Villagers ask state govt to save temple

A 50-year-old temple has to make way for a new township but the temple committee wants the developer to retain the temple in the same area.

BUTTERWORTH: The management committee of a Hindu temple facing demolition wants the Pakatan Rakyat state government to resolve the issue amicably with a developer.

The temple, Sri Siva-Sakti Alayam, located in Kampung Musang, some 100m from the ferry terminal here, has already been issued an eviction notice in August 2010, to pave way for a new township development.

Temple chairman and priest V Sutesh said the temple management committee had requested the developer Chiap Thian Holding Sdn Bhd to maintain the temple on its current site or rebuild it on a viable alternate site.

The developer had originally offered a mere RM18,000 as a compensation to the temple committee.

But the committee turned down the offer. The committee’s argument was that it was a more than 50-year-old temple belonging to the Hindu community.

The temple committee, a registered body under the Registrar of Societies, has asked the Bagan Dalam assemblyman A Tanasekharan to help resolve the issue.

But, claimed Sutesh, Tanasekharan had advised the committee to accept the compensation and leave.

Disappointed with Tanasekharan’s advice, the temple committee has now turned to the state government for help.

Rama to hold meeting

Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy said the state government would talk to the developer to maintain the templeat the same site.

Ramasamy plans to hold a meeting soon with the developer, together with DAP assemblymen in the area – Tanasekharan, Phee Boon Poh (Sungai Puyu) and Lim Hock Seng (Bagan Jermal), and the temple committee.

“We will talk to the developer to resolve the issue amicably,” Ramasamy told FMT.

Sutesh said the temple has been serving Hindus living in the village and surrounding vicinity for more than two generations.

There were some 200 Hindu families once living within the temple vicinity.

Currently many villagers have already shifted elsewhere after accepting the developer’s compensation offer, leaving only the temple and a handful of households awaiting compensation and eviction.

The temple sits on a 4,000 sq ft private land, whose previous land owner had sold it to the developer.