Ganabatirau urged the government to speak up and clarify the issue of “so-called unregistered temples”, saying it was far more complex than it was being portrayed.
“When ministers remain quiet on issues that deeply affect a community, that silence is read as indifference.
“The government must speak up. It must explain (the issue). It must reassure the public, without hurting religious sentiments, but firmly and clearly,” he said in a Facebook post.
Ganabatirau also said that leadership under the Madani framework required confronting difficult issues with empathy and clarity rather than avoiding them, particularly when they involved places of worship and communal relations.
“The Indian community does not expect special treatment. It expects fairness, dignity and acknowledgement,” he added.
A coalition of NGOs, led by independent preacher Zamri Vinoth, plans to hold the rally outside the Sogo shopping mall on Saturday night to pressure the authorities to take action against “illegal” houses of worship.
Multiple police reports have been lodged over the rally.
Dang Wangi police chief Sazalee Adam confirmed that the organisers had notified the police about the event, which reportedly involves around 141 NGOs.
Ganabatirau cautioned that prolonged silence could have political consequences, warning that frustration within affected communities might not always manifest through protests but through disengagement at the ballot box.
‘Historical and administrative issues’
He said many Hindu temples across the country had yet to be gazetted as official places of worship, largely due to unresolved historical land administration problems.
“Many of these temples were built decades ago, especially in estate areas during the colonial (era) and early post-independence period. The land remains in legal limbo. These are not acts of lawlessness,” he said.
He also said that some temples were built by roadsides, near drains, or on reserve land, and required practical solutions from the government and authorities, “not public anger or selective enforcement”.
“We know the solutions. With serious political will and coordinated administrative action, this issue can be resolved comprehensively within one year,” he said.