Fear Raises Among Hindu Community As Temples At Risk Of Being Demolished

Kuala Lumpur: Hindu community people are getting hurt over the temple demolition issue in Kedah. A Hindu group, Malaysia Hindhu Dharma Maamandram, said that the move will break the social harmony and will disturb unity in the country. Fear of the temple demolition has been raised among the Hindu community since the 50-year old Sri Raja Muniswarar Temple in Taman Bersatu, in Kuala Kedah was pulled down by Alor Setar City Council. 

During an interview on Facebook, the special officer of Kedah Menteri Besar has revealed that the state has a total of 523 temples, in which only 25 are built on their own land. He said that it is unclear who gave them permission to build temples on the government gazette land. 

He further said that the government has already informed the community to address the issue of illegal temples in the state. 

Earlier, Malaysia Hindhu Dharma Maamandram president Radhakrishnan Alagamalai had said that demolition of the religious site is a sensitive issue and the discussion must be held between the government and community before destroying the temples.  

Meanwhile, PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, who defended the Kedah government’s recent move of demolition of the Hindu temple, said that it was a legal matter, not a religious one.  

Recently, Human Resources Minister M Saravanan had blasted at Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, Menteri Besar of Kedah, accusing him that he broke the promise to inform him if any temples were to be demolished in the state.