KUALA LUMPUR – A dedicated committee should be established to collect data on temples facing land and administrative issues nationwide and propose solutions in line with existing laws and regulations, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran.
His remarks followed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa’s announcement that the 130-year-old Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple would be relocated to a new site.
The new location, covering 4,000 square feet—equivalent to the temple’s current site—is part of Lot PT 95, Section 40, Mukim Bandar Kuala Lumpur. The government has assured that no demolition will take place at the existing temple, which will continue operating until the relocation process is completed in a peaceful manner.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Kulasegaran said a non-Muslim committee could address longstanding issues faced by Hindu temples across the country.
“There is a need to avoid incidents like this in the nation. Oftentimes, when situations like this happen, we’re on very risky ground, as the matter involves race.
“It is hoped that a final solution can be achieved, where we will find an eventual way to deal with such issues. One of the proposed plans is to form a non-Muslim committee that will analyse all Hindu temples in the country and ensure that issues like this do not happen again,” he said at the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple.
In February, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that Putrajaya had rejected a proposal to establish a ministerial position dedicated to non-Islamic religious affairs. He said religious concerns were adequately addressed through the religious affairs minister, the national unity minister, and the Harmony Committee, which represents all ethnic and religious groups.
Meanwhile, Kulasegaran highlighted public misconceptions regarding temples without land grants, many of which were built on estate properties.
“A lot of people don’t understand why temples on estates and temples like Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman have no land grant.
“Such temples have existed for a long time, but when the estate property is sold off, it becomes a problem because the temples have no land grant and their temple land is not set aside for them.”
The Ipoh Barat MP noted that the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple faced a similar predicament, adding that its committee had informed him that more than 200 people visit the site daily for prayers.
In 2014, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) sold the land housing the temple to its current owner, textile company Jakel Group. The company recently announced plans to construct a mosque on the site, named the Madani Mosque, with Anwar set to officiate its groundbreaking ceremony this Thursday. – March 25, 2025