THE members of the special committee set up to determine the status of houses of worship in cave areas in the state will include political party representatives, said the Perak menteri besar.

Saarani Mohamad said the involvement of representatives from both sides of the political aisle is to avoid the issue from being politicised.

“This is not a political issue, so it is okay to get representatives from MCA, MIC, DAP, PKR to be in the special committee.

“We will call the technical department and operators (temples) to sit and discuss as we need to find an immediate solution. To me, safety should be top priority.”

The Perak Land and Mines Office is awaiting the list of names from the temple operators, he added.

“Once the names are obtained, we will set up the committee and get the state government to sit down with them to find the best way to solve this issue.”

Saarani last week said a special committee will be set up to determine the status of the temples on government-owned land in the state, either via reservation method, issuance of a temporary occupancy licence or reserve land lease.

He said encroachment activities and uncontrolled structural construction can cause safety hazards, including land collapse, as limestone caves are sensitive to climate change. – Bernama, January 16, 2022.