KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim affirmed today his intention to be present at the groundbreaking ceremony for Jakel Trading Sdn Bhd’s mosque.
The event is set for this coming Thursday, amidst ongoing discussions about moving the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple, which has been criticized for occupying the property illegally.
Anwar, who concurrently holds the position of finance minister, mentioned that a new mosque should be built in the Masjid India region since the existing nearby mosques have become overcrowded.
The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had earlier stated that the temple would be moved to a different location acceptable to all sides after Jakel Trading Sdn Bhd proposed constructing a mosque on the property they own.
In 2014, Jakel Trading purportedly acquired the property in dispute from DBKL without apparently informing the temple management about the transaction.
Lawyers Datuk Ambiga Sreneevasan, N. Surendran, and Zaid Malek from Lawyers for Liberty – who support the temple – have previously raised concerns about the rushed nature of the groundbreaking ceremony and called for the publication of the sale and purchase agreement for the land.
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