Bukit Mertajam Hindu temple : What will happen today?

Bukit Mertajam: All eyes are set to be on the Arulmigu Maruthuvar Jada Muneeswarar Temple, a small Hindu shrine located at the entrance of the Bukit Mertajam Hospital, which has become the center of planned protests and police reports.

Penang DAP Senator Lingeshwaran R. Arunasalam announced that he will provide lunch to devotees at the temple at 12:30 pm today (7 March 2026).

Meanwhile, several groups have announced on social media that they intend to stage a protest rally this afternoon, claiming that the temple would be demolished. Police have warned that stern action will be taken against any group that proceeds with such protests.

According to media reports, the Hindu shrine at the entrance of Bukit Mertajam Hospital, known as Arulmigu Maruthuvar Jada Muneeswarar Temple, was established in 1899—predating the construction of the hospital itself. The hospital was only built later, in 1908.

The temple was originally established when the area was still secondary jungle. It was patronised by workers who were involved in the construction of railway tracks in Penang, as well as Hindu hospital staff. From 1936 until 1968, the temple was managed by Mr. Rengasamy, a hospital attendant, together with his wife, Madam Letchumy Munusamy, who was also employed at the hospital. During this period, it is said that the District Officer granted permission and provided assistance for the renovation of the temple.

The current chairman of the temple committee, Mr. Karthigesu, narrated the history of the temple in an interview with the Tamil daily Makkal Osai, which was published on the newspaper’s front page yesterday (6 March 2026).

According to Karthigesu, Madam Letchumy—at the age of 98—deposited a sworn statutory declaration before a Commissioner of Oaths outlining the history of the temple.

When the temple was first constructed, it stood several meters away from the hospital. Over time, as the hospital expanded and new roads were built around the compound, the temple was directed to be relocated to its current site. Although the temple has existed for 127 years, it was only formally registered in 2016 after considerable efforts, with the assistance of Prof Dr P. Ramasamy, who was then the Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang.

The temple’s main devotees have traditionally been Hindu staff of the Bukit Mertajam Hospital as well as Hindu patients who visit the hospital for medical treatment.