Selangor to demolish private temple on proposed Dengkil mosque site

 

Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari said it is not appropriate for houses of worship to be built on land designated for the construction of mosques.

PETALING JAYA: 

The Selangor government will demolish the private temple occupying land designated for a mosque in Dengkil if it is not vacated, says menteri besar Amirudin Shari.

He said the decision follows a royal decree by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who instructed the state to resolve the matter swiftly in the interest of the local Muslim community, Kosmo reported.

Amirudin also said the temple is a privately built place of worship that is not registered or legally recognised under state laws or the Federal Constitution.

“Therefore, it is not appropriate for it to be built on land that has been allocated for the construction of a mosque for the benefit of the local Muslim community,” he was quoted as saying.

He said the temple’s owner had agreed to vacate the land and the state government expects the matter to be settled within a month.

“We are firm on this issue, but racial and religious harmony will continue to be preserved,” he said.

On Friday, the Selangor Islamic religious department (Jais) said it would work with the Sepang Municipal Council to evict a Hindu temple illegally built on the grounds of a mosque in Dengkil.

Jais director Shahzihan Ahmad said the 4ha site had been gazetted in 2011 as reserve land for the construction of a mosque.

With the mosque’s construction only set to commence in 2026, the land remained vacant until 2024, when Jais noticed that a building was being constructed on the site. - FMT