Hindu Temple relocation shelved after chaotic town hall meet -Emotional charged free for all hurling insults.

Pix show the section 23 Shah Alam marching to the Secretariat with a cow head. Cow are sacred to the Hindu in Malaysia.


The act of stepping on the cow head.


Parading a cow head.



Putting a cow head in the entrance of the Secteriat.




The town hall meeting on the temple relocation issue degenerated into a verbal free-for-all.Seat are the Shah Alam mayor Mazalan Md Noor , Menteri Besar Selangor , Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad,Batu Tiga state assemblyman Rodziah Ismail.


Tension were high in the town hall as 2 parties clashes over the relocation of an Hindu Temple in the majority Muslim Malay area section 23. Is this Malay/Muslim sentivities or pure racism.



Menteri Besar Selangor Khalid has call off the relocation of the temple following today's incident laden town hall meeting. Where both sides where hurling insults and no solution were found.


Residents of section 23 Shah Alam were very emotional charged and it was free for all hurling insults and each other , those who support and those who against the relocation of the temple.


Some 30 to 40 Indian residents of Section 23 have made themselve heard at the town hall meetings. They are speaking out to support the relocation of Sri Mahamariamman Temple in section 23.


Little were discussed as the same group in the cow head protest prevented any discussions instead hurling insults and disrupting the town hall meeting.



MBSA officers step in to separate protesters as arguments become heated at the town hall meeting. Menteri Besar Khalid were trying to calm the protestors.Later with no solution found Khalid decided to postpone the relocation of the temple to section 23 Shah Alam.


“Muslim sensitivities” was used by the Malay residents of Section 23 as the central reason to reject the Hindu temple relocation, but when some were asked today what these “sensitivities” really were, none of them could give a straight answer.

One Malay lady said it will cause traffic jam. Another Malay guy said they do not like the smells and temple will only get bigger.

Some said , too many temples will made Malay uneasy and such.Yet Malay residents of Section 23 said they felt their religion, Islam, had been profoundly threatened by the temple relocation proposal by the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government.

It prompted them to take to the streets with a cow’s head recently to defend their religion; it drove them to discard civic consciousness and adopt extreme measures, to go as far as insulting another religion, knowing full well such action could lead to physical confrontations.

Proceedings barely got off the ground before the protesters started shouting and booing at Khalid, along with Khalid Samad (MP for Shah Alam), and Shah Alam mayor Mazalan Md Noor.

Despite calls for calm, the ruckus continued with the upset residents yelling “Penipu!” (liar!) and “Bodoh!” (stupid!) each time Khalid attempted to address them.

Tempers frayed at one point, with rowdy protesters standing on their chairs while shouting.

One Indian Section 23 resident confronted a cow-head protester, prompting MBSA enforcement officers to step in to defuse the situation.

Tensions appeared to ease after that, but the protesters started to get worked up again when Batu Tiga state assemblyman Rodziah Ismail took to the podium. The residents accused her of ignoring their views when planning the relocation of the temple, pelting her with shouts of “Tipu!”

Khalid Ibrahim has said the state government will now reconsider the location of the temple, and that the state development board (PKNS) would need to come up with an amicable solution. This did not placate the irate residents any.

With no clear outcome possible from the emotionally-charged meet, aides led the mentri besar away. The meeting ended with the situation exactly as it was, with no resolution in sight.

Last Friday, a group of 50 protesters from the Section 23 area in Shah Alam held a demonstration in front of the state secretariat building to protest the planned relocation of the 150-year-old Sri Mahamariamman Temple to Section 23 from Section 19. They brandished a severed head of a cow at the protest.

The 150-year-old temple was built on a plantation which over the years was developed into housing estates by the Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS). No provisions were made to relocate the temple, which is now in the middle of a Muslim majority area.

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A total of 211 residents from Section 23 attended the meeting at the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) auditorium and more than one third noisily expressed their objections to the temple and refused to even listen to explanations from the mayor, representatives of the Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS) and the state government.

Khalid Samad also lashed out at Datuk Seri Khir Toyo for continuing to propose all temples in Shah Alam to be relocated to a cluster site in Section 18.

