SELANGOR Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the state is looking to negotiate an amicable settlement to the Seafield Sri Mahamariamman temple land dispute.

He said the state government currently had no plans to acquire the land on which the temple is located on behalf of the temple committee.  

“I cannot say how we hope to help resolve this but we are in talks with the parties involved. The cost of acquiring the land is high,” he said

Amirudin said acquiring the land would be unfair to taxpayers in Selangor.

He  cautioned the parties involved to remain calm, not to hold any assembly, refrain from making any form of provocative statement and adhere to orders by the police to maintain peace and public order.

The Malaysian Insight, quoting sources, reported yesterday that the state government will take over the land under dispute in Subang.

They said the instruction had come from Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and that Amirudin had agreed to it.

“The menteri besar will be making the announcement tomorrow. The state will alienate the land to the temple. It will be acquired in the interest of the public,” said the source.

“As a result, the temple need not relocate. It can remain there.”

The state was expected to compensate the developer for the land takeover, the source said. 

According to the sources, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy and Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran met Dr Mahathir after their visit to the temple yesterday.

“The PM wanted to know what was happening. After he was briefed, he told the ministers to address the people’s concerns as soon as possible,” said the source.

The source said the PM then agreed for the land to be taken over by the government and given to the temple. – November 29, 2018.