MIC sends protest memo to Selangor over temple demolition

SHAH ALAM, Sept 29 — About 300 members of the MIC and non-governmental organisations today gathered peacefully outside the Selangor state government secretariat building to protest against the demolition the Sri Maha Kaliaman temple in Ampang on Sept 19.

The group, headed by MIC Youth chief T. Mohan, gathered about 11.30am and displayed banners outside the building that houses the office of Selangor menteri besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

The gathering dispersed around noon when Mohan handed over a memorandum to Abdul Khalid's political secretary Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

Met by reporters, Mohan said the memorandum asked the state government to rebuild the temple at a different site and provide it legal status.

He said the memorandum also called on the state government to honour the Pakatan Rakyat promise that when they took over from the Barisan Nasional (BN)government no temples would be demolished.

"We are aware many temples in Malaysia do not have permits and land has to be applied for to build temples but that does not mean you can demolish temples as you like without following procedures," Mohan said.

He said although in 2002 and 2007 the Sri Maha Kaliaman temple was demolished under the BN state government, the MIC had protested and the temple was rebuilt on the same site.