M.I.C. flays oppn for failure to protect Hindu shrines

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 26 (PTI) An ethnic Indian party in
Malaysia today accused a state government of failing to
protect Hindu shrines in the country, as a local lawmaker
dismissed the allegation.

Upset over the demolition of Ampang's Sri Maha
Kaliamman temple in Selangor state, Malaysian Indian Congress
(M.I.C.) President Samy Vellu accused Selangor state
authorities of failing to issue written instructions to local
councils not to demolish Hindu shrines. M.I.C. is a component
of the national ruling coalition Barisan Nasional party.

Vellu had asked the state authorities to explain if
written instructions had been given to local councils in the
state not to demolish any Hindu shrines.

"If so, we want the state government to make it public
so that it will be in tandem with the Opposition's promise
during the last general election that it will not demolish any
temples," Vellu said.

He felt the Sri Maha Kaliamman temple would not have
been demolished earlier this month if there was a written
instruction from the state government controlled by the
Opposition.

Vellu flayed the local government for allowing the
demolition of the temple as the Hindus prepared to celebrated
Diwali.

However, Zuraida Kamaruddin, MP, from Ampang, where
the temple was situated, dismissed the allegation of the
Vellu. He said the temple was not brought down by municipal
council but was demolished by its own committee to renovate
the shrine. The Ampang lawmaker said the public condemnation
of the demolition and accusation lashed at the local council
and state government was unfounded.

"The truth is the temple was demolished by its own
committee to make way for renovation and a face lift. They did
this of their own accord and did not consult nor seek approval
from the state government beforehand," he said.

Kamaruddin, who belongs to former deputy premier Anwar
Ibrahim's People's justice party, said allegations by Samy
were completely unfounded and untrue, an online news report
said.

According to her, the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council
(M.P.A.J.) was currently investigating the issue and was still
waiting for the local council's report.

Vellu alleged the Opposition had taken the minority
community for a ride with their promises during the last
general election that no temples would be demolished.

The M.I.C. fared miserably in the March 8 general
elections, where Vellu lost his parliamentary seat in Sungei
Siput, which he had won for three terms.

Vellu, a works minister in the last cabinet was blamed
by many ethnic Indians for the poor election showing. One of
the incidents which led to a large scale revolt against the
MIC was the demolition of a Hindu shrine.

It soon followed with a rally by the Hindraf to
protest against alleged marginalisation of ethnic Indians, who
form 8 percent of the country's 27 million people.