KUALA LUMPUR — The Selangor government rejected the proposed escalator project to the Upper Cave at the Batu Caves Sri Subramaniar Swamy temple because the application was submitted under the name of a private individual, Selangor state executive councillor V.Papparaidu.
According to the DAP lawmaker, the reason has already been communicated to the temple management.
He said the escalator proposal by the Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam Kuala Lumpur was a good idea aimed at making access to the Upper Cave easier for devotees and visitors.
However, Papparaidu explained that approval could not be granted as the application was not made in the name of an organisation, association or recognised body.
“Because the application was submitted under an individual’s name, approval could not be given.
“If it had been submitted under the name of an organisation or official body, approval would have been obtained much faster,” he told a press conference yesterday.
Papparaidu also said the Selangor government remains committed to following established rules and procedures when considering and approving development projects.
Meanwhile, Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Devasthanam trustee Datuk Sivakumar Nadraja rejected Papparaidu’s explanation, saying the escalator application was originally submitted under the organisation’s name about a year ago, but was not approved.
According to Sivakumar, the initial application was rejected because the temple did not have a registration number with the Registrar of Societies (RoS). He explained that the temple exists under a court order as a charitable, cultural, religious, and educational trust for the benefit of Malaysian Hindus.
He told Vanakkam Malaysia that the Gombak Land and District Office later advised the management to submit the application under an individual’s name. This was done after the temple chairman, Tan Sri Datuk Dr R. Nadarajah, was granted power of attorney to sign the document in accordance with court orders.
Sivakumar also presented the relevant court documents to Vanakkam Malaysia to support his explanation.
He questioned the reasoning behind Papparaidu’s statement, asking: “Is he speaking out of genuine understanding, or is he merely pretending to understand?” He added that Papparaidu should familiarise himself with the facts before making public comments.
Sivakumar said a case file has been opened in relation to the matter and is currently under investigation, following multiple meetings and the reaching of preliminary conclusions.— January 7, 2026