Amirudin Calls For Clearer SOPs On Unlawful Houses Of Worship In Selangor

SHAH ALAM, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari has ordered improvements to existing state government procedures regarding illegal houses of worship on state-owned land.

He said immediate action at the local authority level, along with clearer standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the Selangor Five Religions Houses of Worship Committee (LIMAS), must be implemented.

“For houses of worship occupying private land, the existing process requires the landowner to appoint a lawyer to obtain a court order to enable any eviction and demolition to take place.

“No party should take the law into their own hands without going through the court process. This is in accordance with the National Land Code and land-related laws,” he said in a statement tonight.

Amirudin said that in view of safety considerations, the Selangor State Security Council (MKN) has decided that landowners who find that trespassing has occurred and that a house of worship has been built without approval must lodge a police report.

“This will allow the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to investigate and, if proven, the prosecution process for the offence of trespassing will commence.

"Secondly, landowners should send a notice to the trespassers and formally inform the District Office. The District Security Committee (JKD), chaired by the District Officer, has been activated in all districts in Selangor,” he said.

Amirudin said the JKD would act as a mediator by summoning all parties, including landowners, owners of the houses of worship, PDRM and local authorities, to reach a reasonable solution.

“Should this process fail to yield results, the JKD will advise the landowner to proceed with court action. This approach ensures the entire process involves the authorities and prevents any incidents that could trigger unrest,” he added.

Earlier today, Amirudin chaired the Selangor MKN meeting, attended by Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar, the Commander of the 11th Brigade Headquarters, council presidents and district officers, to discuss the state's public security situation.

“This follows the issue concerning houses of worship, which has sparked differing opinions from various parties. The police are investigating an incident in Rawang yesterday, and it will go through the appropriate legal process.

“The incident in Rawang has caused unease and concern among the people. This must be addressed immediately to prevent any incident that could threaten the state's racial and religious harmony,” he said.

Through the meeting, he said that overall, there are two main issues involving unlawful houses of worship: those occupying state-owned land and those built on private land.

-- BERNAMA