SHAH ALAM, March 13 — The Magistrate's Court in Selayang has ruled that Yayasan Kubra cannot proceed with demolition works on a Hindu temple in Rawang for the time being until a decision is made by the High Court.
Free Malaysia Today reported Magistrate Chai Guan Hock as saying that the court has determined that there is a dispute over the ownership status of the land where the house of worship is located.
He said the temple has been on the site since 1995, while the current landowner only acquired the land in 2021.
“The court has also taken into account that issues at the site could lead to public tension if the situation is not properly managed,” Magistrate Chai said.
He added that the temple management and Yayasan Kubra must submit written statements and supporting documents to enable the court to determine the actual ownership status of the land.
“The court will examine documents from both parties before making a decision,” Magistrate Chai said, setting June 5 as the date for an inquiry into the matter.
Meanwhile, lawyers Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh Sohanpal, who represent the management of Kuil Sri Uchimalai Muniswaran, said the court's decision means the status quo at the site must be maintained for now.
Rajesh said the temple committee does not dispute that the land belongs to Yayasan Kubra, but objects to the manner in which part of the temple was allegedly demolished unlawfully.
Any action to relocate or evict a place of worship must first obtain a valid court order.
“You cannot come in the middle of the night with machinery and demolish a house of worship. That is unacceptable,” he said.
Rajesh also noted that the police had previously been deployed at the location last month to prevent any untoward incidents, highlighting the risk that tensions could escalate.
On February 27, the temple committee filed a suit at the Magistrate's Court in Shah Alam to prevent any action that could disrupt public order while awaiting an eviction order from the High Court.
