PETALING JAYA: The Seafield Sakthi Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya, Selangor, yesterday received RM251,490.56 from Sun Media Corporation (SMC) to help pay for land acquisition and upgrading works.
In June 2017, the temple faced court action to evict it from its current site. This led to a dispute between factions, with one side wanting to move and the other insisting on staying put. The matter ended a year later, unfortunately at the cost of a life.
At the cheque presentation, theSun managing editor Eddie Hoo expressed sadness over the loss of life.
He said at times, it is normal that some resentment remains after a dispute, “but if we showed kindness and humility towards all parties, we will definitely see goodwill achieved among all”.
“The money was raised by theSun to help the temple after the dispute which led to a very unfortunate series of events, including an internal discord and the loss of life. We are glad that the temple can move forward and provide a place for devotees to perform their prayers and connect with supreme beings,” he said.
Hoo expressed hope that everyone builds on the positives they have achieved and make the sacred and holy place a venue for spiritual growth and an opportunity to foster greater goodwill with all parties.
In thanking SMC for the contribution, temple management committee president K.K. Chellappa said the temple has been upgraded for the comfort of devotees, and that the works cost about RM1.7 million.
He said it included new marble tiles replacing old ceramic ones as part of the roofing works, improvements to amenities, and resurfaced car parks which were previously pocked with potholes.
“Devotees come first. So, all the upgrading works are for their comfort so they feel welcome.
“On Wednesday, we had a prayer ceremony that about 700 devotees attended. Their reaction was one of happiness, and they said they felt blessed. We never had that many devotees before, so this represents a major shift,” he said.
The temple’s Taskforce chairman, Datuk A. Chandrakumanan, said it is always good to look back and learn from mistakes so as not to let emotions get the better of anyone.
“This will ensure a similar incident as in 2017 does not recur. We can always look back to not repeat the same mistakes.
“Despite the dispute, Malaysians came together and united. Their voice was a major reason we stayed here. They came forward and donated money for temple upgrades.
“We could not have done anything to renovate the temple without support from the public. We cannot thank them enough.
“Rest assured, we will acquire the land for the devotees,” he said when thanking the public and corporations such as SMC for their help and donations to rebuild the temple.
Chandrakumanan said the temple still owes the developer almost RM300,000 for land acquisition.
He called upon those who are interested to donate to do so via the temple’s Maybank account number 5122 7750 1208.
