Workers pried out 20-odd granite slabs from the 217-year-old Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Yin) Temple’s forecourt in Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling here before alarmed Penang Island City Council enforcers rushed in and told them to stop.

“We wanted them to put the slabs back at once,” huffed Penang Island City Council (MBPP) secretary Yew Tung Seang.

A check by The Star at 7.30pm yesterday showed that work had paused and the workers gave assurances that they would replace the slabs overnight.

People who saw the men at work at 5pm yesterday called MBPP and a reader also alerted The Star.

Yew said the temple was a Category I heritage structure and must be preserved in the strictest way.

Meanwhile, a temple spokesman said it was a misunderstanding.

He said the temple obtained permission from MBPP to build a temporary arch made of plywood on the forecourt as an item for its coming Kuan Yin Festival celebration.

“It will be large; so we needed to strengthen the base. We wanted to carefully remove the old granite slabs to set up a reinforced foundation for the arch. We would have kept the slabs safely and restore them after the festival.

“But since the council will not let us do so, we have decided to cancel the plan for the arch altogether.

“We have lost RM30,000 because we bought the materials already,” he said.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by ARNOLD LOH

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