A 71-year-old Hindu temple, the Sri Maha Mariamman temple, located in Lunas, is facing demolition to accommodate the expansion of the Kulim Hi-Tech Park. The temple committee has been instructed by the Kedah government to vacate the land, which has been designated for the industrial park’s development.
The Sri Maha Mariamman temple, established by estate workers in 1953, is deeply rooted in the local Hindu community. Despite the government’s directive, temple chairman K. Kheeshor Kumaar disputes the claim that the temple is squatting on state land. According to Kheeshor, the temple was part of an estate managed by Sime Darby, and only recently, in 2022, did the temple committee receive eviction orders as the land ownership had changed hands.
In response to the eviction notice, the temple committee has engaged with various authorities including the district office, the Kulim Hi-Tech Park Corporation, and local officials. They have also met the Kedah Menteri Besar Sanusi Nor to seek alternatives.
Kheeshor highlighted that despite raising their concerns over the past two years, the responses from officials have been largely non-committal. The latest notice to vacate was issued last month, intensifying the committee’s urgency to find a solution. One proposed alternative was a plot of land approximately 12 kilometers away, which already has five other Hindu temples in close proximity.
Approximately 2,000 Hindu families reside in the ten residential areas surrounding the current temple, making it a central and regularly attended place of worship. The temple committee found a vacant plot ,in Taman Makmur a state land and a Indian residential neighborhood. However, the response to this proposal was a no as they are citing plans to build a playground on that land, despite the presence of an existing large playground. However, this proposal was dismissed by the authorities, citing plans to build a playground on that land, despite the presence of an existing large playground beside the land.
The situation grows further by the state’s acquiring of a cemetery affiliated which belongs to the temple, about 2 kilometers away, in order to construct a new road as part of the industrial park expansion. This development requires the exhumation of 19 bodies, adding another layer of distress for the temple community.
State Chinese, Indian, and Siamese community chairman Wong Chia Zen has stated that current records indicate the temple was built illegally on state land. He emphasized the state’s willingness to assist the temple, mentioning that they had previously offered an alternative piece of land. Wong expressed a desire to meet with the temple committee again to continue discussions.
This complex and emotionally charged situation underscores the challenges faced by historic religious institutions in the face of modern development pressures. The Sri Maha Mariamman temple committee continues to seek for a sustainable solution.
Sources: FMT
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