Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh slammed MIC president SA Vigneswaran over the controversy surrounding a land plot that houses the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple on Jalan Masjid India.
This followed the MIC leader's remarks during a press conference yesterday where he lambasted the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) for selling the piece of land to textile company Jakel without consulting the temple committee.
Taking to Facebook, Akmal (above) questioned why the authority should seek permission from a "squatter" to sell its land.
"DBKL wants to sell a piece of land that they own and they have to inform the people who had been squatting there first?
"If you say that you have been there for the past 130 years, why has no one from the temple management met DBKL to state their intention to buy or rent the land plot?
"Now you want to blame the land owner for selling their land when the squatter is the one who should ask if the owner wants to sell their property," he said.
Akmal's posting was accompanied by a screenshot of the news portal MalaysiaGazette's report on Vigneswaran press conference yesterday.
During the conference, the MIC leader said DBKL should have discussed with the temple committee and provided vacant land for its relocation before selling off the current site.
Adding further, Akmal urged for the matter to be resolved in a court of law to attain a fair result.
"Our country has law, do not spin here and there. Take this matter to court and resolve this fair and square there.
"Respect our country's law. Full stop!" he said.
‘Stop any provocation’
Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi also took to Facebook this morning, urging NGOs and lawyers who have been commenting on the issue to stop any provocation that can disrupt ongoing discussions between the temple committee and Jakel.
He also called on politicians to stop "playing safe" on the issue and instead follow the law.
"The land belongs to Jakel. Let DBKL be the intermediary.
"Keep in mind that the intention to 'wakaf' (donate) a mosque is the religious right of the land owner.
"What if this case involves a land plot that belongs to a temple and there is an old surau on it? Surely (the surau) would be asked to vacate.
"Would LFL (Lawyers for Liberty) and Ambiga intervene if this was the case?" Puad said, referring to former Bersih chairperson and lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan. - Mkini
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