The Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman Temple is a mere shrine and not a temple, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (pic) said of the Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle.
"I know what a temple and shrine is all about, I am also a pious man. I pray I would not want to break something which people pray to,” he said.
"This country has laws so please abide by it," Tengku Adnan told reporters today.
The temple, which was built in 1911 in Jalan P. Ramlee, sits on reserve land meant for roads or walkways and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall had wanted to claim back some eight feet of land.
This was resisted by scores of worshippers who rushed to protect the temple, raising the temperature in Malaysia's religious landscape and pitting the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government against politicians from its own coalition.
The authority erected a hoarding around the area it reclaimed but last Thursday the temple committee and about one hundred devotees tore it down.
Tengku Adnan said that the ministry will be upgrading the temple into a tourist attraction and looking into gazetting the land where the “shrine” sits.
"Why do we always have problems with temples? Not with churches, mosques nor Chinese temples... why? Ask yourself, don't ask me," he questioned.
"We will take action against anyone who does not abide by the laws, regardless of Christians, Hindus or Muslims."
MORE TO COME.
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