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Wednesday 1 October 2008

Temple: Don't politicise issue

KUALA LUMPUR: Don't turn our demolished temple into a political battleground.

That is the plaintiff cry of the Sri Mahakaliamman temple committee.

But it looks like the request by temple founder and committee chairman S. Murugiah, has fallen on deaf ears as politicians are still issuing statements and making accusations.

Murugiah said the day after the demolition, the temple committee, together with Lembah Jaya state assemblyman Khasim Abdul Aziz, had met with Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) officials.

"We met with deputy council president Hamid Hussain to complain about the demolition and showed him documents.

"Hamid admitted that MPAJ had made a mistake, following which Khasim and MPAJ councillors had been working on getting the temple rebuilt and registered.

"So, stop making more statements for or against us," he said.

Yesterday, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu took the Selangor government to task over conflicting statements on the demolition.

He said the demolition showed that the Selangor state government was not committed to its promise that no places of worship in the state would be demolished.

The MCA also joined the MIC to criticise the Selangor government, with its Selangor Wanita chief Datin Paduka Chiew Mei Fun saying that Pakatan Rakyat's promise of religious freedom during the elections was merely a ploy to fish for votes.

MCA Youth secretary-general, Dr Wee Ka Siong, questioned whether the Selangor government's three-men committee overseeing religious matters on non-Muslims was a puppet committee without authority, considering that the MPAJ had not sought its approval before demolishing the temple.

- nst

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