MIC Youth to rebuild house altar

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC Youth will rebuild the house altar which was demolished by Sepang Municipal Council enforcement officers.

Its chief T. Mohan said the wing would submit an application to the council for the rebuilding as “we want to ensure the altar is rebuilt”.

“We will also provide legal advice to the family to sue the council for compensation,” he said after meeting about 30 Indian-based NGOs here yesterday.

Mohan said the NGOs were unhappy with the council for barging into the house in Taman Seroja, Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, on Nov 20 and destroying the altar located within the gated compound.

The house owner had earlier received a notice from the council to demolish it on the grounds that the structure had violated council by-laws. A second letter warned she could be fined RM250 per day if she did not tear it down.

State executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar was reported to have said local councils had the right to take action against illegal structures built inside or outside a house, adding that the Selangor Government could not interfere without a valid reason.

Malaysian Indian Youth council president Raghu Devan Lopez said freedom of religion was one of the tenets of the Rukun Negara but this had not been respected by the council.

“If council officers can go into the compound, then all our houses are not safe,” he said.

Source : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/12/6/nation/12417773&sec=nation