Lawyers Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh condemned the demolition of the Utchimalai Hindu temple in Rawang Perdana earlier today, disputing claims that the temple management had voluntarily vacated the site.
“That is false and ridiculous since the temple chairperson had lodged a police report only yesterday, complaining that the temple was being pressured to vacate the land without any court order,” they said in a statement today.
He claimed the “midnight operation” without a court order amounted to an unlawful eviction of a place of worship.
Similarly, activist Arun Dorasamy claimed that the temple committee was reluctant to relocate the temple’s deity statues without a court order, but found themselves under pressure from the police, who had turned up in force.
He claimed that police began arriving at about 10.30pm, and numbered over 60 personnel by 11.20pm.
“Throughout the period, the police were purported to have repeatedly pressured, forced, and threatened the temple committee to relocate the deity statues even though they refused to do so without any orders from the court,” he said in a separate statement.
Arun claimed the committee was told they had no choice because “certain parties” would take action if relocation was not done.
The “sustained atmosphere of pressure” eventually forced the temple committee to take action.
Malaysiakini has contacted the Gombak police for comment.
Landowner says agreement reached amicably
The statements came after the temple was demolished in the wee hours of this morning.
Temple committee representatives had removed statues of deities ahead of a deadline at midnight, while volunteers acting on behalf of the landowner moved in later to demolish the site under police supervision.
Representatives of the landowner, Yayasan Kubra (Kubra Foundation), claimed this was after an agreement was reached between the foundation, the temple committee, and the Gombak police.
Yayasan Kubra trustee Ismail Mina claimed the agreement was reached amicably and accused Arun of stirring trouble by meddling in the issue.
He said the foundation is mulling legal action against the activist for allegedly painting Muslims in a negative light.
Cops report smooth demolition process
Meanwhile, Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar said work was carried out from 11.30pm last night to 4.12am this morning, with the removal of all four statues on the site done by 10 temple committee representatives and devotees.
Shazeli said there were no untoward incidents during the process.
“The police remind all parties involved to continue respecting existing legal channels and refrain from taking matters into their own hands, which could threaten harmony between races and religions.
“Any dispute should be resolved through procedures established by local authorities and the legitimate landowner,” he said in a statement earlier today.
Police backing condemned
However, Rajesh, Sachpreetraj, and Arun argued in their respective statements that if Yayasan Kubra is lawfully entitled to the land, the proper course of action is for it to obtain a court order and enforce it.
“Taking matters into its own hands - particularly in a manner that appears coordinated with state machinery - undermines public confidence in the due process,” said Rajesh and Sachpreetraj in their joint statement.
The involvement of the police in the demolition, they added, raised grave concerns about whether authorities had overstepped their mandate on the matter.
The lawyers stressed that police shouldn’t have a hand in private disputes, as their involvement could imply institutional backing of a private party.
“The government must now answer and explain to the public why the temple committee was made to remove the deities at midnight in the presence of the police force,” they said.
Arun, who is the Temple Preservation Action Team (Tepat) chairperson, likewise raised concerns about enforcement neutrality.
He urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to put a temporary halt to any further temple demolition until a mechanism is in place to address the longstanding issue.
“Failure to take immediate steps in this matter risks creating an uncontrollable situation and placing the nation’s harmony, peace, and rule of law in jeopardy,” he said.
Sparking confrontation
The Utchimalai Rawang Hindu temple became a subject of controversy recently after activist Tamim Dahri, who has been at the forefront of campaigning against unauthorised temples, began demolishing it two weeks ago.
According to Yayasan Kubra, they sought Tamim’s assistance to clear the illegal structure to make way for the construction of a housing project for poor people on the plot.
The demolition led to a confrontation between Tamim, who carried out the activity with three friends, and several individuals defending the temple.
Police arrested Tamim and his group, but they were later released after the Shah Alam High Court set aside a two-day remand order issued by the Shah Alam Magistrate’s Court earlier on the same day. - Mkini
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