Kuala Lumpur: Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, who visited the Devi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple in Jalan Masjid India yesterday (Sunday 23 March) met with the journalists around 11.00 am and reiterated that the temple was never relocated but only a portion of the land was given to the authorities for road development.
He also said “this is not the time to blame each other! Rather, it’s time to find solutions for the Devi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple issue. Even if we assume we made mistakes, this is not the time to dwell on them and accuse one another. Let’s all come together to find an amicable solution.”
At the same time, Saravanan, who is also MIC Deputy President and a member of Parliament for Tapah warned, “Don’t think of the Indian community as fools – don’t mockingly think this is just a small temple. When the time comes, Indians will show their opposition in the way they need to.”
MIC President Tan Sri S. Vigneswaran also participated in this meeting. Former Federal Territory Deputy Minister and MyPPP Party’s president National Leader Dato Logabalan and former member of the Kuala Lumpur City Council Advisory Board Dato Panjamurthy joined Saravanan in this meeting.
Speaking at the press conference, Tan Sri Vigneswaran questioned how the City Council came forward to sell the land to a private company despite knowing there was a temple here. He also pointed out that the private company knowingly purchased the land where a temple existed.
“This temple is not one that was relocated a few years ago as some claim! Rather, it’s a temple where the deity Amman has been bestowing blessings for more than 100 years. If some parties have given wrong information about this to the Prime Minister, what can I do?” Saravanan questioned.
A similar view was posted on social media by former Malaysian Hindu Sangam leader Dato A. Vaithilingam.
Read:
“Devi Sri Pathrakaliamman was not relocated! it was there since 1947” – Datuk Vaithialingam explains
“Since this is a religious matter, I urge not everyone should comment. Many don’t know the history of this temple,” Saravanan pointed out.
“Datuk Bandar, Deputy Minister Datuk Sri R.Ramanan, and Batu MP P.Prabakaran and the Prime Minister himself – all have assured that this temple will not be demolished. So, let’s be patient,” said Saravanan, adding, “The claim by some that this temple was in another location – was demolished and then relocated here – is not true! This temple has been here for a long time. Some land space of few feet behind the temple was given up to the authorities for road construction. In that land there were residences for temple priests and workers. In 2008, when this temple was completed and consecrated, it was still under the DBKL. It was only in 2014 that the land where the Devi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple is located was sold to a private company. At that time, neither I nor Logabalan was in the Federal Territory Ministry. The DBKL was then headed by Chief Secretary to the government”.
“Therefore, contrary to what some say, this temple is not illegal – not ‘haram’ – but rather ‘halal’ – a legally functioning temple,” Saravanan emphasized. “There is plenty of evidence that this temple has been functioning here for a long time, including the fact that the DBKL has provided water and electricity facilities for this temple. We still have faith in the government. I believe they will find a proper solution for this temple issue,” Saravanan stated.
In the meanwhile Pasir Gudang MP from PKR has written an open letter to the Prime Minister urging him to let the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple stay as it is and find an alternative site for the proposed Madani mosque.
Read:
Hassan Karim tells PMX : “Let Hindu temple stay – Shift the mosque elsewhere”
