THE Perikatan Nasional government must stop temple demolitions and remain sensitive to the rights of the country’s Hindu community, said P. Ramasamy.

The Penang deputy chief minister said this in response to the impending demolition of a 100-year-old Hindu shrine at the entrance of the Alor Setar railway station in Kedah.

He said the Kuil Madura Veeran predates the railway station and was built by Indian railway and municipal workers more than a century ago.

The shrine is believed to have started life as an idol of the Madura Veeran deity under a tree but over the years it has been upgraded to its present form of a small cement structure with tiles, a  common sight in many estates and rural settlements.

 “I will be writing to the Kedah menteri besar urging him to postpone the demolition and hold talks with the temple committee and other state agencies to find an amicable solution.

“I sincerely hope that the new state government of Perikatan under the leadership of PAS is sensitive to rights of the Hindu community in Kedah,” Ramasamy said in a statement today.

He said the shrine could be torn down in less than a week.

He added that the Alor Setar municipal council has refused to meet with the temple committee to discuss a solution to the location of the shrine.

“The attempt to demolish the temple last week was temporarily stopped with the intervention of state authorities.

“However, the temple committee was given 10 days to move out or face demolition.

“The committee is in a dilemma as to how to dismantle the temple structure without an alternative site to relocate the temple,” said DAP leader Ramasamy, who is also the Penang Hindu Endowment Board chairman.

He said the local authorities wishes to tear down the shrine due to the traffic congestion it causes.

The previous Pakatan Harapan state government had held a meeting in January where it was proposed that the congestion could be prevented by making the road in front of the temple a one-way street.

“I was informed by a committee member that congestion was not really an issue and that the presence of the temple was an eyesore for the many government officials in the area.

“Basically it was religious intolerance and extremism that were responsible for the untenable nature of the heritage temple.”

He pointed out that the Alor Star shrine was the second Hindu heritage temple to face demolition under the Perikatan government.

In late March, the Perak government, also under PN, had demolished a Hindu heritage temple located on the prison compound of Kamunting detention centre.

The Kamunting temple demolition took place during the movement control order period, without the knowledge of the temple committee. – June 25, 2020.