Cabinet to be briefed on unapproved worship sites, intrusion in Rawang
PUTRAJAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will brief the Cabinet today on issues involving houses of worship built without proper approval and the recent intrusion at a temple in Rawang.
He said the briefing is intended to present a clear chronology of events and identify those involved, enabling the government to determine the most appropriate course of action and defuse rising tensions.
“I have asked the Inspector-General of Police and the Special Branch director to prepare a comprehensive report.
“We want to ensure that any action taken is based on facts and the law, not emotion or manipulation by certain parties,” he told reporters after the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly yesterday.
Commenting on a recent incident of individuals taking matters into their own hands to demolish a house of worship, Saifuddin Nasution cautioned that sidelining the rule of law is dangerous and could have serious repercussions to public order.
He stressed that matters concerning land status, ownership or urban planning must be resolved through proper legal channels, involving the relevant state governments and local authorities.
“No one benefits from acting on emotion. We are a multiracial nation, and the guarantee of freedom of religion as enshrined in the Federal Constitution will continue to be upheld by the government,” he added.
Meanwhile, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said any landowners who suspect a house of worship has been built without approval on their land should lodge a police report immediately.
He said doing so will enable the police to begin conducting an investigation and, if proven guilty, expedite prosecution against the trespassers who built the house of worship.
“The police can then initiate prosecution proceedings against the perpetrators for the offence of trespassing.
“Police will then issue a notice to the trespasser and formally inform the local district office,” he said in a statement yesterday.
To help mediate between landowners and management of unapproved houses of worship, he said that district security committees, chaired by the local district officer, have also been activated in all districts in Selangor.
“These committees will call all parties involved – including the police and the local authorities – to help seek a reasonable resolution between the landowners and the house of worship management.
“This approach ensures that the entire process involves the relevant authorities and helps prevent any incident that could potentially trigger unrest.
“If this process does not yield results, the committee will then advise the landowner to proceed with court and legal action,” Amirudin said.
He said this move is to help landowners, as the existing process required landowners to appoint a lawyer to obtain a court order before any eviction or demolition of unapproved houses of worship can take place.
Regarding unapproved houses of worship situated on state land, Amirudin said that the existing conflict-resolution procedures at the state government level will be reinforced.
“This includes immediate action at the local authority level and the establishment of clearer standard operating procedures for the state’s Special Committee on Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Taoist,” he added.
