State human resources and poverty eradication committee chairman V Papparaidu said the decision was made by the state executive council on March 5 after taking into account concerns raised by the residents.
He said the Sri Maha Mariamman Desa Perangsang Association had already submitted a new application for an alternative site.
“However, the association will only be allowed to proceed with constructing a proper building after obtaining planning permission approval from the local authority,” he told the state assembly today.
Papparaidu was responding to Dr Afif Bahardin (PN-Taman Medan) regarding allegedly unlicensed houses of worship in the state.
In February, about 80 residents of PJS 2 in Taman Medan protested the state government’s approval of relocating a temple from PJS 4 to an area predominantly inhabited by Malay-Muslim residents.
Afif, representing the group, called for public engagement, saying there were no consultations with elected representatives, residents, or business owners who would be directly affected.
Papparaidu, who also co-chairs the special committee on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, acknowledged that the relocation of non-Muslim houses of worship should be addressed earlier with the involvement of elected representatives and local leaders to avoid controversy.
He said SOPs need to be improved to ensure that such relocation issues are handled more systematically and do not affect community harmony.
“In this case, I may have overlooked it. The proposed site was a house of worship site, but since nearby residents objected, we respect the objection and have changed it to a new site,” he said.
On claims that there were more than 600 “problematic” temples in Selangor, Papparaidu said the figure required clarification as not all structures were temples, with some possibly being small shrines or prayer huts.
He said his office had recorded about 178 cases involving houses of worship that require resolution, and that the state’s approach was not solely enforcement-based but also focused on negotiated, win-win solutions.
He also acknowledged that not all so-called illegal temples or shrines could be relocated due to land constraints in Selangor, and the government prioritises structured relocation to suitable sites where possible.