Letter to editor
THE owner of Waterfall Cafe in Penang Botanical Gardens Anantha Raj Sundaras has been told by the Penang Timur Laut (north-east district) land department to move to another location.
This is a double whammy for on March 2, he was denied permits to operate 4WD (four-wheel drive) vehicles to Penang Hill by the Penang Hill Corporation.
Anantha Raj’s family, his grandfather, father and himself have been operating the Waterfall Cafe for more than 100 years.
Despite negotiations on the operation of 4D vehicles, his permits were abruptly cancelled. His income from the earnings of the rental of the 4D vehicle has come to an abrupt halt.
Following this, there are now systematic attempts to remove him from Waterfall Cafe. The present state government including its EXCO members are of no help.
One particular Indian EXCO member even went to the extent of asking Anantha Raj to cooperate with the authorities instead of taking an objective look at the situation. Anantha Raj left the meeting held two days ago completely dejected.
When I was in the state government (serving as Penang chief minister II), I defended the rights of Anantha Raj so much so that the authorities refrained from taking action against him.
In fact, former MIC president, the late Tun S. Samy Vellu. used to call me often in Penang to ensure that Anantha Raj’s family would be taken care of.
It looks like Anantha Raj’s 100-year-old business is in jeopardy. Jealousy could be the main reason why there have been attempts to disrupt his thriving business. There may be other reasons as well.
Under these difficult circumstances, Anantha Raj has no option but to take legal action to defend his rights.
The bullying by the agencies of the state government must stop. The respective land department is giving the excuse of the cable car project to evict Anantha Raj’s business.
If the state government has heart, the problems could be amicably sorted out. It is unfortunate that this is how the phony Madani government treats hardworking individuals like Anantha Raj. – March 16, 2024
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy
Chairman
United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai)
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
