Damaged parts of historic temple soon to be reconstructed

The damaged wall and drain of the historic Sien See Sze Ya Temple on Jalan Suasa 6 in Pekan Sungai Besi will be reconstructed, said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) advisory board member Carmen Leong. 

“City Hall has promised to rebuild the drain.

“The local authority will also assist the temple by demolishing the wall for reconstruction,” she said.

Leong added that DBKL would convene a meeting soon with the temple’s contractor to finalise construction plans.

She said that the temple’s wall was badly cracked and at risk of collapsing due to poor drainage, which caused the damage.

“Adjacent to the temple is DBKL reserve land, where a family of squatters are running a car workshop.

“The reserve land slopes downward and water flow was previously directed towards a nearby drain, which was installed 40 years ago.

“However, during my visit before Chinese New Year, I was shocked to find the drain covered with soil.

“This led to poor drainage, causing stagnant water to seep underground, gradually damaging the foundation and causing the wall to crack and tilt,” Leong said, reported The Star. 

She also pointed out several instances of waterlogging near the wall and in the backyard of the Taoist temple.

“Underground water accumulation will lead to surface ponding.

“The situation worsens after rainfall,” Leong said during her recent visit to the temple.

Accompanying her were officials from DBKL’s Valuation and Property Management Department (JPPH), the Enforcement Department, and the Bandar Tun Razak Dbkl Office.

This was her third visit to the temple. 

Her previous two visits bear no fruits. 

“Despite lack of action following the previous two site visits, the outcome this time is more fruitful,” she said. 

Sien See Sze Ya Temple was constructed in 1901 in Sungai Besi Old Town before being moved to Pekan Sungai Besi in 1937.

Yap Ah Loy constructed the temple to honour two deities whom he believed had guided him during the Selangor Civil War, establishing it as the city’s oldest Taoist sanctuary.