125 years old temple in danger

March 30th, 2008 by poobalan | View blog reactions Leave a reply »
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This temple in Shah Alam has been applying for land the last 40 years and nothing happened. I guess another one of MIC’s achievement. And the MIC bloke from Kuala Langat got the guts to ask us what they have not done for the community! I would not be surprised if the temple was demolished if Khir Toyo was still in charge after March 8.

And the Indian community, having shown the door to MIC, is still approaching Indian EXCO to solve problems instead of the EXCO in charge of the problem area. Perhaps the community is still shackled with the racial chain deeply ingrained in them by years of racial politics. OR the just feel that only another Indian can understand their problems.

source
Earlier, Xavier and Shah Alam MP Khalid Abdul Samad visited the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Section 11, Shah Alam to meet with the temple committee over the issue of its current location.

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple chairman M. Muniandy said the temple had been at its current location for the past 125 years and had served the early plantation workers brought in from India by the British government.

He said in the 60s, the Selangor government decided to develop the estate through the Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS) and the committee had been applying for the land since.

“But the land was instead alienated to the school next to our temple and we have been repeatedly asked to move without any alternative plot of land being given to us,” he said.

Xavier said the state could not settle the land issue as it was under the Education Ministry but would write a letter supporting the temple’s request for the land.

“If that fails then we will try to find an alternative site that is close enough for the devotees go to as this is the only temple serving Hindus from Section 3 to 7 in Shah Alam,” he said.

“I have only been in office (as an exco member) a few days but my phone has not stopped ringing and I have been listening to many issues affecting the Indian community,” he said, adding that the community turned to him because he was the only Indian representative in the state executive council.

He said solving the problems was among his main priorities and the people should start seeing some results within the next 100 days.

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3 comments

  1. Killer says:

    Whatever under BN or BR govt, I suggest caution in such issues. Based on my personal experience such claims are often inaccurate and sometimes even downright false.

    That Shah Alam Indians don’t have a temple to pray is hard to believe. I know for a fact that there are many around in SA area. Recently I attended a wedding at one very beautiful temple near the Taman Alam Mega /Putra Height area.

    You don’t really need temples next to your home as people only visit them once a week or less. If we can travel to school several kms everyday, I don’t see why we can’t do the same for temples.

    What we need is quality NOT quantity. Our community is not exactly rich so can afford 25000 temples. Let’s have less temples but better ones. Please learn something from the Singaporean Indians.

  2. poobalan says:

    yeah, we may not need so many temples. can merge some and put few deities together. however, for hindus, religion is a personal relationship. for all he cares, the hindu guy may see god in the anthill or tree. it will be very hard to convince such person. but effort must be taken to convince.

    i’ve seen the PH temple. quite grand looking. but it is very far for those in section 3-7 to come too (across the federal highway and KESAS). there’s another temple is section 16, two in sri muda (section 24?).

  3. Killer says:

    If every Appu, Subbu and Kuppu start to have individual temples, then we need 2 million Hindu temples in Malaysia. Personalization of deities does not mean personalization of temples. You can do it at home.

    Sad but true, the proliferation of temples are motivated very much by financial reasons than religious devotions. That’s why we are having such hard time in merger of temples.

    But PB I disgree about the distance. From Section 3 to 7, even the PH temple is only around 10 or so kilometer away. Or they even head to Klang, especially near the Kg Jawa area.