Solve Structural Problems Of Cave Temples First Says Ngo

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Nam Thean Tong temple in Gunung Rapat has been served with an eviction notice. (Facebook pic)PETALING JAYA: A conservation activist has suggested that cave temples in Kinta can be made safe through remedial work, instead of being evicted on grounds of public safety.
Steven Thang, an architect, said as the state government had cited safety concerns for the eviction notices sent to the temples, the state or the temple committees could get an independent geologist to identify the structural problems and rectify them.
The government and the management committees of the temples could jointly come up with procedures to ensure that the public and the sites are safe, he said.
Perak menteri besar Saarani Mohamad said on Thursday that inspections had shown that several structures in the caves were not in good shape. He said eviction notices sent to the temple committees had not been revoked.
Kinta district has 14 cave temples including one that is 155 years old. The fate of the temples remains uncertain as the management of the Nam Thean Tong temple in Gunung Rapat has received a notice from the Kinta district office to vacate the cave within 30 days.
Saarani said the eviction notices had not been revoked.
On Thursday Badan Warisan Malaysia urged the national heritage department to gazette the cave temples as national heritage sites.
Thang said the state government should look into ways to provide support rather than push out the temples.
Other countries such as China and India have cave temples too, “so it is possible for them to be safe and well-preserved with remedial work”, he said. “These cave temples are natural heritage sites. They have historical value and are popular tourist spots.”
He urged Saarani to revoke the eviction notices and have the cave temples gazetted as heritage sites. The onus of ensuring safety and preserving the caves’ significance would then fall on the temple committees.
Thang is chairman of the conservation and heritage committee of the Malaysian Institute of Architects and honorary treasurer of the Malaysian chapter of the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
The Nam Thean Tong temple is a frequently visited spot, located next to the more well-known Sam Poh Tong cave temple. - FMT

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