PETALING JAYA – The Selangor government has warned that it will demolish a privately built Hindu temple occupying land reserved for a mosque in Dengkil if it is not vacated soon, Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari announced.
The decision follows a royal decree from Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who directed the state to resolve the matter promptly in consideration of the local Muslim community’s interests, Kosmo reported. Amirudin explained that the temple is a privately established place of worship that is neither registered nor legally recognised under state regulations or the Federal Constitution.
“As such, it is inappropriate for the temple to occupy land that has been designated for the construction of a mosque intended to serve the local Muslim community,” he said. He further stated that the temple owner had agreed to vacate the premises, and the state government anticipates that the issue will be resolved within a month.
“We are firm on this matter, but we remain committed to maintaining racial and religious harmony,” Amirudin stressed. Last Friday, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) announced its collaboration with the Sepang Municipal Council to remove the temple, which was illegally constructed on the mosque reserve land.
JAIS director Shahzihan Ahmad confirmed that the 4-hectare site had been gazetted in 2011 specifically for mosque development. However, with construction only scheduled to begin in 2026, the land had remained vacant — until 2024, when JAIS discovered that a building had been erected on the site.