13 June 2013| last updated at 11:53PM

MPS hits brakes on cable-car project

By HALIM SAID | streets@nstp.com.my 

REGULATIONS: The Batu Caves temple management has been issued a stop-work order for failing to submit building plans to the council for approval

BATU CAVES: THE Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) has issued a stop-work order on the cable car project initiated by the Batu Caves Temple management.

This followed the recent Selangor Economic Action Council meeting to resolve issues of illegal buildings within the temple's compounds.

The temple committee is alleged to have failed to submit the building plans for structures built in the temple complex.

According to MPS president Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain the State government had given him six months to solve the issue of building structures which had not been approved by the council. This included the 42.7m high Lord Murugan statue.

The statue, which cost RM2.5 million, was unveiled in 2006 during the Thaipusam celebration. Construction of the statue took three years to complete.

Azizi said 20 buildings and some idols in the temple area were deemed to be illegal structures as no building plans were submitted to the council although the structures had already been built many years earlier.

Azizi said the temple management had to submit building plans to comply with the regulations before the council could lift the stop-work order on the cable-car project.

"The cable-car project was given the green light early this year but was stalled due to building discrepancies involving safety which had to be resolved first," he said.

He said the council is still waiting for the temple management to submit the building plans which it requested early this year.

"In order for the cable car project to resume, they need to submit the building plans for reasons of public safety," he said.

Azizi said the order to submit building plans was not only served to the Batu Caves temple management but also to the Seni Silat Lincah organisation, YTL batching plant and Dolomite Properties Sdn Bhd.

"All of these organisations did not submit their building plans and we want them to do so or MPS will be issuing them compounds for building illegal structures," he said.

The Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam temple management, which is the caretaker of the Batu Caves' temples and complex facilities, had in an earlier report said that it planned to complete the cable car project by the next Thaipusam.

Temple committee chairman Datuk R. Nadarajah said the cable-car project would benefit the elderly and disabled who are unable to climb the 272 steps leading to the cave temple.

At press time, the temple management could not be contacted for comments.

Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain says the temple management has to comply with the council’s regulations