A religious rights group today urged the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to intervene and stop the demolition of Sri Maha Periyachi Amman Temple Tambak Paya Village in Malacca, due to take place anytime after this Sunday.

"We humbly pray that your goodself will urgently intervene and order the Malacca Chief Minister, city mayor, district officer and Umno to lay off and stop the said demolition order," said Hindu Right Action Force (Hindraf) legal adviser in a letter to Abdullah.

The letter was also carbon-copied to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Minister in PM's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz, the Attorney General and Inspector General of Police, the Malaysian Human Rights Commission, and the Chief Minister of Malacca Mohd Ali Rustam.

A copy was also made available to malaysiakini .

"Allow this Hindu temple and the peace loving Hindu devotees to co-exist in accordance to Article 11 of Federal Constitution," said the legal adviser P Uthayakumar.

Uthayakumar said that this (the temple's demolition) was not an isolated case but it has become Malaysia's kisah benar over the last 50 years.

"Malay or Muslim top leaders are preaching multi racialism and the importance racial and religious co-existence, religious tolerance. In Deepavali open houses our leaders hug each another, but the ground reality has been completely otherwise," he said.

Uthayakumar also questioned why the police and AG did not take any action against the Umno members who have been inciting racial and religious hatred towards the temple.

"Why has law, order, the rule of law and justice not allowed to prevail for this tiny ethnic minority Hindu Indian community?" he asked.

Banner protest

He said that even in PAS-ruled Kelantan, the Hindu devotees have been allowed to build a temple despite it being "located in the midst of 99.99 percent of Malays in a village in Kota Bahru".

In fact, he added, Kelantan government had granted a bigger land nearby for the temple to be properly relocated. The Hindu temple now sits majestically in the heart of Kota Bahru town.

"Even the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Tumpat, a PAS fundamentalist stronghold, is also surrounded by Malays but we never ever had problems."

Malaysiakini yesterday reported that the temple in Malacca has been given a deadline until this coming Sunday to tear down its renovated portion on the grounds that its increase in size was not welcomed in a Malay village.

Local Umno Youth members have also showed their displeasure with the temple renovation plans by putting up two banners in the temple vicinity, which read: 'Don't test our patience', 'Tear down this unlawful temple.'