Lawyer blasts Anwar's rush for 'Masjid Madani' amid ongoing negotiations over fate of Hindu temple

A lawyer has taken Anwar Ibrahim to task over comments on the controversy surrounding a 130-year-old Hindu temple, which is facing pressure from authorities and ruling politicians to make way for the construction of a mosque to be named after the prime minister's political slogan "Madani".

Zaid Malek of rights group Lawyers for Liberty questioned Anwar's insistence on the ground-breaking ceremony for the planned Masjid Madani, as well as his position that the temple should be relocated.

Zaid said the prime minister should not pre-empt any decision while discussions involving the current landowner, Jakel Trading, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) and the committee members of the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple in Jalan Masjid India were still ongoing.

"What is the rush for Anwar to carry out the groundbreaking ceremony on March 27 when the discussions between the temple and DBKL are still ongoing? Why is Anwar not prepared to give the necessary space and time for that process to be carried out?" asked Zaid.

"You cannot call it a negotiation when one party is given no choice. It is not for Anwar to ignore this process and decide the matter unilaterally."

This comes amid reports that Jakel was open to a recent idea put forward by several activists, including Zaid, to build the proposed mosque next to the temple so that both places of worship could co-exist as a symbol of Malaysia's harmony.

Online portal Scoop quoted a source as saying that Jakel, which bought the land from DBKL a few years after the authorities allowed the temple to be relocated there for a road project, was looking into the possibility of building its mosque on an adjacent plot without affecting the temple.

Zaid said Anwar had displayed "serious ignorance of the history, facts and circumstances" in the matter by claiming that the temple had been built illegally.

The Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple was originally constructed in 1893. In 2008, it was ordered by DBKL to relocate to the current lot. 

However, the government land became the property of Jakel in 2014 following DBKL's decision to sell the land to the textile company.

The temple committee said it had not been consulted on the sale, as well as offered to purchase the land.

"In other words, it was the government that asked the temple to build their structure on the current land. This being so, it is sheer dishonesty for Anwar now to suggest that the temple was built without permission," said Zaid.

He said the land was not privately owned when the temple was forced to move there in 2008, six years before it was sold.

"How can it be 'not legal' when it was built upon the instruction of the local authority? To brand a place of worship that has served the local community for over a century as 'not legal' is deeply disrespectful to devotees of the temple and the Hindu community at large, and displays a surprising lack of regard on the part of a sitting PM."

Zaid further challenged Anwar to state whether it was right to build a mosque on the site of the temple.

"Does Anwar not realise that the temple would have to be demolished first in order to relocate it elsewhere? The temple is not a motorcar that can be driven from place to place. Relocation is the equivalent of demolition. To relocate, it must be demolished first to be rebuilt elsewhere."