THE Save Seafield Task Force committee has distanced itself from the crowdfunding initiative taken by Berjaya Group founder Vincent Tan to help buy the Sri Maha Mariamman temple land in Subang Jaya.  

Save Seafield Task Force chairman S. Ramaji said that the effort was Tan’s personal initiative and should not involve the task force.  

“Tan Sri (Vincent Tan) came here personally but they didn’t officially approach us.  

“Whatever they are collecting, we leave it to them. While we welcome his efforts, we don’t want to be part of it and it is not connected to us,” S. Ramaji told reporters at the temple today.  

Tan, who initiated the crowdfunding initiative after the riot at the temple grounds last week, said the fund was part of his efforts to put an end to the controversy over the proposal to relocate the temple to another location.

The fund set up to buy the land on which the temple is sited has reached more than RM2 million.  

Ramaji said that although the task force isn’t against the crowdfunding initiative, their main priority remains to get the temple retained and gazetted.  

“We are not against his move. He has his right to do it. We are not stopping it but first, we want this place to be retained for the temple and then gazetted.

“That is more important than the money for us. Once it’s officially done, we’ll talk about the money,” he said.

A. Chandrakumunan, a member of the task force, said they appreciate Tan’s effort but they will still need to wait for the court decision to consider their next step.

“It’s a good effort but at the end of the day, the matter is still in court. Let the court give its verdict, then we will know what to do,” he told reporters. – December 5, 2018.