“I will be laying the foundation stone on March 27,” he said at a Police Day event in Kuala Lumpur.

The plan to relocate the temple to make way for the mosque had caused a public backlash, including from lawyers.

Aiman Dazuki, legal head of Jakel Trading Sdn Bhd, said the company had acquired the land in 2012 and received permission in 2021 to begin constructing a mosque there.

He said it had delayed the process “out of respect” for the temple relocation process.

He also said it was not possible to build the mosque without relocating the temple as the land was not large enough to accommodate both. He said the firm had agreed to pay for the cost of the temple’s relocation.

Speaking today, Anwar said a new mosque was needed as the mosques already in the vicinity were crowded.

He said the relocation of the temple involved rules and regulations, citing the demolition of a mosque and surau in Lahad Datu, Sabah, and Perak respectively which had not adhered to these rules.

In this case, Anwar said there was no need to demolish the temple, only to relocate it.

“The idea of demolishing the temple never came to mind, but that became the narrative,” he added.

He said despite his approach to the matter, he had been attacked by Muslim and Hindu extremists.

“The Muslim extremists accused me of giving in to the demands of the Hindu community, while the Hindu extremists accused me of wanting to Islamise the country,” he said.