Amid Indian PM Modi’s visit to Malaysia, rally over ‘illegal’ Hindu temples fizzles out after arrests

KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian authorities on Feb 7 arrested 15 men and four women, all locals, linked to a planned rally in the capital city against what the rally organisers described as “illegal” houses of worship.

Those detained included controversial independent Muslim preacher Zamri Vinoth, who had been spearheading the event under the banner of his “Anti-illegal Houses of Worship Movement”.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus confirmed the arrests on Feb 8 and said the police will seek a remand order for Mr Zamri, as well as activist Tamim Dahri Abdul Razak, who is also one of the rally organisers.

“Any attempt to exploit issues related to race, religion and royalty will be investigated, and firm action will be taken against any individual or group that incites disorder or extreme provocation,” Datuk Fadil said at a press conference on Feb 8.

He also said 131 police reports were lodged against the rally.

The planned demonstration, which reignited longstanding and sensitive disputes over unauthorised religious sites, particularly Hindu temples on contested land, was planned for around 8pm on Feb 7 near Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in the capital.

However, it did not take place. The police, which had a strong presence in the area ahead of the event, said the rally had been blocked for security reasons.

The planned rally coincided with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s

official visit to Malaysia

on Feb 7 and 8, prompting speculation about political motives, but rally organisers have denied any connection. Mr Modi was attending an Indian cultural event with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to the south of Kuala Lumpur that evening.

Earlier on Feb 7, Datuk Seri Anwar had warned that the government would take action, including authorising arrests, against anyone attempting to disrupt public peace during the visit.

“You can express views and criticise. But if you disturb national security... I will take maximum action,” he said in a speech at a political party event.

The planned rally’s organisers argued that the authorities have failed to act consistently, alleging that unauthorised houses of worship have been allowed to remain for years, sometimes receiving compensation or alternative land when they have to be relocated.

The rally was supposed to take place not far from the former site of the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple in Jalan Masjid India, a 130-year-old Hindu shrine that was recently relocated to make way for a new mosque on land owned by textile firm Jakel Group.

A row over the relocation of the temple drew nationwide attention in 2025 – Mr Anwar, who officiated the ground-breaking for the new mosque in March that year, had hit out hard against those accusing him of an increasingly strident pro-Malay Muslim stance.

Disputes over “illegal” temples are not new in Malaysia, a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country where, under the Constitution, Islam is the religion of the federation, but other religions may be practised.

Professor P. Ramasamy, chairman of URIMAI, a party championing Indian community rights, said many Hindu temples were built decades ago on plantation land during the colonial period and early independence, when formal land titles and zoning rules were absent or poorly defined.

As ownership changed, these temples found themselves on state or private property without formal documentation, rendering them technically unauthorised under current laws despite having existed for generations.

“What the government should do, especially the state governments (because land is a state matter), is to provide alternative lands for places of worship, or even if possible, legalise the existing areas. The states should not discriminate against non-Muslim places of worship,” Prof Ramasamy told The Straits Times.

Historical land disputes fuel controversy

Opposition to the rally has come from rights groups and both sides of the political spectrum, including from Mr Anwar’s allies as well as the opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition, which warned that public demonstrations risk inflaming religious sentiment.

MP V. Ganabatirau from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which is part of the government coalition, previously said that a lack of response from the administration over the rally would have political consequences.

“The land they occupy often remains in legal limbo, yet to be transferred... or properly registered. These are not acts of lawlessness but consequences of unresolved historical land administration issues,” he wrote on Facebook on Feb 6.

Even Ms Halimah Ali of the Islamist opposition party Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) on Feb 5 called for a window of amnesty for such houses of worship to be legalised before action is taken.

She said that disputes over temples were often left unaddressed for years by the local authorities, only to be revived when there is political pressure.

“Then it gets narrated as a religious issue, not a failure of governance,” she told Parliament, when asking a supplementary question to National Unity Minister Aaron Ago Dagang.

Mr S. Arutchelvan, deputy chairman of the opposition Socialist Party of Malaysia, said that strict enforcement of zoning is necessary.

He suggested that older temples should be registered under a Hindu Endowments Board to oversee temple affairs, following which they can work towards legalising their status, whether through proper registration or by resolving matters through the courts.

“Pakatan Harapan had once promised, as part of its election manifesto, to establish such boards in several states, but the promise remains unfulfilled,” he told ST.

At present, many temples are registered under the Malaysia Hindu Sangam, an umbrella body for the Hindu community, which he pointed out has no legal authority to protect temple interests.

Temple relocations have in the past sparked religious tensions and even escalated into violence.

In 2018, clashes linked to a temple relocation in Selangor led to

the death of a firefighter,

an incident that continues to shape public sensitivities around the issue.

Professor Sivamurugan Pandian from the School of Social Sciences at Universiti Sains Malaysia said that places of worship that have existed for generations should be approached with care and sensitivity.

He said: “Protecting social cohesion requires measured solutions, clear legal processes and engagement, rather than actions that may be perceived as targeting specific communities.”