Anwar said Putrajaya would no longer permit the construction of any house of worship that does not comply with regulatory requirements.

“I want to announce the government’s stand: we will no longer allow (the construction of houses of worship) that breach the law.

“Local councils have been given the authority to clean up these areas (where such structures have been built without approval) so that this issue can be resolved.

“I know this will cause controversy. But I want to say this: those who act excessively to the point of embarking on campaigns to demolish temples are also in the wrong. That’s the government’s job,” he said at the monthly assembly of the national unity ministry here today.

A rally against “illegal” temples was set to take place last Saturday but fizzled out after the arrest of several individuals who had planned to proceed with the protest despite orders to cancel it.

The issue had gained traction in recent weeks, with several politicians from the Hindu community calling for restraint.

Anwar said Malaysians were free to voice their opinions and criticise the government, but that any action that violated the law or stoked racial tensions would be met with the full force of the law.

Last week, Klang MP V Ganabatirau 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.

He added that many of these sites were built in estate areas decades ago during the colonial and post-independence era, insisting that these were “not acts of lawlessness”.