Malaysia arrests Muslim preacher as Hindu temple relocation row rages on

Controversy refuses to die down even as PM Anwar declared ‘victory’ after laying foundation stone for a mosque to be built on temple site

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the groundbreaking ceremony for Masjid Madani in Kuala Lumpur on March 27. Photo: Facebook/anwaribrahimofficial

Published: 12:50pm, 28 Mar 2025

The controversy over the relocation of a Hindu temple to make way for a mosque in central Kuala Lumpur has escalated with the arrest of a firebrand Muslim preacher for apparent seditious social media posts, just hours after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim declared “victory” for common sense in resolving the festering land dispute.

The Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple, which for generations stood on land acquired by Malaysian textile giant Jakel in 2014, agreed on Tuesday to relocate to a new site just 50 metres away.

That ended 11 years of deadlocked negotiations and cleared the way for Anwar to lay the foundation stone for a new mosque on Thursday – named Masjid Madani – in front of the television cameras.

Speaking at the ceremony, he said the moment signified the Muslim community’s ability to demonstrate “the wisdom and strength of Islam,” not out of arrogance, but through fairness.

“It is a victory when we can set a good example by displaying compassion, fairness and not hatred and being spiteful,” Anwar said.

Earlier in the week, Anwar acknowledged he was caught between opposing factions in both communities on the temple issue at a time when polarisation over faith and belonging is especially sharp.