Selangor MB to mediate between protesters and temple committee

PETALING JAYA (OCT 18): Selangor mentri besar Amirudin Shari is to meet all parties who are involved in the relocation of the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on Oct 22.

The Star reports that Sentosa assemblyman G.Gunaraj confirmed this, and clarified that the issue at hand was a private matter, and it did not involve government land.

According to Gunaraj, the temple committee and developer, in adhering to a court order, had relocated to the new temple grounds, 2.7km away from the current site.

While the temple committee had consented to the relocation, an opposing group wanted the temple preserved as a heritage site.

“The mentri besar had to get involved, and he agreed to discuss the matter,” Gunaraj was quoted as saying.

The opposing group had halted the temple committees efforts to move deities from the current temple, to the temporary structure at the new site. 

The daily reports that the temple relocation is based on a consent judgment by the court in 2014.

The Shah Alam High Court had issued a notice on Sept 28,  requesting the temple occupiers to vacate the premises before Oct 15.

However, starting on Sunday night, it was reported that Nagaraju Meganathan, 64, whose grandfather built the current temple, and K. Selvam from the non-governmental organisation Free Malaysia, went on a hunger strike to save the temple.