S'gor govt to discuss ways to save temple, decision to be announced tomorrow

SHAH ALAM: The dispute around the land on which the Seafield Sri Maha Mariaman temple stands may see a solution soon.

According to sources, the Selangor state government will acquire the land and allow the temple to remain at the location.

It is not clear yet if the ownership of the land will be given to the temple management or given to them on a long-term lease.

Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari said in a statement he will announce the decision at a press conference on Thursday (Nov 29) afternoon.

He also said that he had had a meeting with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department P. Waytha Moorthy, Deputy Rural Development Minister Sivarasa Rasiah, Sentosa assemblyman Gunaraj George, and Kota Kemuning assemblyman V. Ganabatirau to discuss the matter.

Sources said the instruction to secure the temple grounds came directly from Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad after Waytha Moorthy and Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran had met with him after visiting the temple on Tuesday (Nov 27).

One source said there are several options including one in which the Federal Government will pay the developer for the land and hand ownership over to the Selangor government.

“The immediate concern of the Federal and state governments is to secure the temple land in order to resolve the matter,” he said.