Pakatan wants temple to defy court decision and stay put

(FMT) – Two ethnic Indian ministers today said they would ensure that the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple – at the heart of violent scuffles over an agreement to relocate the 40-year-old structure – will not be demolished.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, P Waytha Moorthy and Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran said they would bring concerns raised by opponents of the consent judgment to the prime minister.

This followed an hour-long closed door meeting in the temple.

“They want the temple to remain in the same place. Kula and I have heard their complaints and we will bring it to the prime minister,” Waytha told reporters during a noisy press conference at the temple.

He said he had already discussed with Attorney-General Tommy Thomas on how the temple can be retained.

A faction in the temple is fighting the relocation plan, despite agreeing to it four years ago in a consent judgment that also included the company which owns the land One City and the Selangor state government.

Waytha said he would also discuss with the Selangor state government, and urged all parties to allow police to investigate the violence in the last two days.

“There are individuals injured including a fireman,” he said.

“We have been living in peaceful co-existence, let us live in peace.”