The board of trustees has shown to be unreasonable and irresponsible in their objections.

KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf Makkal Sakthi, an ad hoc apolitical human rights NGO working across the political divide, has urged Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz to walk the talk by declaring the Swami Vivekananda Ashram in Kuala Lumpur a national heritage.

It clearly fits all the criteria, said Hindraf Chairman P Waytha Moorthy. We strongly urge Nazri to act without delay to avoid unnecessary anxiety to the public.

It appears that the trustees are not acting in the public interest to safeguard the Swami Vivekananda Ashram.

On November 4, 2014, during a visit to the ashram, Waytha recalled that Nazri had clearly stated: It is the governments stand that any building or artifact that is more than 100 years old is our national heritage. This is important to retain our heritage values.

He was commenting on the objection by the buildings trustees on the gazetting of the Ashram as a national heritage. They had done the same thing in 2008.

The board of trustees, he continued, has shown to be unreasonable and irresponsible in their objections to the proposal to gazette the site as heritage. Hindraf is of the view that in the larger public interest the Minister must be bold to assert his authority to ensure that the ashram is protected.

The decision by the trustees to redevelop the site for commercial purposes, under the pretext of channeling more funds for the organisations use, should be rejected outright as the necessity to protect a heritage building outweighs benefits derived from commercial ventures, said the Hindraf chief.

The Swami Vivekananda Ashram, he added, clearly fell within category (a) (f) of section 2 of Clause 67 of the National Heritage Act 2005 in making such a declaration.

Section 67(1) of the NHA 2005 clearly states that the Minister may, by order published in the Gazette, declare any heritage site, heritage object, underwater cultural heritage listed in the register or any living person as a national heritage.

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Nazri told: Be bold, declare heritage status for ashram