Hindu Sangam asks PMO for temple regulatory body

Summary

• The Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS) submits a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office, asking for a temple regulatory body.

• The body will oversee temples in matters involving registration, land status, and dispute resolution.

The Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS) today submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) requesting the establishment of a regulatory body.

This body will be responsible for Hindu temples nationwide in the matter of registration, land statuses, and resolving disputes involving the temples, the MHS said.

It also suggested a Malaysian Hindu Temples Digital Registration System, which would hold records of the temples, including their annual financial reports.

“We want to make sure there’s good governance of temples,” said MHS secretary-general Vinayagamoorthii.

The memorandum was handed over by MHS president T Ganesan to the PMO’s Shanmugam Mookan during the organisation’s town hall at Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, today.

The town hall meeting with temples across the country followed the controversial relocation of the 130-year-old Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple in Jalan Masjid India to make way for a mosque.

The temple’s relocation sparked polarised reactions, with a segment of social media users focusing on the legal status of Hindu temples.

A Facebook group was also created to report such temples.

Steps already taken

At a press conference during the town hall, Deputy Unity Minister Saraswathy Kandasamy said the cabinet had approved resolutions from a conference of temples held last year.

One of the resolutions was to set up a committee under MHS to look into temple land and management issues, she said.

“So, what I’m saying is that there are already steps taken, very proactive steps taken by the MHS,” she added.

Saraswathy said that land status problems generally fall under the purview of state governments.

“I think there are already directions to the respective states to engage with the MHS to resolve these issues,” she commented.

Besides that, Vinayagamoorthii explained that the NGO cannot enforce its existing temple guidelines.

MHS’ position is merely advisory, he said.

“It (the guidelines) has been given in many temple conferences that were held previously.

“Sadly, the guideline is taken, but they don’t follow.

“…Sometimes it is very hard because the demographic situation of the temples may not allow them to do so,” he explained.

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