The recent announcements by Paparaidu the Selangor Exco member and FT minister identifying 688 temples in Selangor and 163 in FT  as “unapproved” are deeply troubling—not because of the data, but because of the dangerous narrative being built around it.

Labeling these temples as “illegal” without first establishing their historical origins is not just inaccurate—it is irresponsible.

For over a year, MAP and Hindraf have repeatedly called on the Prime Minister who caused the first uproar in March 2025, to convene a Special Cabinet Meeting and declassify historical records relating to British-era migration and settlement policies . Those calls have been ignored by the PM while he continued to create false narrative to the Hindu temple issue.

Now, we are presented with numbers—688 temples in Selangor, 163 in Kuala Lumpur—but no truth behind the numbers.

Where is the breakdown?

Without these answers, any suggestion that these temples were “unapproved” or “built on government land” is fiction intended to sweep the issue under the carpet.

The Indian community did not arrive in Malaya by chance. They were brought here under British policy with the consent of the then Rulers to build the very foundations of this nation—its plantations, railways, roads, and public institutions. These were intended to be permanent settlements, not temporary labour camps.

Temples were not an afterthought. They were part of a structured social system encouraged by the then authorities that enabled these communities to live, work, and remain, but failed to ensure their settlements or places of worship were given land titles as they did not have political representation then.

To now turn around decades later and brand these same temples as “unapproved” and “built on government land” is to rewrite history and criminalise heritage.

This is not governance. This is narrative manipulation.

Worse, this narrative has real consequences. It fuels public misunderstanding, emboldens extremist rhetoric, and undermines the fragile trust that holds our multiracial society together—as already warned in earlier correspondence .

The government cannot claim to stand for unity while allowing a false narrative to take root.

We demand immediate action. Perhaps Paparaiduand Hannah Yeoh could put some sense to their so called Madani PM to:

Until the full history is laid bare, the claim that these temples were “unapproved” or “built on government land” is a damaging myth that must be rejected.

Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy

President/Chair

Malaysian Advancement Party

HINDRAF

26.4.2026

The fire that destroyed homes in Sandakan on 19th April 2026  is a devastating tragedy for the communities living in its water villages. Reports indicate that around 1,000 homes were destroyed, affecting more than 9,000 residents, leaving them without shelter overnight. These residents are not temporary occupants—they are natural inhabitants of the sea, with generations of cultural, economic, and social ties rooted in these coastal environments.

I do not wish to speculate on the actual cause of this particular incident or the apparent failure to contain the fire. However, the scale and consequences of the disaster inevitably give rise to a troubling feeling—I cannot help but feel that something is amiss, and there may be unseen or mysterious hands at play. This concern is heightened by the fact that, across Sandakan and other districts, authorities have periodically proposed relocating water village residents to public housing projects and land-based resettlement schemes, often citing fire risk and safety concerns, sanitation and public health, as well as broader urban planning and redevelopment goals without taking into consideration the ancient way of living of these communities.

The convergence of such longstanding relocation pressuresraises difficult questions. While nothing can be asserted without evidence, such incidents can, intentionally or otherwise, be used as an opportunity to justify permanent eviction. This underscores the importance of transparency, accountability, and a firm commitment to protecting the rights of the affected communities.

This disaster must not be used as a justification to permanently displace them from their rightful homes. The government has a responsibility to ensure that affected families are allowed to rebuild in the same location, preserving both their way of life and their connection to the sea. Relocation policies that disregard these ties risk erasing entire communities and traditions.

There is also a broader concern that, in the aftermath of such incidents, redevelopment priorities may shift toward commercial interests, including tourism or resort projects, at the expense of local residents. This has been observed in other cases, and it raises legitimate questions about long-term intentions.

Ultimately, recovery efforts should focus on restoring homes, livelihoods, and dignity, not displacing people from the environments they have long called home.

Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy