THE Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court today fined a temple committee chairman RM3,000 for damaging 13 idols in the temple under his jurisdiction in July last year.

Magistrate Aina Azahra Arifin delivered the judgment against M. Balasubramaniam, 40, who had used an iron rod to damage the idols at the Sri Maha Kaliamman Veeraganapathi Temple in Jalan Intan Batu 3-½, Sungai Besi at  am on July 15, 2019.

It is learned the damage resulted in losses of RM57,100.

Balasubramaniam, who was not represented, appealed for a lenient sentence, saying he regretted what he had done.

“I confess to damaging the idols because I was stressed at that time. My prayers were not answered; my nephew died of cancer last July (2019),” he said.

Deputy public prosecutor Illya Syaheedah Mohd Razif prosecuted. – Bernama, September 7, 2020.