Temple committee ‘pressured’ to relocate, claims Ramasamy

Urimai president P Ramasamy has claimed that the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple committee was “pressured” into accepting the relocation settlement with Kuala Lumpur City Hall and land owner Jakel Trading.

Ramasamy also claimed the decision to relocate the temple about 50 metres away - on a 4,000sqft plot of land that will be permanently gazetted for its use - was not made in a free and fair manner, despite all parties directly involved stating otherwise.

“Urimai strongly believes that the temple committee was pressured into accepting this relocation under the circumstances of duress and threats,” the former DAP leader claimed in a statement yesterday, several hours after the temple committee announced it had entered into agreement with DBKL.

“The decision was not made in a free and fair manner but rather under coercion, with Indian MPs from both the MIC and Pakatan Harapan failing to stand their ground.

“The temple committee, composed of ordinary members, had little choice but to comply with the demands placed upon them,” he claimed.

Yesterday, temple committee secretary Karthik Gunaseelan first revealed the relocation agreement, and MIC deputy president M Saravanan as well as Minister in The Prime Minister's Department Dr Zaliha Mustafa, subsequently announced the details following a meeting with DBKL.

At a separate press conference with the temple committee members last night, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M Kulasegaran and Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, had both expressed gratitude to all involved in achieving the resolution.

‘Who bears the cost?’

Ramasamy, however, insisted there were critical details that remain unclear.

“While the new land is said to be comparable in size to the current temple grounds, critical details remain unclear—such as who will bear the costs of shifting the temple, infrastructure development, and other necessary works,” he said.

“The only acceptable justification for this relocation would be if the new site and its facilities are superior to the existing structure

“The issue at hand was never about refusing relocation but about the unjust circumstances under which it was imposed,” said the former Penang chief minister II who previously cited the state’s Hindu Endowment Board as a model to be adopted by the federal government.

Prior to the settlement, rights group Lawyers for Liberty had raised questions surrounding DBKL’s sale of the land to Jakel, without informing the temple committee.

It was previously reported that Jakel as the land owner had offered an undisclosed sum to bear related costs to move the temple from its current site along Jalan Munshi Abdullah, where the company plans to build a mosque.

Despite assistance provided by leaders in government, Ramasamy claimed the temple’s relocation will be remembered as one of the ruling coalitions’ greatest betrayals of the Indian community.

He also warned a loss support from Indian voters towards Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.

Anwar is scheduled to officiate Jakel’s proposed Madani Mosque’s groundbreaking ceremony this Thursday. - Mkini