Temple committee puzzled over ‘half-lot’

How is it that the Selangor Land Office gazetted only half a temple area when the entire land 'owned ' by the trustees covered 22,000 sq feet?

PETALING JAYA: The 41-year-old Sri Kumaravel temple committee in Desa Mentari, Selangor is perplexed over why only half of their 22,000 sq feet temple land has been gazetted by the Selangor state government as place of worship.

Expressing their puzzlement, the temple committee secretary SG Rajoo said in 2006 the Mentari Properties Sdn Bhd had given them nearly half-an-acre or about 22,000 sq feet of land for the temple.

“Since 2008, we’ve met Dr Xavier (Jeyakumar, state executive councillor) and his assistants several times to get the state government’s nod to gazette the whole temple land.

“We were therefore shocked when we recently received the letter from the Land Office gazetting only 10,000sq feet when the total temple land is 22,000sq feet,” said Rajoo.

Rajoo showed reporters copies of the letter dated Jan 4, 2013 from the Land Office. The letter also indicated that the remainder portion had been marked as reserve land.

“This is ridiculous. Why gazette only part of the temple land? Wouldn’t it be better to gazette the whole temple land and solve this issue once and for all?” Rajoo asked.

Demanding an explanation from the state government, Rajoo said the committee wanted Xavier to resolve the issue before the dissolution of the state assembly. The Selangor Legislative Assembly’s term ends April 22.

The Sri Kumareval temple was originally situated at PJS 6, before it was moved to its current location in Desa Mentari, Sunway in 2007.

The temple committee had in 2007 applied to the previous state government to gazette the land.

“However, the application went to the Pakatan state government after BN was defeated in Selangor in 2008 general election.”

Rajoo claimed that at a recent meeting, Xavier told the temple committee to re-apply for the remaining land from the state government.

“When we met him, he told us that under the previous BN government, the policy was that any non-Islam place of worship is only given 10,000sq feet.

“I’m surprised why the Pakatan government is still following BN policies. Worst still, the so called policy applies only to temples. Something is not right with this,” he said, adding that he did not discount the possibility of hauling the state government to court over the matter.

Meanwhile, Kelana Jaya BN facilitator Loh Seng Kok urged Pakatan government to gazette the land immediately.

“The so called reserve land belongs to the temple. So, give it back to them,” he said after visiting the temple.