The demolition of a Hindu temple yesterday in Malacca has triggered an immediate complaint to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also accused of reneging on a pledge to Malaysians.

Condemning the action in a letter to the premier, Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) legal adviser P Uthayakumar described it as an act of ‘bullying’ by the Umno-controlled government.

This was partly a reference to objections raised by the Umno branch in Tambak Paya village, where the 16-year-old Sri Periyachi Amman temple was located.

“Malaysia once again has violated Article 11 of the Federal Constitution with impunity,” he said in the letter, a copy of which was made available to malaysiakini.

A city council team pulled down the temple, despite claims by the landowner to have shown the officers a ‘stay order’ he had obtained from Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam and Mayor Zaini Mohd Noor earlier that morning.

Caretakers had been given until July 15 to tear down the renovated portion of the building, on grounds that the expansion was not welcome in a Malay village. 

Local Umno Youth members had shown displeasure by putting up two banners in the vicinity that read: 'Don’t test our patience' and ‘Tear down this unlawful temple’.

‘Application submitted’

During the demolition exercise, Malacca PKT vice-president A Jayathas was arrested by the police for ‘interfering’ with their duties.

Uthayakumar described the arrest as a direct violation of the Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, which calls for equity before law.

“He was arrested when he stood in front of the bulldozer demanding to see the court order (for demolition) of the temple which is on the private land. (He also asked) why similar buildings without approval were not demolished,” Uthayakumar said.

“In any event this temple had, vide their application, filed the necessary forms and documents formally applying for building permission, and (this was) supported with the signatures and endorsements of their devotees.”

Uthayakumar said the government’s position that the temple is in the middle of a Malay village runs contrary to its own call for national unity, integration, racial and religious co-existence, as well as the premier’s declaration upon taking office in November 2003 that ‘Malaysia is for all ethnic communities’.

He urged Abdullah, at the next cabinet meeting (tomorrow), to issue a firm and unconditional directive to all relevant authorities to stop the demolition of Hindu temples.

Over the past year, Hindraf has recorded 76 cases of demolition of such structures, which it has described as illegal.

Uthayakumar, saying he represents two million Hindus nationwide, has initiated a public interest suit against 10 government bodies to stop temple demolitions nationwide.

Legislation needed

Meanwhile the Malaysia Hindu Sangam said that the temple demolition only showed that the state government has arbitrarily taken action against a Hindu temple without any regards to the sensitivities of the Hindu devotees.

“Given that many other structures throughout Malaysia are still standing even though they too were built without local authority permission, it is particularly disturbing to Hindus that a place of worship is targetted in this manner,” Malaysin Hindu Sangam president A Vaithilingam in a statement today.

He added that any demolition of a place of worship must be based on a court order and should only be carried out after the devotees of the place of worship have been given a meaningful opportunity to be heard.

“We urge all state governments to carry out this practice, and for legislation to be enacted to recognize and protect the special status of places of worship,” he added.