Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy ( photo ) has lashed out at MIC president Dr S Subramaniam for saying the alleged power abuse in the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) would be referred to the attorney-general.

Subramaniam was quoted by Bernama today as saying the state government's actions were against the principle of freedom to manage and conduct religious ceremonies in temples which should be determined by the Indian community in the state.

Ramasamy said Subramaniam may be referring to a case in Batu Kawan but appears to be unaware that since July, all Hindu temples and burial grounds in the state had been handed over to the PHEB.

These temples and burial grounds were previously under the Penang Development Corporation but its board of directors had agreed to the transfer in June.

Ramasamy said PHEB then took over the problematic Batu Kawan temple and replaced its previous non-performing committee members.

He noted the Registrar of Societies had then de-registered the committee which, claimed Ramasamy, was run by several disgruntled BN and MIC members.

“The committee continues to create problems even after being de-registered and some of the incidents which happened at the temple saw police intervention,” Ramasamy told Malaysiakini.

“We had take the matter to court where the Penang High Court granted us an injunction to prevent the de-registered members from coming to the temple to create havoc. But they still came,” said the PHEB chairperson.

Ramasamy said the case is up for hearing at the Penang High Court on Dec 17 where it will then be decided which is the rightful and legitimate committee.

However, the unhappy committee members had come to the temple and locked the doors, he added.

“We do not condone such acts. Let the court decide which is the rightful committee to run the temple,” the Prai assemblyperson said.

He denied allegations that PHEB had intervened in the temple's running and closed down the place of worship, saying Subramaniam was fed with false information.

Subramaniam should know better, Ramasamy said, as his ally Gerakan president and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mah Siew Keong oversaw the PHEB.

Ramasamy said Mah understood the law - the Hindu Endowment Ordinance 1906 - which clearly explained the role of the state and federal government in areas of religion.

Ordinance 17, as it is referred to, clearly underscored the fact that religious matters came under the state’s jurisdiction, Ramasamy explained.

“Subra does not know this or is he pretending? It’s a simple general knowledge but he says he wants to report the PHEB to the attorney-general,” he said.

“As far as we are concerned, the PHEB has been complying with the proper procedures”.

Scholarships for students, too

Ramasamy recalled PHEB faced a similar situation when it invoked Section 4 of the Ordinance - which states that the board can seize a temple which is either in a state of disarray or in financial crisis - to take over a Hindu temple in Prai .

The move was accepted by the state executive councillors and approved by Penang Governor Abdul Rahman Abbas, he said.

“There was nothing illegal about it,” Ramasamy said.

“When MIC ran the board during BN’s time prior to 2008, they did not have the creativity or imagination to run temples and they abandoned the board for 59 years,” he claimed.

“When we took power in 2008, we revamped the board, managed the properties and acquired more. We also gave out welfare aid to needy Indians in Penang and we gave out scholarships to students who came as far as Kedah and Perlis,” Ramasamy said.

He urged Subramaniam to sort out his own party crisis, adding that the MIC has not been functioning properly and yet its leaders talk about championing the Indians.

As far as Indians in Penang were concerned, the PHEB is run well and was even commended by the auditor-general, Ramasamy noted.

“Is Subramaniam jealous the PHEB is run so well? We accept criticisms on how to improve the PHEB but do not slander us by saying we are involved in a legal problem, or that we are disrupting temple activities,” he said.

“Go and speak to Mah about the matter, he knows, and has even commended the PHEB’s good work in Penang,” Ramasamy said.