The committee said its mandate is “not to arbitrarily register temples but to help them identify the most appropriate and legally compliant pathway towards regularisation”.

“The issue of unregistered temples has increasingly become a national concern. If not managed properly, such matters may affect social harmony and could potentially pose broader national implications,” it said in a statement after a meeting at the Malaysia Hindu Sangam headquarters last Saturday.

Under the framework, temples in the green category are those that possess complete and valid documentation, including gazette status and proper land ownership or approvals, and are considered fully regularised.

Temples in the yellow category are those that occupy private land or land designated for non-Muslim houses of worship (Ribi), but have yet to obtain gazette status or proper land title documentation.

Temples in the orange category are those located on government land, land owned by government agencies, private land or estate land but have approvals or agreements with the respective landowners.

For these cases, the committee will explore options such as facilitating land purchases by the temples or assisting them in securing Ribi land from the government.

Temples in the red category are those that have no documentation, approvals or agreements from landowners. The committee said possible solutions include merging with existing registered temples where feasible.

The committee said it plans to seek meetings with the prime minister and other ministers, including those in charge of national unity and housing and local government, to ensure coordinated action on the matter.

To date, about 450 temples have responded to a nationwide survey conducted by the committee.

The steering committee called on the remaining temples to submit their details.

Previously, it had said that many of these temples pre-dated modern planning and land administration frameworks, resulting in legal and administrative complexities.

It had also called on the government to impose a six-month moratorium on demolishing temples allegedly erected without proper authorisation to allow for proper verification, engagement and exploration of solutions.