Temple Fracas: Nip in the bud

The assault at Sri Maha Mariamman Temple at USJ escalated to a riot on the next day.

Quick-thinking intervention by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has amicably ended the stalemate surrounding the relocation of the Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam Temple in Subang Jaya, Selangor. Tun Mahathir has pulled the strings at the highest levels to ensure that Monday’s acrimonious riots at the 140-year-old Hindu temple was nipped in the bud before it turned into a nationally-provoked racial riots.

Showcasing himself as an action-oriented no-nonsense premier, Tun Mahathir immediately rounded up the senior Indian ministers in the Pakatan Harapan-cabinet to work out an immediate strategy to first, contain rising emotions among the aggrieved temple devotees. Then, he went on the line with Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari.