Establish a governing body to oversee non-Muslim places of worship, DAP lawmaker urges

In thanking the federal government for resolving the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple controversy, Kota Kemuning state assemblyman Preakas Sampunathan urged the government to establish a governing body to oversee non-Muslim places of worship and religious institutions.

This is so that controversies such as the one involving the temple in Jalan Masjid India does not recur.

“As an Indian and a law-abiding citizen, I firmly believe that all places of worship must adhere to legal frameworks.

“No religious structure should be erected without proper authorization, as doing so can lead to unnecessary conflicts.

“To prevent similar issues in the future, I strongly urge the government to establish a governing body to oversee temples and religious institutions.

“Such a body would not only provide guidance and governance but also ensure that places of worship adhere to strict legal and administrative regulations, thereby preventing disputes over land ownership and legality,” said the DAP lawmaker.

This is not the first time such a call was made.

During the recent Dewan Rakyat session, Hindu NGOs had called for the establishment of a specific committee to look into matters related to the Hindus.

At present, only Penang has an endowment board to look into the issues of the Hindus.

The controversy of the Hindu temple was averted after the temple committee agreed to be relocated 50 metres away from its original site on a 4000 square feet plot.

It had to be relocated to make way for a mosque to be built there since the land where the temple was located was purchased by Jakel Holdings.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the mosque would be conducted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tomorrow.