KUALA LUMPUR (March 25): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday said the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a mosque at Jalan Masjid India will continue.

Speaking at the 218th Police Day celebration at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) here, he said it would be carried out as planned on March 27 (Thursday), despite differing views from several parties.

"The prayer space there in the nearby mosques, are crowded. There is a need for a new place. So, that's why I will proceed to lay the foundation stone for the mosque on the 27th of March.

"I ask the temple committee, as they are doing, to negotiate prudently," he said.

The prime minister said Malaysia is a country subject to its laws, but in order to maintain relations and harmony among races, amicable negotiations regarding the relocation of the temple will still be carried out.

He also said that there is no issue of demolishing the temple, even though it was built in an inappropriate place.

Citing several examples, Anwar said that there were mosques in Lahad Datu, Sabah, and in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, that had been demolished because they were not built in accordance with regulations.

"...I took this stance because I took a very patient approach. I asked for it to be properly resolved. 

"Even though they were wrong, the place was wrong. We said, take it carefully, move it. The company gave some compensation; I don't know what the compensation is for. Then, it (the temple) was given a new place courtesy of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). The committee agreed to negotiate but there are other instigators, who came from somewhere with their extreme talk.

"...the extremist Islamic group reprimanded me because they said I was subservient to the Hindu (religious) group; the extremist Hindu group said I wanted to Islamise everyone, not to mention that the mosque was to be called the Madani Mosque," he said.

Meanwhile, the prime minister stressed that the government is not using Islam as the religion of the Federation to pressure any party.

He said that anyone, whether the majority or minority group, is subject to the laws and regulations set in the country.

"We cannot have a tyranny of the majority, neither should we condone a tyranny of the minority. We must defend what is called Madani values," he said.

Also present at the Police Day celebration were Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, as well as Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain and deputy IGP Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, were also present.

Last Thursday (March 20), the media reported that the discussion regarding the relocation of Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple, which is located on land owned by the Jakel Group, was proceeding harmoniously between the company, the temple management, and DBKL.

Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif had reportedly said that DBKL played a facilitating role in ensuring the relocation of the temple, located on private land, to the new location, was smoothly carried out.

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