AS many as seven men were detained early today within the vicinity of the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Subang Jaya in an otherwise quiet night after two days of rioting.

The first arrests of six men involved a group of about 50-60 bikers gathered across the eight-lane highway separating the temple from a cluster of homes in USJ16 around 11pm. 

The group, comprising mostly men between the ages of 18 and 55, came to protest against the recent incidents at the temple area which culminated in a Fire and Rescue Department officer getting beaten on Monday night. 

One of the protesters, who did not identify himself, said: “We have come to defend our race. 

“When the government said it wanted to relocate the temple, we didn’t bother. But why is our race trampled on?” said the man. 

He said the group only wanted to come and sit in and did not threaten anyone, adding they did not bring along any civil society group, only youths.

The group was dispersed by police after its leader gave his speech.

Some, however, refused to leave the area and around 1.10am, six youths were detained while police were removing five burnt vehicles from two days ago.

In another incident, an Indian man was detained outside the temple for failing to heed police instructions and causing two traffic policemen to fall off their bikes. 

The policemen were on their way to the temple and had motioned to the man to give way. But he sped off and cut into the policemen’s lane, causing them to fall. 

After those incidents, the night passed on peacefully with heavy police presence until dawn with Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) lorries and dozens of police monitoring the area. 

The roadblock in front of the temple was opened around 3.30am.

With today’s arrests, police have now nabbed 28 suspects following the attack on the temple early Monday when some 50 masked men, some armed with parang and iron rods, stormed the 147-year-old temple and attacked devotees over what is widely believed to be over the relocation of the temple to another site some 2.7km away.

Several were injured in the ensuing clashes. More than 18 vehicles and motorcycles were also torched and damaged.

The temple was supposed to be relocated on Monday after the developer, One City Development Sdn Bhd, obtained a consent judgment on the matter.

The temple committee has applied for an injunction which will be heard at the Shah Alam High Court tomorrow. – November 28, 2018.