Don T Blame Zaliha She Helped Resolve Mosque Temple Issue Jakel

---

Jakel Group managing director Faroz Jakel said the company did not intend for a backlash to be directed at the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
ADSIn a statement on TikTok, Faroz thanked Zaliha for helping the company resolve the issue over the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple in about one and a half years.
"We waited for 11 years... it is unfair to blame Zaliha because without her help we wouldn't have had the groundbreaking ceremony today and the mosque being ready in two years.
"But if we went through the legal process, I wouldn't know (if it would be solved) in 10 years.
"I don't even know if I would still be around," he joked.
Historic
Earlier today, Zaliha called the groundbreaking ceremony for the "Madani Mosque" a historic moment representing the triumph of wisdom, patience and the principle of virtue in resolving a sensitive conflict.
She expressed gratitude that textile company Jakel Tradings can proceed with the mosque’s construction after nearly a decade of delays.
Certain parties blamed Zaliha for preventing the company from suing the temple committee after 11 years of negotiations to relocate from a plot of its land previously bought from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha MustafaFaroz had said that the company did not follow through on the intention to sue after Zaliha's advice against it as she said it would become a major racial issue.
Today, he said that his spontaneous speech at the mosque's groundbreaking ceremony had been misinterpreted.
"The speech was delivered spontaneously and without the intention of discrediting any party.
"Unfortunately, an audio excerpt from the entire speech was taken and published separately by some media outlets, leading to inaccurate interpretations and unpleasant reactions among the public," he said.
ADSHe clarified that the decision against pursuing legal action was the company's own as the result of consultation with legal advisors.
"Zaliha was only expressing her views on the possible legal and social implications if this issue were to continue, based on the advice of various authorities," he added.
Deal struck
On March 25, the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple committee confirmed it had reached an agreement with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall to relocate the current structure along Jalan Munshi Abdullah, off Jalan Masjid India, to a nearby site about 50m away.
Advocates for the temple’s preservation cited its century-old history dating back to the British colonial era, while a vast majority of critics argued that the temple should move as it has no legal rights to the land sold by DBKL to Jakel.
Dewi Sri PathrakaliammanThe issue also sparked a broader discussion on the rights of land owners and the status of Hindu temples in Malaysia.
The issue and subsequent heated debates erupted following Lawyers for Liberty’s March 20 press conference held together with former Malaysian Bar president Ambiga Sreenevasan and the temple committee members. - Mkini

---