Ramsamy has a bone to pick with Penang DAP over change of guard in Pg Hindu Endowments Board

IN THE recent DAP Penang state convention, Indian delegates overwhelmingly called for significant changes to the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB), a statutory body for the Hindu community overseen by both the state and federal governments.

The board’s operations – while constitutionally under federal purview – are managed daily by the state which appoints the chairman from among the board’s commissioners.

Additionally, the PHEB’s secretary must be a civil servant. During the convention, delegates had called for replacement of both the chairman and the deputy chairman.

Currently, the chairman is Jelutong MP RSN Rayer while the deputy chairman is Senator Dr Lingheshwaran R.Arunasalam. Both are not involved in the state’s Exco discussions where important administrative and management decisions for the PHEB are made.

The delegates emphasised that their requests are not personal but are driven by a belief that only those in the state EXCO are best positioned to manage the PHEB effectively.

They also suggested appointing a new secretary – one more attuned to the broader needs and aspirations of Penang’s Hindu community – and recommended that commissioners be chosen for their expertise rather than political affiliations.

Although based in Penang, the PHEB’s statutory role gives it a national profile within the Hindu community.

Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy

Indian interest sidelined

From 2010 to 2023, I worked as chairman to expand the board’s influence nationwide. Our preliminary efforts included drafting a bill to present in Parliament yet neither the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government nor the short-lived Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration prioritised this initiative.

Today, the current Madani government appears equally disinterested with Indian leaders more focused on short-term political interests than the community’s long-term needs.

Reliable sources indicate that Indian leaders in Penang have already approached the state government, Penang DAP and other parties to press for these changes in the PHEB. However, to date, there has been no response.

As a statutory body, the PHEB has the capacity to acquire property in Penang without payment provided it promotes the welfare of the Hindu community. Yet, the board’s current leadership appears uninterested in expanding the Hindu community’s assets.

More notably, while the PHEB administers Hindu assets, it is not a religious body given religious activities within temples are managed by Hindu priests and temple committees.

Ensuring the welfare of Penang’s Hindu community – and potentially of Hindus across Malaysia – calls for an urgent restructuring of the PHEB’s leadership. Ignoring the voices of the Indian delegates would represent a failure of duty on the part of the state government. – Nov 14, 2024

Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.

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