MIC, PKR leaders arrested in standoff over alleged demolition of century-old temple

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 Nine individuals, including one PKR and six MIC Youth leaders, have been arrested so far in this mornings standoff with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) over an allegedly illegal demolition of the 101-year-old Hindu temple on Jalan P. Ramlee..

Temple lawyer N. Surendran also alleged that three or four gangsters, whom he claimed had come with the councils demolition team, assaulted him when he tried to stop them from tearing down the Golden Triangle Muneswarar Kuil.

Surendran, who is also PKR vice-president, confirmed the arrests of Hindraf-turned-PKR leader S. Jayathas, temple secretary Nalini and temple photographer Prem while MIC Youth information chief S. Subramaniam confirmed the arrests of six wing members.

The standoff went on from about 8am to 10.30am when the contractors were brought in and they started work.

These DBKL officers smashed three deities and took them out. We confronted them and asked for a negotiation but they continued to work until 10.30am until the cops came in and asked them to leave, Surendran told The Malay Mail Online when contacted this morning.

He added that the demolition had been a surprise one as negotiation was still on-going when the contractors came in with their heavy machinery.

There was no notice, it was a demolition by ambush... they just came in a day after Merdeka and began breaking it down. Negotiation was supposed to be still on-going... and there was no court order permitting it.

It is illegal that is my position as the temples lawyer, he said.

Surendran said in the over two-hour long confrontation this morning, several men he labelled as gangsters taunted those who were attempting to call off the demolition.

The Padang Serai MP said the gangsters roughly pushed him around.

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MIC, PKR leaders arrested in standoff over alleged demolition of century-old temple