Activist arrested for demolishing temple, lawyer cites PM's 'clean-up' directive
Activist Tamim Dahri, who has been at the forefront of campaigning against unauthorised temples, was arrested after demolishing a temple in Rawang early this morning.
Lawyer Aidil Khalid claimed that the temple (above) in Taman Rawang Perdana was built on land belonging to Yayasan Kubra.
A trustee of the foundation, Ismail Mina, purportedly sought Tamim’s assistance to clear the structure following Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s call to “clean up” places of worship that were erected in violation of the law.
“The Yayasan Kubra land in Rawang Perdana has been encroached by an illegal temple since 2018.
“So, in response to PM’s call regarding the clearing of illegal houses of worship, Ismail, as a trustee of the foundation, sought Tamim's assistance to carry out the clearing of the illegal structure on the foundation's land.
“This is to make way for the construction of a housing project for the asnaf (tithe recipients) on the land, which has been planned for a long time. The clearing was successfully carried out early this morning,” Aidil told Malaysiakini.
The lawyer for Gerakan Peguam Menuntut Keadilan added that after the demolition work was completed, Tamim was surrounded by a group of people who were not the legal owners of the land.
“After contacting 999, two police personnel arrived at the scene and escorted Tamim to the Gombak police district headquarters.
“He was detained and will be brought for a remand hearing tomorrow,” said Aidil.
Malaysiakini has contacted the Gombak police district headquarters for comment.
Tamim had been arrested just several days earlier, along with preacher Zamri Vinoth and others, when they turned up for a planned rally on Feb 7 against what has been described as alleged illegal houses of worship.
They were remanded for two days before being released.
‘Hundreds of reports but no action’
The demolition has drawn sharp condemnation from the Hindu Temple Task Force (HTTF), which described the act as an extreme measure that threatens public order.
HTTF claimed it had lodged hundreds of police reports against Tamim over the past two weeks after the activist was found to be raising funds to purchase a backhoe specifically to demolish houses of worship alleged to be illegal.
“No one should take vigilante action like this. In fact, enforcement authorities will only act in accordance with the law.
“We regret that the police failed to take early preventive measures despite reports being made,” said an HTTF representative.
HTTF also linked the action to Anwar's recent statement directing local authorities to “clean up” illegal places of worship.
The group urged the prime minister to be more cautious in issuing statements that could inspire extremists to target the houses of worship of other religions.
Exco: Keep calm, follow official channels
Selangor state executive councillor Pappa Raidu Veraman said he views the incident seriously.
He said any issue of encroachment or demolition must go through official channels such as the district and land office or local authorities, rather than through individual actions.
“I urge the police to take immediate, professional, and transparent action against all parties involved.
“If there are legal violations, the equipment and machinery used, including the backhoe, should be seized to ensure the investigation proceeds smoothly and to prevent interference with evidence,” he stressed in a statement today.
He also called on all parties to remain calm and not allow this issue to be exploited to trigger racial or religious tensions.
The incident in Rawang Perdana occurred just days after Anwar ordered local authorities to “clean up” (membersihkan) houses of worship built without permission or on land not belonging to them.
The directive on Monday was aimed at enforcement agencies to improve urban planning.
Anwar’s call too broad, indiscriminate
However, an interfaith group has expressed concern over the prime minister's directive.
In a statement today, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) warned that the prime minister's statement was too general and could be interpreted as applying to all places of worship indiscriminately.
The group urged the prime minister to clarify whether the directive applies to places of worship that existed before Merdeka, arguing that categorising decades-old places of worship as “illegal” under current laws is arbitrary and unfair.
“It has been said many times and is repeated here that during the colonial era, the British allowed temples and other places of worship to be built in rubber estates and tin mining areas.
“This was before Malaya gained independence in 1957, and at this time, there were no local councils nor was there the National Land Code, which was only passed in 1965,” MCCBCHST said.
Looks like the chameleon has invoked and motivated vigilante groups... I see more vigilantes in the near future