Temple demolition: Memo to CM
Yoges PalaniappanPublished: Aug 2, 2007 5:11 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Devotees of Sri Periyachi Amman Temple in Tambak Paya Village, Malacca, have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam following the temple's demolition on Monday.
Devotees of Sri Periyachi Amman Temple in Tambak Paya Village, Malacca, have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam following the temple's demolition on Monday.
Some 100 devotees, led by Malacca PKR vice-president A Jayathas, demanded three things from Mohd Ali.
"We want the CM (Mohd Ali) to approve the temple's building plans which was submitted to the CM's office on July 23," said Jayathas when contacted.
"We are also seeking RM500,000 compensation for breaking the temple as well as RM100,000 as the cost of rebuilding the temple," he said, adding that the devotees gave Mohd Ali two weeks to respond to the memorandum.
Jayathas, who was arrested on the day of demolition, also claimed that some parties at Mohd Ali's office refused to let the devotees into the premises when they demanded to see him.
"We were disallowed to go into the office and were told that the CM is not in. How can they bar us? We are tax payers and we just wanted to submit a memorandum," said Jayathas.
Nevertheless, he said, the group waited at the entrance until Mohd Ali's personal secretary Samsul Ambia Abdul Aziz approached them.
According to him, Samsul accepted the memorandum on behalf of Mohd Ali and promised to pass it on to Mohd Ali
Jayathas also claimed that when the devotees went to the place where the temple originally stood, several policemen tried to intimidate them.
"They told us that we have no right to assemble. They also asked us if it was an 'illegal assembly'," he said.
Suhakam rapped
Meanwhile, Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) challenged Suhakam commissioner Dr Denison Jayasooria to prove his statement that as of 2006, only six Hindu temples and three mosques have been demolished by the authorities.
"His figures that only six Hindu temples have been demolished is inaccurate. It should be 86 as of January 2006," claimd Hindraf chairperson P Waytha Moorthy in a media statement.
"Three mosques have been demolished but even so those mosques were relocated to suitable land with government funds," he added.
Waytha also described the five recommendations made by Suhakam to Housing and Local Government Ministry and Federal Territories Ministry in 2006 as "absurd."
"Suhakam is nothing but an arm chair critic. Many a times such matters of national importance was raised through the media and was presented to Suhakam for an immediate action but to this date no formal announcement was ever made by the commission except for Denison who made a deplorable statement yesterday," he said.
Some 100 devotees, led by Malacca PKR vice-president A Jayathas, demanded three things from Mohd Ali. "We want the CM (Mohd Ali) to approve the temple's building plans which was submitted to the CM's office on July 23," said Jayathas when contacted.
"We are also seeking RM500,000 compensation for breaking the temple as well as RM100,000 as the cost of rebuilding the temple," he said, adding that the devotees gave Mohd Ali two weeks to respond to the memorandum.
Jayathas, who was arrested on the day of demolition, also claimed that some parties at Mohd Ali's office refused to let the devotees into the premises when they demanded to see him.
"We were disallowed to go into the office and were told that the CM is not in. How can they bar us? We are tax payers and we just wanted to submit a memorandum," said Jayathas.
Nevertheless, he said, the group waited at the entrance until Mohd Ali's personal secretary Samsul Ambia Abdul Aziz approached them.
According to him, Samsul accepted the memorandum on behalf of Mohd Ali and promised to pass it on to Mohd Ali
Jayathas also claimed that when the devotees went to the place where the temple originally stood, several policemen tried to intimidate them.
"They told us that we have no right to assemble. They also asked us if it was an 'illegal assembly'," he said.
Suhakam rapped
Meanwhile, Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) challenged Suhakam commissioner Dr Denison Jayasooria to prove his statement that as of 2006, only six Hindu temples and three mosques have been demolished by the authorities.
"His figures that only six Hindu temples have been demolished is inaccurate. It should be 86 as of January 2006," claimd Hindraf chairperson P Waytha Moorthy in a media statement.
"Three mosques have been demolished but even so those mosques were relocated to suitable land with government funds," he added.
Waytha also described the five recommendations made by Suhakam to Housing and Local Government Ministry and Federal Territories Ministry in 2006 as "absurd."
"Suhakam is nothing but an arm chair critic. Many a times such matters of national importance was raised through the media and was presented to Suhakam for an immediate action but to this date no formal announcement was ever made by the commission except for Denison who made a deplorable statement yesterday," he said.
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