KUALA LUMPUR — The management of the Batu Caves Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple has issued a letter of demand (LOD) against Selangor executive councillor V. Papparaidu over remarks linked to the rejection of a proposed escalator project to the Upper Cave.
The LOD was issued by the chairman and trustee of the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Dhevasthanam (SMMDT), Tan Sri R. Nadarajah, through lawyer Aswath Ramakrishnan of Ahmad Deniel, Ruben & Co.
Speaking at a press conference at the Batu Caves temple today, Aswath said the legal action stemmed from statements made by Papparaidu in two TikTok postings on June 7, 2025, one in Malay and another in Tamil.
“With our client’s instructions, being the temple and Tan Sri Nadarajah, we have issued a letter of demand to YB Tuan Papparaidu over comments he made regarding the escalator application,” Aswath said.
He said the LOD seeks an unreserved apology and a written undertaking for Papparaidu to cease making further statements on the matter. The Selangor exco has been given seven days to respond.
The dispute centres on Papparaidu’s earlier claim that the escalator application was rejected because it was submitted under the private name of an individual rather than an organisation, a statement the temple trustees say is inaccurate and defamatory.
Nadarajah said the Batu Caves temple is administered by SMMDT, a charitable trust established under a court order in 1930, and not by private individuals.
“The temple land is vested in the trustees, not in the names of individuals. It is held in trust for a charitable organisation established under a court order,” he said.
Temple legal representative Datuk Selva Mookiah explained that the initial application for the escalator project was submitted under the temple’s charitable trust status. However, authorities later requested a registration number, which the Batu Caves temple does not have as it operates as a charitable trust under the Attorney General’s Chambers.
“The board of trustees then authorised Tan Sri Nadarajah to submit the application in his capacity as chairman and trustee, not in his personal capacity,” Selva said.
He added that the temple was later advised to register as a society, prompting the trustees to file for judicial review to challenge the decision.
“To avoid further dispute, we sought judicial review,” he said, noting that the High Court has granted leave for the case to proceed.
SMMDT trustee Datuk Sivakumar Nadraja also presented documents at the press conference to support the temple’s position.
The Selangor government had previously said the escalator proposal was rejected due to technical issues related to the application process.— January 8, 2026