What's next for Sivan temple?

The renovated temple will be reopened once safety issues are resolved. — Pictures by L. Manimaran

By Sheila Sri Priya
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/2dos/Article/

Sivan Temple Bukit Gasing

PETALING JAYA: The fate of Sivan Temple in Bukit Gasing is now not known following the landslide on the hill on Thursday morning.

Earlier in the week devotees of the temple were told that they could look forward to worshipping at the temple in three months if the Public Works Institute of Malaysia (Ikram) approves the temple structure.

That decision was announced at a meeting chaired by Petaling Jaya city councillors Derek Fernandez and R. Selvarajan last Wednesday.

An Ikram official at the meeting said approval would be given once a thorough inspection of the temple was done and this process may take three months.

During the meeting it was decided that the stop-work order on the temple reconstruction which was issued in 2008 after a landslide there remains in force although repair works to stabilise the hillslope are carried out.

State executive councillor Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar who attended the meeting said the state had plans to allocate the land to temple trustees once it was regazetted and all requirements met.

Fernandez explained the process flow to get the temple reopened to those present at the meeting.

Datin Seri Indrani Samy Vellu, who represented the temple trustees, said the temple would comply with all the rules and regulations set by Ikram, the local council and state to ensure public safety.

She said the temple management was raising more funds for the temple reconstruction.

A temple spokesperson said over RM4.5 million had been spent so far for the reconstruction works.

The expansion of the temple became an issue in 2007 after it caused a landslip.

The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) issued a stop-work order and a compound to the temple management for violating the Street, Drainage and Building Act.

The landslip was rectified by the temple management and was later certified by Ikram in 2008.

The reconstruction work at the temple soon intensified. MBPJ later received a complaint that a portion of the land facing the KL side of Bukit Gasing had given way.

The council issued a second stop-work order and requested a proposal plan for the temple reconstruction works.

Also present at the meeting were Federation of Malaysian Indian Organisation president Dr V. Suppiah, Malaysian Indian Progressive Association president and founder A. Raja Retinam, representatives of non-governmental organisations and devotees.