Former temple committee chairman SP Narayanasamy remembers two visits in particular— one by a former sultan and his consort, and another by the sultan’s son several months earlier.
In 1971, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, the eighth ruler of Selangor and later Malaysia’s 11th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who had been invited to the temple and to officiate at the opening of a batik factory, decided to stop at the temple first.
Narayanasamy said the Negaraku was played as soon as the sultan, accompanied by his consort Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, arrived.
About 300 guests and schoolchildren waving flags were there to welcome the royal couple.
Narayanasamy said he placed a garland and a gold-coloured shawl on the ruler as a show of honour.
Tengku Ampuan Rahimah was then presented with 25 peacock feathers that the temple committee specially prepared for the occasion. The Hindus believe peacock feathers exude positive energy, bring good luck and provide protection.
Accompanied by members of the temple committee and his entourage, the sultan then climbed the iconic 272-step stairway leading up to the temple while Tengku Ampuan Rahimah stayed behind.
Narayanasamy said the sultan, then aged 45, was very agile for his age. “(At 36,) I was supposed to be ‘very young’ compared to him but he beat me to the top by a few seconds,” he told FMT.
He said Sultan Salahuddin, who spent about two hours at the temple, described it as “a very nice place” and commended its committee for maintaining it well.
He said that as soon as they descended, the sultan and his entourage had tea prepared by the committee and then lunch at the temple premises.
The lunch was prepared by members of Umno Batu Caves.
Then MIC president V Manickavasagam sat beside the sultan. S Samy Vellu, who would go on to become MIC’s longest serving president, was also in attendance.
Narayanasamy said Sultan Salahuddin thanked him and his committee members for inviting him to the temple.
He said the ruler told him he was “very proud” that his forefathers had donated Batu Caves to the Hindu community for the practice of their faith.
He added that the sultan told him his forebears also donated land to people of other religions to build their houses of worship.
“The sultan said he was not only the leader for Muslims, he was also the leader for people of other faiths.”
Sultan Salahuddin passed away in 2001.
Meeting a future sultan
Narayanasamy said that on another occasion, he had the privilege of welcoming Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah when he was still Raja Muda of Selangor.
The regent, accompanied by his wife, made a personal visit a few months before his father did.
Narayanasamy’s recollection of the royal visits comes days after Sultan Sharafuddin made known his opposition to the introduction of guidelines for Muslims attending non-Muslim festivities, funerals and other events at non-Muslim places of worship.
Sultan Sharafuddin said the Quran and Sunnah already provide the best guidelines for Muslims.
Speaking as the head of Islam in Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin lamented that the guidelines had been proposed at an “inappropriate time” given that Malaysians were working hard to strengthen national unity and foster goodwill across all ethnicities and religious affiliations.