The previous state government had spent RM600,000 to prepare the site meant for seven temples but the idea failed to take off because the temple committees had rejected the idea.

Khalid said the previous state government had first prepared the site, then attempted to arm twist these temple committees to move.

“If I was Dr Khir, I would be ashamed to admit that I have spent so much money without solving the issue.”

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Cow-head protest was end of tether for Sect 23 folk

Graffiti near the proposed site of the temple makes it clear how residents here feel.


Some residents, like Mainora, fear the issue could turn into a powder keg.


Having the temple so close to their playground will stop children from playing there, parents claim


The predominantly Malay-Muslim residents feel a sense of betrayal by their elected representatives


Sect 23 resident Sukhani has resorted to flying Umno flags to show his anger.



For the residents of the middle class Taman Ixora neighbourhood in Section 23 here, the cow-head protest after Friday prayers underlined their anger and frustration against a government unwilling to heed their views.

While they have mixed feelings about brandishing a cow-head during the protest, they are adamant in not wanting the Section 19 Sri Mahamariamman Temple relocated to their predominantly Malay-Muslim neighbourhood, more so near the Surau Al-Jannah.

“I attended yesterday’s demonstration because this is my neighbourhood and I must show support. That is what I want. I hung this Umno flag, but I voted one for Khalid Samad and Rodziah. I voted for PKR but I felt cheated. I have this Umno flag to show my anger,” Sukhani Mohd Jamil stressed, venting his anger at the state lawmakers.

Khalid Samad is the Shah Alam MP, which encompasses this neighbourhood in the predominantly Malay constituency.

The Section 23 action committee against the temple construction had sent a protest memorandum to Rodziah explaining that the temple was just 160 metres from the houses, 50 metres from a playground and 150 metres from Surau Al-Jannah. They demanded a public hearing but the Batu Tiga state assemblyman said it was unnecessary as the area was industrial land.

There was also fear in some of the residents as they are afraid that this issue might explode into a racial backlash.

“Of course, nobody wants the temple. It is too near to the playground. This has become an issue. I am scared that this will lead to fighting. They are too sensitive on this issue. Can you ask Rodziah why she wants to build it there?” Mainora Muir Hassan explained.

The mother of four stressed that the temple was not in the plans when they bought the house and questioned if the state government can do this.

“If there is not any temple, then we won’t buy. The price of our houses will also fall. Khalid wants tolerance but how can there be tolerance when it is near to the surau?” she added.

Pakatan Rakyat politicians claimed that most of the protesters were not from Section 23 and the demonstration was orchestrated by Umno.

However, local residents refuted this claim and said it was unfair because they are fighting for their neighbourhood and not for any political party.

“It is not a question of Umno or not, we are all Muslims. I am disappointed that a Muslim leader has neglected the Muslim community. Our religion has been sidetracked,” Latiff Roslan said.

“It is not a question of Umno or not, we are all Muslims. I am disappointed that a Muslim leader has neglected the Muslim community. Our religion has been sidetracked,” Latiff Roslan said.

The businessman was confused why the state government had decided to build the temple near their homes when there was no objection to build the temple in Section 22 as originally planned.

“Playground is for our children, children won’t go there to play and parents won’t allow them to play. Why is this temple made into an issue? People have objected to this temple so the government should stop the project.

“I read in the papers, that they want to move the temple by 300 metres. There is no land for the temple to be relocated by 300 metres. They want to put in the temple in the factory? So they are trying to lie to us and we cannot accept it,” he said.

The residents feel that they are being neglected by their leaders and are fed-up with Khalid’s call for religious tolerance.

“Khalid Samad is a liar, he likes to tell lies. He is scared to face the people. If the temple can be relocated by 300 metres, why not five kilometres? They asked us to tolerant. We can be tolerant but they must find a suitable location,” Azman Abdul Majid said.

The Telekom Malaysia employee added that politicians are abandoning religion for votes.

There were mixed emotions on the severed cow-head being used in the demonstration but they agree that the protestors just wanted to show their anger.

The residents are planning to seek a court injunction if the state government continues its plans to build the temple there.

