Chinese temples received RM3.7mil or 62% of state funding for non-Muslim houses of worship in Selangor last year.
This was followed by Hindu temples with RM1.65mil distributed among 220 premises, while 350 Chinese temples benefitted from the allocations.
Churches received RM540,000 and gurdwaras RM78,000, benefiting 81 and 15 worship places respectively, said Special Committee for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (Limas) co-chairman V. Papparaidu.
He said a special committee had been set up to process applications from houses of worship.
“Priority is given to applicants carrying out community programmes such as tuition and computer classes.”
He also said applications from worship house committees without proper land ownership documents would be rejected.
He said this in reply to Gunarajah George (PH-Sentosa) at the state assembly sitting at Bangunan Dewan Negeri Selangor in Shah Alam yesterday.
Gunarajah had asked about funding for non-Muslim worship houses and if there were plans to support infrastructure upgrades.
In a supplementary question, he asked if the state could help committees manage operations, including registration and programme implementation.
Papparaidu said the state would not interfere with internal matters of the respective committees.
In a separate question, Leong Tuck Chee (PH-Pandamaran) asked if there were plans to upgrade Masjid Jamek Samadiah in Port Klang to accommodate a growing population.
Selangor Islamic religious affairs and cultural innovation committee chairman Dr Mohammad Fahmi Ngah said based on assessments by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department, the mosque was in good condition and able to cater to residents.
“Currently, the mosque can accommodate up to 1,444 people at a time. The increase in numbers occurs during Friday prayers,” he said.
He added that the Selangor Zakat Board had allocated RM70,000 in 2025 to replace carpets at the mosque, while the state’s implementation and coordination unit provided another RM70,000 to upgrade the toilets.
