Bishop denounces temple desecration by DBKL

Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing said he found it "incredible" that in the prevailing mood of hypersensitivity over religious matters, a longstanding Hindu temple in an upscale area of Kuala Lumpur could be subjected to acts of desecration that have riled devotees of the religion and all others who valued freedom of religion.

The head of the Catholic Church in the Melaka-Johor diocese said that what had happened on Sunday to parts of the 101-year-old Muneswarar kuil in Jalan P Ramlee in KL would "accentuate the existing mood of being embattled felt by religious minorities in this country."

Personnel from City Hall KL were reportedto have damaged deities at the temple in an attempt to clear the way for the building of a pavement required in the construction plans of a 30-storey building that is coming on land adjacent to the temple.
  
"The authorities appear to have forgotten the episode of barely five years ago when the pulling down of a longstanding Hindu temple in Shah Alam battered the feelings of followers of the religion to such an extent that the action was said to have influenced their vote in the polls that followed not long afterwards," remarked the bishop.

"One would have thought that that incident and its consequences would have been a chastening lesson for the authorities such that they would tread carefully henceforth," mused the Jesuit-trained prelate.

Bishop Paul said that he gleaned from reports on Sunday's incident that there was no legal justification for the action of KL City Hall personnel in destroying parts of the temple.

"This appears to be an act of wanton destruction. At any time, this kind of action would be reprehensible; in these fraught times, they are insolent and contemptible," said the bishop.

He said the authorities should apologise and make prompt and adequate reparations for this "gratuitous insult to the feelings of Hindus."