I'm hazarding a guess here. Editing is so important on this show. In leaving one scene, there is almost always a direct link to the next, though you may not know it as you watch it. It gets revealed later, sometimes years later.
When the New Locke stormed out of the statue and meets Richard Alpert on the beach, he says to Richard, "good to see you out of those chains." Richard looks shocked and then horrified and says, "You!" New Locke swiftlly karate chops Richard's larynx, cracks his neck and throws him down. Then New Locke hoists an unconscious or possibly dead Richard onto his back and stalks off into the jungle.
The next scene is in the temple, and after some desultory conversation amongst the 815 Survivors, Sayid arises, seemingly from the dead.
If Richard indeed is dead, which, given the wicked chop to the larynx that New Locke gave him he could be, perhaps it's his spirit that rose up within Sayid. That would be incredibly cool for Sayid to be the new consigliere for The Island.
Just a guess....
Reading is freedom.
The mind soars, no earthly cares,
no limitations.
A Maggers Haiku, 2005
Years ago my mother used to say to me... "In this world, Elwood, you can be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
Well, for years I was smart.
I recommend pleasant.
You may quote me.
Elwood P. Dowd