Bureau denies ordering action against temple

Its director general says it has no power to tell local councils to issue summonses.

PETALING JAYA: The Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) today denied that it instructed the Kajang Municipal Council (MPK) to punish a Hindu temple for allowing excessive noise during prayer sessions.

“My department has no authority to instruct a local council to issue summonses,” the bureau’s director general, Mahani Tan Abdullah, told FMT in reaction to Selangor exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar’s accusation.

Jayakumar told FMT yesterday that the council was acting on PCB’s instruction when it issued summonses and imposed a fine on the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Bangi Lama.

He also said MPK president Hasan Nawawi Abdul Rahman was unaware of the summonses.

Mahani however said PCB received a complaint about the alleged noise from a Bangi Lama resident in December 2011 and forwarded it to MPK for further action.

“And when the complainant came back on Oct 24 last year saying the problem was persisting, we wrote to the MPK asking what action they have taken on the matter. That’s all.

“But the standard procedure is for the local council to refer the matter to the Places of Worship Committee, which falls under the state government’s purview,” she said.

Yesterday, MIC youth chief T Mohan said the temple was first issued a notice on Feb 17 last year. It was signed by an enforcement officer named Faizal on behalf of the council president, he added.

“How come an ordinary enforcement officer signed the notice on behalf of the president without his knowledge?” Mohan asked.