The KL Hindu temple relocation controversy explained

Free Malaysia Today

FMT presents the key disputes, conflicting claims, and the facts that have been established so far surrounding the issue.  Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/03/24/the-kl-hindu-temple-relocation-controversy-explained/  Laporan Lanjut: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/03/24/kontroversi-pemindahan-kuil-hindu-diperjelas/  Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5 Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTNews #DewiSriPathrakaliammanTemple #JakelTrading #Relocation

Transcript

00:00The proposed relocation of the 130-year-old Dewi Sipatrakaliamman Temple off Jalan Masjid

00:07India in Kuala Lumpur to make way for a mosque has sparked controversy over the past week.

00:14Located along Jalan Bunus Enam, across from Jackal Mall, the Dewi Sipatrakaliamman Temple

00:18sits on a 12,000-square-foot plot, occupying about one-third of the land owned by textile

00:24supplier Jackal Trading, Sindian Berhart, while the rest functions as a car park.

00:29The current temple structure, believed to have been built in 1983, was reportedly relocated

00:35in 2008.

00:36But former Malaysia Hindu Sangam President A Vaidalingam said it was only shifted two

00:41to three feet for a road-widening project, while MIC Deputy President M Sarbanan claimed

00:47that only the workers' quarters were moved in 2006, at Kuala Lumpur City Hall's request.

00:53In 2012, the Temple Committee applied to convert the land title for use as a non-Muslim house

00:59of worship, but the application was rejected, according to Batu MP P Prabakaran.

01:05That same year, the land was acquired from DBKL by Jackal Trading, part of the diversified

01:10family-owned Jackal Group.

01:12Its Chief Financial Officer, Sayed Nasrul Fahmi Sayed Al-Qadri, said DBKL informed the

01:17company in 2012 after it purchased the land that the temple was only there temporarily,

01:23as stated in the land sale agreement, and Jackal would not have acquired the land otherwise.

01:28In 2021, the company received approval to begin constructing a mosque, now expected

01:33to be named Masjid Madani, but delayed the process out of respect for the temple's relocation

01:38process.

01:40Jackal also said it was willing to cover the relocation costs.

01:44Despite this, several parties such as the Temple Committee, URMA Chairman P Ramasamy

01:49and human rights group Lawyers for Liberty have called for the temple to coexist alongside

01:53the proposed mosque.

01:56However, Jackal has said that the current plot is too small and is considering purchasing

02:01an adjacent plot to build a mosque as part of an amicable solution.

02:05Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other government leaders called for calm,

02:10saying the federal government is not involved with the mosque's construction, which will

02:15proceed as planned with a groundbreaking ceremony on March 27.

02:19Narmada Raja, FMT

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