The Batu Pahat Chinese Temple Affairs committee said a proposal for land to be set aside for housing development projects with more than 3,000 residents will ensure that temples can be developed in a planned, orderly and legally compliant manner in the state.
PETALING JAYA: A temple association in Johor wants menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi to ensure that housing development projects with more than 3,000 residents will set aside land for non-Muslim houses of worship.
“I hope this proposal will be implemented in future housing development applications so that temple construction can be carried out in a planned, orderly and legally compliant manner,” Batu Pahat Chinese Temple Affairs committee chairman Soh Thiam Hock said, according to Sin Chew Daily.
Soh also called for the Johor government to provide funding for existing temples with tourism potential, saying such support would help develop them into tourist attractions and create economic benefits for local communities.
He made the appeal to Onn Hafiz during the association’s 37th anniversary celebration last night.
He said the association was allocated a special quota for one councillor in the Batu Pahat city council during the 2023 local council appointments, but did not receive any seat when last year’s appointments were announced.
He urged Onn Hafiz to reconsider the matter to ensure that issues involving Chinese temples can continue to be addressed effectively.
