"Bukit Mertajam Hospital will be relocated to avoid disturbing the temple - Steven Sim Chee Keong," reads a Facebook post shared on March 22, 2026.
Sim is a member of parliament representing the Bukit Mertajam district of northern Penang state and also Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister.
The post includes an image of Sim at the hospital speaking with nurses, supposedly dated March 22.
Screenshot of the false post taken on March 26, 2026 with a red X added by AFP
Around 70 percent of Malaysia's 2,251 Hindu temples serving the country's minority Indian community are unregistered, which often become embroiled in land disputes and face demolition (archived link).
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in February that the government would act against unauthorised houses of worship, particularly those on illegal land, but warned against vigilantism (archived link).
Soon after, four individuals were arrested for trespassing and demolishing a temple built without proper approval from the authorities, but were later released (archived link).
Among them is controversial activist Tamim Dahri Abdul Razak, who is currently being sought by police and has said he will return to Malaysia only if his demand for four temples to be demolished is met (archived link).
However, the Bukit Mertajam Hospital is not being relocated and the circulating claim is baseless.
Keyword searches on Google found multiple news outlets reported that the minister’s...
"Bukit Mertajam Hospital will be relocated to avoid disturbing the temple - Steven Sim Chee Keong," reads a Facebook post shared on March 22, 2026. Sim is a member of parliament representing the B...