SHAH ALAM: The Shah Alam City Council has dismissed news reports that the minaret of Surau Ar-Raudhah in Setia Alam was taken down today.
The structure which was actually removed was an illegally-built telecommunications tower constructed within the surau compound without approval from the council, said the council’s corporate and public affairs division chief Shahrin Ahmad.
The 30-metre tall telecommunications structure, which had been disguised to look like a minaret, was taken down by a local council contractor today.
“We had referred the structure to the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), which then informed us that it was built at the surau compound without its approval.
“A coordination meeting on the action to remove the illegal telecommunications tower was held between Jais, the Petaling land and district office, Surau Ar-Raudhah committee, the Residents Association of Setia Indah 11, as well as the Shah Alam Zone 21 Residents Representatives Council.
“In the meeting, the decision to request that the owner of the telecommunications structure remove it was made, but it was not done within the stipulated time. The operations this morning came following the inaction.
“We would like to stress that the structure was not a minaret but a telecommunications structure which was built without approval from the council and Jais,” said Shahrin in a statement.
Meanwhile, Jais director Datuk Harris Kasim confirmed that the telecommunications structure did not get the green light from the department and the council.
“We are supportive of the council’s action because it was built without getting our prior approval. The council’s act was in line with its building by-law, where any structure erected without its consent can be brought down,” he said.