Ministers heckled during site visit

Let them speak: Temple task force secretary V.K. Regu (right) trying to calm the situation as Waytha Moorthy (left) and Kulasegaran (second left) wait to give a press conference at Seafield Mariamman Temple.

SUBANG JAYA: Tensions ran high when Unity Minister P. Waytha Moorthy and Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran visited the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple here following a night of violence.

The two ministers were berated by several supporters of the temple who asked why they had not showed up sooner.

“Where were you yesterday? Now you come when everything is over!” one of the men shouted.

It took about five minutes for some of the temple task force members to calm the supporters in order for the ministers to hold a press conference.

“We have spoken to the temple task force members and we hear your concerns.

“We will bring your concerns and demands to the Prime Minister,” said Waytha Moorthy, adding that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was very concerned about the issue.

“The federal government guarantees you that the temple will not be demolished until the matter is properly resolved.

“We will be discussing this matter at the highest level as well as with the Attorney General and the Selangor Mentri Besar to resolve this matter amicably,” he said.

Waytha Moorthy said the incident, which was not racially motivated, had caused racial tension.

“We urge everyone to stay calm and remain peaceful in this harmonious country of ours,” he said.

Kulasegaran echoed his sentiments, saying that the issue was something faced by over a hundred temples nationwide.

The issue, he noted, was not racial but “a matter of dispute”.

Yesterday, heavy police presence was seen in the vicinity of the temple and the nearby One City Mall following the riots there early Monday morning and at night.

The chaos of the night before, where a large crowd torched cars and smashed glass, gave way to a tense calm as police patrolled the two locations that were about 600m apart.

Despite all the cars that were overturned and set on fire – except for one in the temple compound – having been towed away, curious onlookers caused a traffic congestion in the area.

One of them who wished to be known only as Lim said he lived nearby and came to see the damage after reading about the mayhem.

“I can’t believe this is happening in our country now,” he said.

In George Town, about 15 police reports were lodged by the Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS) Penang council over Monday’s riots at the temple in Subang Jaya.

Its chairman M. Muniandy said the incident happened on the third day of the Thirukarthigai Deebam celebration, one of the most important religious events for Hindus.

“We do not tolerate actions which will affect the harmony in our country,” he said.- Star