DEVOTEES RELIEVED TEMPLE CAN STAY PUT
They are thankful to A-G for intervention that led to a win-win solution
THE devotees of the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple heaved a huge sigh of relief as a comprehensive solution has been found to the land dispute, thanks to Attorney-General Tommy Thomas’s intervention.
The temple’s task force committee head, S. Ramaji, said: “The decision to retain the temple at the same place, and place it under the purview of a trust and the High Court is probably the fairest and best solution.
“We are very thankful and appreciate that we can stay put.”
Thomas said on Friday the owner of the 0.4ha plot on which the temple was located in USJ 25 had agreed to transfer it to a trust before transferring it to the temple trustees at a later date. Thomas said he must be represented in all the applications to ensure impartiality and neutrality among the various groups in the temple.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the Selangor menteri besar and the landowner, One City Development, for their generosity and wise decision,” said Ramaji.
“All the hard work, struggle and sacrifices made in the cause of retaining the temple in its current location have paid off.
“Thank you to the legal team, faithful devotees, task force members, non-governmental organisations, individuals and all who stood by us.”
He also thanked the A-G for his involvement in resolving the long-standing temple relocation issue. Another task force member, Elangovan Annamalai, said he felt relieved and happy over the A-G’s statement.
“We have been waiting for this. The decision to keep the temple at its current location is the best news we have received in months,” he said, adding that the Attorney-General’s Chambers had carried out a professional and thorough investigation, which led to the win-win decision for all parties involved in the land dispute.