Let S Be Disciplined Temple Administrator Tells Devotees To Abide By Relocation Agreement

---

PETALING JAYA: K Chelappa, who has been declared the rightful administrator of the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, has appealed to devotees to abide by a consent judgment in which the temple agreed to move out of its current land owned by a developer
“Let us all unite as a disciplined Hindu community and allow the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Hicom temple to relocate without any obstruction and enable us to serve the Hindu devotees in a better and a safe place with more facilities,” Chellappa said in a statement, appealing for calm in the wake of clashes over the last two days that have left several people injured and caused damage to dozens of vehicles
He said the temple stood on land belonging to One City Development Sdn Bhd and that he had earlier obtained an injunction to stop the temple being demolished by the developer
However, four parties, through a consent judgment on March 11, 2014 at the Shah Alam High Court, agreed to the relocation of the temple and to return the vacant site to the owner
The four parties are the state government, One City and Chellappa and Nagaraju, who both claim to be the temple’s administrator, before Chellappa was eventually declared the rightful administrator in a separate case
As part of the consent judgment, One City agreed to donate RM1.5 million for the construction of a new temple on one of two plots of land given by the company. After the temple gave up the rights to one of the two plots of land, One City gave it another RM1 million in compensation
However, a faction led by Nagaraju continued to insist that the temple should remain in its present location
Two days ago, a group reportedly intruded into the temple causing a fracas in which several people were injured, the temple damaged and vehicles torched
Last night, a protest to oppose the temple’s relocation turned unruly as protesters torched a vehicle and attacked a fireman. Some also vandalised the office of the developer nearby. -FMT

---