PLANS to build a RM8 million temple promised to Putrajaya’s Hindu residents have been stymied twice by a change of government, and the temple committee is repeating calls to the current administration to complete the project.

Work had began on the foundation when the Dewi Sri Lalithaambigai Aalyam project in Precinct 5 was halted due to lack of funds in 2017, said committee chairman S. Thiayagarajan.

Devotees are now counting on Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to continue construction on a plot of land endowed by the government.

Thiayagarajan said this would be Putrajaya’s only Hindu temple and should thus be revived for the community.

“We have more than 2,000 Indians living in Putrajaya who are serving the government, as well as pensioners, and we don’t have any other source of income to finish the temple. 

“We humbly request the government of the day to help us finish the temple as we don’t want it to be an eyesore,” he told The Malaysian Insight. 

After the federal administrative capital was built over plantation land, the government in 2006 allocated plots to build non-Muslim houses of worship. 

Thiayagarajan said the Hindu temple’s groundbreaking ceremony took place in 2013 with temple committee members and priests specially brought in from India to bless the place. 

Based on architectural plans, the temple is to be 15m tall with a built-up area of 1,672sq m.

Construction started in 2016 with RM500,000 from former prime minister Najib Razak, through the Prime Minister’s Department, and RM400,000 from then Federal Territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

Contributions also came from the National Land Finance Co-Op Society Limited (RM500,000), as well as the public, Thiayagarajan said.

However, work came to a halt in 2017 when the funds ran out. 

“According to our accounts, we have spent RM2 million. There are only concrete pillars and a temporary shrine (built) at the site,” Thiayagarajan said.

The Covid-19 pandemic, manpower shortage and high prices of building materials mean the temple committee will have to reevaluate the project cost, he added.

“We’re expecting the next phase (of building) to cost RM10 million.”

The temple committee began appealing for funds in 2018 and had turned to then unity minister P.  Waythamoorthy for help.

“After the first meeting with him, we were told to approach the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra). 

“We were then told that Mitra couldn’t find funds for the temple at that time.”

In 2019 the committee was called to a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and was told by Mitra that RM5 million had been set aside for the temple. 

“We had signed a draft agreement and had to rework it to receive the funds. 

“However in 2020, the government changed and we were told the funds had been put on hold,” he said, referring to the change of federal government from Pakatan Harapan to Perikatan Nasional.

Thiayagarajan said they wrote to the PMO, addressing their letter to then prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin. 

“However, there was no response from the PMO. Then the government changed again.”

On August 16, Muhyiddin resigned. 

Thiayagarajan said the temple committee now seeks a meeting with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Federal Territories Minister Shahidan Kassim and Unity Minister Halimah Sadique.

The temple will replace a dozen estate temples that existed on the rubber plantations before Putrajaya was developed. More than 400 Indian families were working and living in the estates.

The 3,200ha area had belonged to Selangor and according to Thiayagarajan, comprised the four major estates of Prang, Sedgeley, Galloway, and Madingley.

The Indian families were relocated and compensated. – October 10, 2021.