Malaysia PM Anwar hails building of Madani Mosque as ‘victory’ amid spat over Hindu temple relocation
The 130-year-old Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple - which currently occupies part of a piece of land owned by a private firm - will be relocated some 50m away on a site that will be gazetted for permanent religious use.
Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the groundbreaking ceremony for Madani Mosque in the Jalan Masjid India area of Kuala Lumpur on Mar 27, 2025. (Photo: Facebook/Anwar Ibrahim)
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday (Mar 27) hailed the planned construction of a mosque in Kuala Lumpur - named after his government's “Malaysia Madani” slogan - as a “victory” after a decade of delay, amid an ongoing controversy involving the relocation of a Hindu temple.
To make way for the mosque, the 130-year-old Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple - which currently occupies part of a piece of land owned by a private firm - will be relocated some 50m away on a site that will be gazetted for permanent religious use.
The proposed relocation has sparked backlash from some Hindu advocacy groups, as well as some segments of the Malay-Muslim community who argued that the temple was built illegally.
“This victory, as I remind my fellow Muslims, is not borne of sheer arrogance but our willingness to display wisdom and strength of Islam,” Anwar was quoted as saying by Malay Mail at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Madani Mosque on Thursday.
He added that addressing the issue in a civilised, ethical and peaceful manner reflects the Madani - or Civil Malaysia - values championed by his administration, as reported by the New Straits Times (NST).
“These are Madani values - principles of compassion and kindness, not just for Muslims but for a multiracial society as a whole.”
Anwar also met with the temple committee members following the groundbreaking ceremony after parties involved in the dispute reached an “amicable resolution” two days ago.
“We are glad things worked out in the end,” temple committee chairman K Barthiban told Malay Mail.
“He said we should all come together as a family by living harmoniously and that the government looks after the interest of all,” said Barthiban, referring to the prime minister.
Local news outlets reported heavy police presence at the site of the groundbreaking ceremony at Jalan Masjid India on Thursday, with more than 100 police officers stationed as early as 8am across multiple areas.
According to Astro Awani, Anwar’s presence at the ceremony, despite opposition from some quarters which he acknowledged, aligned with his earlier statement on the need to expand religious facilities to accommodate the growing Muslim population in the area.
“The prayer space in mosques around the area is overcrowded. There is a need for a new place,” he said earlier on Tuesday, as quoted by The Star, in defending his decision to proceed with the groundbreaking ceremony.
Anwar had also previously called on all parties not to politicise the relocation of the temple.
LONG-DRAWN DISPUTE
The Jalan Masjid India area is popular with tourists and home to several department stores. The area, named after the 140-year-old Tamim Muslim Mosque that anchors it, has historical importance for the Indian Muslim community in the capital city.
The Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple - which was allegedly built without a land deed - sat on government land before it was sold to textile giant Jakel Trading Sdn Bhd in 2014.
According to the company’s head of legal and communications Aiman Dazuki, the firm signed a land purchase agreement in 2012 to fulfil the aspirations of its late founder Mohamed Jakel Ahmad to endow the land with a mosque for the Muslim community.
The temple, situated at Munsyi Abdullah Street, is located across the road from Jakel Mall - a large shopping centre owned by the textile company.
“The temple is old and not legally approved, but to maintain harmony, the company (Jakel) has agreed to provide some assistance and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has identified a replacement site,” Anwar was previously quoted as saying by NST on Mar 21.
On Tuesday, Federal Territories Minister Zaliha Mustafa said that the temple would be moved 50m away to a new 4,000 sq ft site, matching its current size, and agreed upon by its committee. It will also be gazetted for permanent religious use, according to Digital Minister Gobind Singh.
Jakel Trading had bought the plot of land from DBKL in 2014, allegedly without the temple management being informed, according to Malay Mail.
The temple, which currently sits on a 12,000 sq ft plot, or approximately the size of four tennis courts, occupies about one-third of the land while the rest of which functions as a carpark.
In 2012, the temple applied to convert the land title to that of land reserve for a non-Muslim place of worship, but this application had failed, according to Member of Parliament for Batu P Prabakaran, as reported by Free Malaysia Today (FMT). Prabakaran is a member of Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
When the land was sold to the textile giant, it was informed by DBKL that the temple was only there temporarily, according to the firm’s chief financial officer Syed Nasrul Fahmi Syed Al-Qadri.
At a press conference last week, Syed Nasrul shared that this was stated in the land sale agreement and clarified that Jakel would not have proceeded with acquiring the land if that was not the case.
While Jakel has been in talks with the temple committee to relocate the place of worship for more than a decade, the textile company assured that their relationship has been good.
And in 2021, the company received permission to begin constructing a mosque at the site, but delayed the process “out of respect” for the process of relocating the temple. Jakel also had offered to pay for the relocation costs.
The company also said that it was not possible to build a mosque next to the temple as the land was not large enough to fit two houses of worship, FMT reported.
“UNACCEPTABLE” TO MOVE A SIGNIFICANT HERITAGE SITE
The Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS), which represents the country’s two million Hindu population, had said that maintaining the temple at its current location, alongside the proposed mosque, would be the best arrangement for all parties.
“Such an arrangement would demonstrate to the world Malaysia’s commitment to coexistence amidst diversity,” it said in a statement on Monday, as quoted by Malay Mail.
The Hindu advisory group also refuted allegations that many Hindu temples in Malaysia have been operating illegally, proposing a special body to address land issues linked to temples across Malaysia.
MHS said that it is prepared to lead the initiative with the government to safeguard the rights and heritage of the Hindu community, Malay Mail reported.
According to MHS, many Hindu temples were built with the necessary approval during the British colonial era but land sales and urban development after independence had rendered the status of some temples ambiguous.
South China Morning Post reported that a legislature debate in Selangor - the state with the largest Malaysian Indian population - revealed that at least 773 temples were operating without formal approval or clear land ownership.
Lawyers for Liberty executive director Zaid Malek had also questioned the rush for the groundbreaking ceremony to be held.
“There is an easy solution, there is no need for the temple to be demolished, there is a site next to the temple that is large enough to build a mosque. If the site is not enough, there is even space nearby for expansion,” he said at a press conference, in a video posted by Malaysiakini on Mar 22.
Penang's former deputy chief minister Palanisamy Ramasamy said that it is “unacceptable” for such a significant heritage site to be forcibly moved for a new development.
“The issue is not just about relocation - it is about historical preservation, religious rights and responsible governance,” he was quoted as saying by FMT on Mar 20.
In a statement, the former Democratic Action Party member and current chairman of the United for the Rights of Malaysians Party had questioned why DBKL had approved the proposal to construct a mosque on the same site where the temple is located.
“How did DBKL approve a mosque project on the very land where the temple stands?,” he added.
“This is not just about one temple - it is about setting a precedent for how heritage and religious rights are treated in Malaysia. Hindu temples are not placed on wheels to be moved at the whims of the powerful.”
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, well-known Muslim preacher Firdaus Wong claimed that the temple not only received a 4,000 sq ft plot of land for free, but also RM2 million (US$451,000) in “compensation”.
Zaliha - the federal territories minister - refuted the statement.
“The government has never promised or approved any form of compensation for the temple. No agreement or deal was made beyond the solution I announced …” she was quoted as saying by FMT on Wednesday.
