WCE, IJM ADMIT TO ENCROACHMENT
They have apologised to the temple and resolved the issue
WEST Coast Expressway Sdn Bhd (WCE) and its contractor, IJM Land Berhad, have admitted to encroaching on the Ladang Bukit Raja (Boon Hean) Indian cemetery in Bukit Raja here, but denied that exhumation of graves had been carried out.
Speaking after a meeting with WCE and IJM Land yesterday, Sri Maha Mariamman Mutiara Ladang Bukit Raja (Boon Hean) chairman Sellan Ramalingam said he was told that the land had been levelled as part of the construction work for the 233km expressway connecting Taiping in Perak and Banting in Selangor.
“They admitted to accidentally trespassing on the cemetery grounds.
“They said they had noticed the cemetery signboard but had gone ahead with the levelling works as they did not see any tombstones and did not know who to consult.
“WCE has given us an assurance that it will erect a fence to indicate the boundary of the other part of the cemetery and the construction site.
“They will also finance the Hindu religious rites and prayers that will be carried out in a week.
“They have apologised over their actions and we have accepted their explanation.
“They had also promised to consult the temple if there are doubts in future.
“We consider this issue solved.
“We do not wish to pursue this matter any further,” Sellan
told the New Straits Times yesterday.
Meanwhile, a WCE spokesman said they had settled the issue with the temple and did not wish to comment further.
Yesterday, NST carried the plight of Sellan and several others who had claimed that the graves of their family members had been exhumed without their knowledge to make way for the WCE project.
They came to know of the alleged exhumation of almost 50 graves last weekend.
A report was subsequently lodged by Mutiara Bukit Raja Indian community leader, Kumaravel Subrayan.