Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - The Malaysian Hindu Sangam (MHS) has come up with a set of guidelines to save Hindu temples from demolition in the country.
The move comes after civic authorities demolished 12 temples in Klang Valley in western Malaysia during the past few months to make way for development.
MHS president A. Vaithilingam said that a five-member special committee has been formed to address the relocation and demolition of Hindu temples in Kuala Lumpur. The committee will assist temples that are facing problems with the authorities throughout the country.
At a meeting held in the capital, the mayor of Kuala Lumpur gave an undertaking that City Hall would consult the committee before issuing notices to demolish any temple.
The committee would be given the chance to negotiate with the affected temples first to find an amicable solution rather than resort to demolition, Vaithilingam went on to say.
The relocation or demolition of a temple should be undertaken in accordance with Hindu rites and tradition and not the humiliating manner in which they were being carried out now, he added.
It is estimated that there are about 20,000 temples in the country, with 2,000 established ones, 5,000 medium-sized ones, and the rest shrines.