In a statement today, Zaliha said the accusation was completely untrue.

“The government has never promised or approved any form of compensation for the temple. No agreement or deal was made beyond the solution I announced yesterday,” she said.

Zaliha was responding to a Facebook post by preacher Firdaus Wong yesterday, who asked the government to clarify if it was true that the temple not only received a 4,000 sq ft plot of land for free, but also RM2 million in “compensation”.

She said yesterday that the Hindu temple off Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur, which is set to be relocated to make way for a mosque, would be moved 50m away.

Zaliha said the temple committee had agreed to move the temple to the new location measuring 4,000 sq ft, matching the temple’s current size.

The minister also said the temple would continue to operate until the relocation process officially begins.

In her statement today, she said the decision was made after discussions between all parties that sought to reach a win-win resolution.

“Most importantly, the construction of the mosque, which has been delayed since 2020, will continue as planned.

“I want to emphasise that this case cannot be made a precedent for any future cases.

“This solution is specific to this issue, which was handled with wisdom according to the law and sensitivities of various parties,” she said.