THE 0.4ha plot of temple land that sparked a riot in Seafield last month will be handed over to a court-administered trust, the Attorney-General Chambers said today. 

Property developer One City Development Sdn Bhd said it supported the comprehensive settlement for the land in Subang Jaya, on which the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple sits. 

The settlement proposed by Attorney-General Tommy Thomas involves handing over the plot of land where the temple sits to a court-administered trust, subject to terms to be agreed upon by the parties involved.

Thomas said this measure was suggested at a meeting earlier this week with lawyers representing stakeholders in the temple dispute. 

Chambers will apply to the High Court to form a trust and appoint trustees responsible for it and for the temple.

“The High Court will also appoint a receiver who has a good reputation and can be accepted by both parties as the court’s representative.”

“At the appropriate time, the High Court will transfer ownership of the land to the trustees,” he added.

Thomas said the solution was reached “in a spirit of consensus and of give-and-take” between the parties, and that he, as attorney-general, was undertaking efforts to mediate in the dispute as guardian of public interest with regard to charitable trusts.

Last month, riots broke out over two nights at the temple after masked men stormed the house of worship and intimidated devotees into leaving.

The violence left property and vehicles damaged and life-threatening injuries to a fireman.

The dispute stemmed from disagreement between members of the temple leadership over its relocation to another plot already allocated by the developer One City Developer that owned the land where the temple is.

A consent judgement was obtained in 2014 whereby all parties agreed to the relocation then, but disputes over the matter subsequently arose.

More than 100 suspects have been arrested by police and more than a dozen have since been charged in court for rioting and causing hurt.

One City Development, meanwhile, expressed its thanks to the attorney-general for intervening in the dispute and bringing the parties together for a resolution. – December 14, 2018.