What Does This Report Tell You About Religious Freedom?
Lawyer held for bid to halt demolition of temple.(The Star).
It is understood that one of the temple priests suffered a heart attack when he saw the temple being demolished and was taken to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital where he is reportedly in a stable condition.
The arrests came after a two-hour standoff between police officers, DBKL workers and 15 people seeking to prevent the Aum Sri Sivabalamuniswaran temple in Setapak from being torn down. According to Sentul OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Rodzi Ismail the demonstrators threw sticks and stones at the policemen.
“The temple management was informed almost a year ago that the temple would have to be relocated due to the construction of the new Duta-Hulu Kelang Expressway (Duke),” he said.
According to ACP Mohd Rodzi, one of the protesters was injured on the forehead after hitting himself with a pair of handcuffs.
It was learnt that the committee of the 30-year old building, which has a congregation of about 800 people, was offered a plot of land in a nearby location, but had rejected the offer.
P.Sivalingam, a temple priest, said that they had been receiving notices from City Hall for a few years. “We have had a few negotiations with them over the years, but could not come to an agreement because they were, at first, not willing to give us any land in compensation.”
However, he said, the highway developer later offered them a plot of land, but this was rejected by the temple committee. “They gave us a 10ft by 10ft plot, which is not big enough for the temple. “It is only big enough to build a toilet on!” he said.
**** Come on people, let us know. Is this a good example of religious freedom in Malaysia? Where the police along with DBKL labourers doubling up as bouncers beat up people all because of a place of worship? Which idiot approved and then justified to the cops that a 10ft by 10ft space was enough to build a temple? And pray tell how a protestor could have been hurt by 'hitting' himself with a handcuff? This is state-sponsored repression pure and simple. And Malaysia is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)!!! Give me a break!!
It is understood that one of the temple priests suffered a heart attack when he saw the temple being demolished and was taken to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital where he is reportedly in a stable condition.
The arrests came after a two-hour standoff between police officers, DBKL workers and 15 people seeking to prevent the Aum Sri Sivabalamuniswaran temple in Setapak from being torn down. According to Sentul OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Rodzi Ismail the demonstrators threw sticks and stones at the policemen.
“The temple management was informed almost a year ago that the temple would have to be relocated due to the construction of the new Duta-Hulu Kelang Expressway (Duke),” he said.
According to ACP Mohd Rodzi, one of the protesters was injured on the forehead after hitting himself with a pair of handcuffs.
It was learnt that the committee of the 30-year old building, which has a congregation of about 800 people, was offered a plot of land in a nearby location, but had rejected the offer.
P.Sivalingam, a temple priest, said that they had been receiving notices from City Hall for a few years. “We have had a few negotiations with them over the years, but could not come to an agreement because they were, at first, not willing to give us any land in compensation.”
However, he said, the highway developer later offered them a plot of land, but this was rejected by the temple committee. “They gave us a 10ft by 10ft plot, which is not big enough for the temple. “It is only big enough to build a toilet on!” he said.
**** Come on people, let us know. Is this a good example of religious freedom in Malaysia? Where the police along with DBKL labourers doubling up as bouncers beat up people all because of a place of worship? Which idiot approved and then justified to the cops that a 10ft by 10ft space was enough to build a temple? And pray tell how a protestor could have been hurt by 'hitting' himself with a handcuff? This is state-sponsored repression pure and simple. And Malaysia is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)!!! Give me a break!!
posted by The Malaysian. at 6/09/2006 07:58:00 PM
2 Comments:
You have raised a very pertinent point and you are absolutely correct. However realistically speaking, how else can poor people build places of worship when the government won't do it for them?
well speakupguys, try getting permit for a hindu temple in shah alam and see if it will be allowed?
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