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• PM orders action against cow-head protesters

PM orders action against cow-head protesters

-Stepping at the cow head.Protesting at the construction of a Hindu Temple in Shah Alam.-

Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Najib Razak has ordered the police to take swift action against a group that brought a cow's head to Shah Alam to protest a Hindu temple relocation in a bid to calm swirling racial tensions.Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan after Selangor police stood by in the after Friday prayers protest were given the instructions by the outraged PM.

The group of Malay-Muslim protesters claiming to be residents of Section 23 had dumped the severed cow's head outside the Selangor state secretariat and threatened bloodshed unless the state government stopped the construction of a Hindu Temple.

The "residents" said that the construction of a Hindu temple in a 90 per cent Malay- Muslim neighborhood was insensitive because activities there would disrupt their lives.

A group of Malay-Muslim protesters claiming to be residents of Section 23 have threatened bloodshed unless the state government stopped the construction of a Hindu Temple.

“I challenge YB Khalid, YB Rodziah and Xavier Jeyakumar to go on with the temple construction. I guarantee bloodshed and racial tension will happen if this goes on, and the state will be held responsible,” shouted Ibrahim Haji Sabri amid strong chants of “Allahu Akbar!” as he referred to Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and his state administration.

Reasons for protests.
Mohd. Zurit Bin Ramli, who claims to be the secretary of the "Coalition of Malaysian NGOs" echoed Ibrahim’s stand on the matter, saying that it was irresponsible on the part of the state government to approve the construction as there was apparently a “90 per cent” majority Muslim population in Section 23.

“With a temple on our residential area, we cannot function properly as Muslims. The temple will disrupt our daily activities like prayers in the Surau. We cannot concentrate with the sounds coming from the temple,” stated Zurit.

When asked whether members of the protest were affiliated with any organisations or movements, Ibrahim claimed that the people present today were members of PAS, PKR as well as Umno who are “united in the name of Islam and the Malay spirit.”

The issue first cropped up when the Selangor government proposed that the Sri Mariamman temple be relocated from Section 19 to Section 23.

Section 23 Shah Alam has a 90% Muslim populations.


Responds from Leaders
Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin condemned the protest, calling it insensitive and disrespectful to another religion.

“This kind of emotional and insulting action can wreck the country’s peace,” the Rembau MP said in a statement.

National Unity and Performance Management Minister Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon also called for calm and asked the state government resolve the issue.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu called the group extremist but asked Indians in the state to be calm.

"It is the right of Malaysians of any faith, including Hindus to build temples and other places of worships. I am very sad that this group had paraded the cow's head on their way to the state secretariat building," he said in a statement."I am worried that this action may lead to retaliation from the Hindu community. However, I wish to urge the Hindus especially to be calm and let the authorities deal with it," he added, saying the protesters must be punished for endangering racial harmony.

Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy who called the protest a "disgraceful" act" while Human Rights Party leader P Uthayakumar was disappointed that the police did not arrest those involved in the protest.

In a statement, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism & Taoism (MCCBCHST) called for calm to enable the authorities find a “peaceable agreement and understanding”.

“Nothing can be gained by provocative action on the part of any side. MCCBCHST regrets that a severed cow’s head was brought along in the demonstration,” said president Reverend Dr Thomas Philips, noting the cow is sacred to the Hindu religion.

A symbol of objection?... The cow's head being paraded by the protectors in their march.


The group making their way to the Selangor secretariat building after their prayers.


Amid chants of "Allahuakbar," the group also left the severed head of a cow at the entrance of the State Secretariat here as a warning to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.


Ibrahim Haji Sabri,deputy chairman of the Sec 23 resident's committee speaking at the protest today. Some 50 residents enraged with the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple to their area staged a noisy protest with a severed cow's head this afternoon.


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Some 50 residents enraged with the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple to their area staged a noisy protest with a severed cow's head this afternoon.

The residents - from Section 23 in Shah Alam - who gathered after the Friday prayers, placed the head outside the gates of the state secretariat building for a short period before removing it.

"Where is Xavier? This head is for him," shouted one of the protesters in reference to Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar.

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