Ramasamy said the 130-year-old Hindu temple, located off Jalan Masjid India, should continue to stand alongside the proposed mosque.

“Encouragingly, many level-headed Malaysians – Malays, Chinese, and Indians alike – support the idea of allowing the temple and the mosque to exist side by side.

“Such an outcome would not only demonstrate Malaysia’s commitment to multicultural unity but also prevent unnecessary religious and ethnic tensions,” he said in a Facebook post.

“Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Jakel Trading, and the federal government should embrace a pragmatic approach that upholds Malaysia’s rich heritage and strengthens national unity. Let wisdom and good sense prevail,” he said.

Ramasamy also said it remains unclear why Jakel Trading had proposed constructing the mosque on the temple’s existing site when adjacent land is available.

Yesterday, news portal Scoop quoted a source as saying that the textile retailer was exploring the possibility of building its mosque on the adjacent empty plot of land while allowing the temple to remain, in a bid to preserve social harmony.

The source said Jakel is expected to negotiate the land acquisition but may face high costs and other challenges if the landowner had its own development plans.

On Thursday, Jakel Trading’s legal head, Aiman Dazuki, said the company had acquired the existing land in 2012 and received permission in 2021 to begin constructing a mosque there, but had delayed the process.

He also said it was not possible to build the mosque without relocating the temple as the land (about 12,000 sq ft) was not large enough. He said the firm had agreed to pay for the cost of the temple’s relocation.

Yesterday, Batu MP P Prabakaran said the temple was relocated to its current site in 2008 at the request of the government.

He said there had been false claims made about the temple, including that the temple was built by devotees at the current site off Jalan Masjid India even though the land did not belong to them.