesterday following negotiations with DBKL.

“We thank the minister, elected representatives and other authorities who helped achieve this resolution.

“The new site is nearby and within the area of Jalan Masjid India and suitable as an alternative site,” Karthik told Malaysiakini.

Karthik said a meeting between the temple committee and DBKL to finalise technical matters will be held this afternoon and a formal announcement is expected to follow.

Earlier, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stressed that the temple was built without permission and must be handled lawfully while ensuring a respectful relocation.

He said that other places of worship, including mosques, have been removed for legal violations, but the government is taking a tolerant approach in this case.

PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari also backed the prime minister on the matter, stressing it was not a religious issue but a legal matter.

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

The current structure sits on a piece of land at Jalan Munshi Abdullah off Jalan Masjid India, said to have been built in 1893, decades before DBKL and its predecessor agency were established.

After Merdeka, DBKL became the land owner before it was sold in 2014 to the textile company, Jakel Group.

Jakel recently announced its plan to build a mosque there, which it will name the Madani Mosque, with Anwar scheduled to officiate its groundbreaking ceremony this Thursday.

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