House becomes temple in Klang

KLANG (April 1): You thought there was a residential bungalow coming up near your home but all of a sudden, it turns out to be a temple.

This is the problem faced by residents of Taman Petaling Indah here.

They were told during construction that single-storey building along Lebuh Bagor was supposed to be a single-storey bungalow, reported The Star today.

It was reported that the signboard put up during the construction of the building also gave information that it was one-storey residential bungalow being built.

An earlier meeting among the landowner, residents and Klang Municipal Council (MPK) also “confirmed” that the construction was for a residential property.

“We even have it in writing from MPK that the construction is to be a one-storey residential bungalow but the structure did not look anything like it as the ceiling is as high as a double-storey house,” resident Datuk Mohandass S Nair told the daily.

 “Now it is very obvious that it is a temple, with a big urn placed in the middle of the porch.

“Even the land beside the temple has been levelled with crusher run for devotees to use as a carpark,” he added.

The residents are hoping for stern action by MPK.

“We do not want this temple to be used as a precedent for other future developments to be constructed in this area.

“As it is, we already stopped the proposed construction of an orphanage, which was to be built behind the temple’s carpark area, and we also stopped another application for an elderly care home in house number 63,” said another resident Datuk R S Maniam.

Klang lawmaker Charles Santiago has asked MPK to act quickly “as residents raised this issue in October last year and nothing much had been done”.

“MPK should follow the rule of law and take action to stop this,” he told The Star.

Meanwhile, MPK councillor M Nalan revealed that staff of the council are “following the issue closely”.

“The officer said they would decide whether to take legal action against the landowner or bring this matter to the state,” he said.