Hindu temple demolished during prayers, April 2006

April 2006: Hindu Temple Demolished during Prayers --

The devotees were in complete shock when the authorities gave us 15 minutes to leave the place or else we would be arrested for public disorder. All the devotees pleaded and most of them were in tears trying to persuade and beg
the Police and DBKL enforcement officers from demolishing our temple. Our pleas fell into deaf ears as the Police threatened to use high handed tactics (arrest) if we don't leave the premises.

http://extremeweight.blogspot.com/2006/05/is-this-death-of-religious-tolerance.html

From Outlook India

Malaysia demolishes century-old Hindu temple
KUALA LUMPUR, APRIL 21 (AFP)
Malaysian authorities have demolished a century-old Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur, bulldozing the building as devotees cried and begged them to stop, Hindu groups said today.

The Malaimel Sri Selva Kaliamman Temple was reduced to rubble after Kuala Lumpur's city hall sent in bulldozers, they said.

In a complaint to police the temple's vice president, Subramaniam Ragappan, said about 300 devotees were praying Tuesday when the machines arrived, accompanied by police and city hall officials.

"We were forced to stop our prayers and (rituals) halfway as they proceeded to tear down the temple," he said in a copy of the complaint obtained by AFP.

A copy of a letter from city hall to a local lawmaker, who had asked for the temple to be left intact, said the demolition was going ahead to make way for a building project.

City hall officials were not immediately available for comment.

Subramaniam said city hall tried in 2001 and again in 2004 to tear down the building, which was on government land, but had been dissuaded by politicians.

"Everybody was crying and saying how could the government do this, but they still broke the temple," he told AFP.

"For 100 years we prayed there. How could they come to remove the temple?" he said, adding that they were given just one day's notice of the demolition.


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The police report lodged by Subramaniam A/L Ragappan, from Klang:

Hindu Temple breaking criminal act by DBKL

NAME : SUBRAMANIAM A/L RAGAPPAN
ADDRESS : --NO I/C : -- AGE : --
OCCUPATION : ENGINEERING EXECUTIVE
DATE : 18.4.2006 Pantai No:3356/06

Telephone : --

This is my Police Report lodged against Dato Bandar (Mayor) of Kuala Lumpur Dato Haji Ruslin bin Abd Rahman and the Director of En.Rolan forcement DBKL En.Rolan . This report is as a result of the "cleansing" and demolishment of Kuil Malaimel Sri Selva Kaliamman Temple by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall(DBKL).

On the 29th March 2006 a notice was served on a foreign laborer working at the temple premises by the Enforcement Office of DBKL giving notice to the Chairman Mr.Subramaniam a/l Kanniah to demolish the abovementioned temple within 14 days.

On behalf of the temple we had made various representations to DBKL appealing against their decision.

Our Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai who is also the Women,Family and Community Development Minister, through her special officer had written to DBKL appealing on the "cleansing" (demolishment)of our temple. A similar
appeal was lodged by the ruling United Malays National Organization(UMNO)Division leader for Lembah Pantai.

On the 16th April 2006 at about 11.30am we were served with a letter dated 14th April 2006 by DBKL at the temple premises addressed to the Service Centre of the said Lembah Pantai member of Parliament and Minister informing
that their appeal for stay of demolishment were rejected.

Today 17th April 2006 about 300 devotees of Kuil Malaimel Sri Selva Kaliamman Temple had been performing prayers and yagam (rituals) in the temple premises since 6.30 am. At about 9.30 am a group of about 40 Police officers, 50 DBKL enforcement officers, 20workers from TNB and JBA
(electricity and waterworks) and numerous unknown individuals who were behaving suspiciously came with bulldozers and excavators to demolish our temple.

The devotees were in complete shock when the authorities gave us 15 minutes to leave the place or else we would be arrested for public disorder. All the devotees pleaded and most of them were in tears trying to persuade and beg
the Police and DBKL enforcement officers from demolishing our temple. Our pleas fell into deaf ears as the Police threatened to use high handed tactics (arrest) if we don't leave the premises. Mr.Arumugam our Treasurer
immediately contacted our Lawyer Mr.Uthayakumar who had requested to speak to the Head of the enforcement unit at the site but the officer refused to speak to our lawyer. Mr.Uthayakumar then asked us to inform the officer to
hold on until he arrives as he was attending to a matter at the Shah Alam Session Court but that too fell onto deaf ears. We even pleaded for a one(1) day halt to the demolishment but our pleas were ignored when they started
tearing the temple and defiling the 90 steps leading to the temple which was
situated on a hill top more that 300 feet hill.

We were forced to stop our prayers and yagam (fire ritual) half way as they proceeded to tear down the temple and demolish temple structures. Our lives were in serious danger as their violent demolishment of the temple using
excavators, bulldozers and other heavy machines was a threat to us as we risked being bulldozed from the hilltop ourselves. We could have also fallen more than 300 feet to the ground. Senior citizens and children slipped in the mud which was caused by the defiling of the 90 steps leading to the hilltop temple.

Persistent begging by some senior citizens who were in tears and horrified by the inhumane acts of the authorities saw some fruits when the officers
assured us that they will not deface the deities but the buildings and structures. However when they completed their mission of "cleansing the temple" which took about 1 ½ hours, they told us that they will come back in
3 days to demolish and destroy/deface the deities if we don't do it ourselves.

This temple has its history of more than 100 years when the Indian Laborers began settlement in Malaya during the British Colonial time and the current temple was part of a rubber estate known as Latex Estate. Over the last 30
years this temple has been managed by the Long House (Rumah Panjang) settlement community and has more than 10,000 devotees who frequent the temple weekly.

The action by DBKL in demolishing our temple is an inhumane, violent, degrading act and against our peaceful and quiet practice of our religion. This ancestral worship which has been going on for more than 100 years has
come to an abrupt end as a result of the unlawful act of the Mayor and DBKL.

The Mayor and the Director of Enforcement failed to look into the history of this temple and suddenly proclaimed this temple to be sitting on Government land illegally.

I now lodge this report against the Mayor of KL and the Director of Enforcement of DBKL for criminal offences committed under section 295 (Injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion
of any class) Section 296 ( disturbing a religious assembly) and section 298A of the Penal Code (causing disharmony disunity or feelings of enmity,
hatred or ill-will or prejudicing ect, the maintenance of harmony or unity on grounds of religion) and against Article 11 of Federal Constitution .

I urge the Attorney General of Malaysia to immediately prosecute the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur and the Head of Enforcement Unit DBKL and all other criminals and prevent them/their agents from making their second trip to
destroy and deface our deities which is still on the hilltop.

SUBRAMANIAM A/L RAGAPPAN