Only in late July 2015, as result of the Penang Development Corporation’s (PDC) handover of all Hindu temples and burial ground lands, did the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) take possession of these.
As result, the PHEB appointed an interim committee, composed of the local residents and former estate workers, to manage these properties including the Batu Kawan Mariamman Temple.
After this take-over, we informed the Registrar of Societies (ROS) in Kepala Batas and the latter de-registered the former committee (Pertubuhan Penganut Dewi Sri Muthu Mariamman Batu Kawan).
However, the members of the de-registered committee were unhappy with the decision of the ROS and soon started making all kinds of accusations against the management committee headed by one Thinakaran and the PHEB.
To date, hundreds of police reports have been made by the members of the de-registered committee against the PHEB.
Even after the takeover of the Hindu properties, the PHEB never directly managed these and allowed the interim committee to do so.
As soon as the PHEB assumed management control of the Hindu properties, the earlier committee refused to hand over to the PHEB accounts regarding the two temples and burial grounds.
Until today, although we have been waiting for some months, this committee refuses to hand over the accounts through which we can ascertain what happened to the money and jewellery.
On Dec 17, 2015, the dispute between the two parties went to the High Court in Penang for resolution. One or two days before the court hearing, the de-registered committee was surprisingly re-registered by the ROS.
Inter-locutory judgment
The court on the basis of this decision and without examining the background of the case, gave an inter-locutory judgment in favour of the newly registered committee to manage the temple before a full hearing could be heard on Jan 14, 2015.
Regarding the handing over of the temple keys, the court instructed the PHEB to do so on Dec 21, 2015. However, the management committee refused to accept the keys on that day. So, it is a blatant lie to say that the PHEB was supposed to deliver the keys on Dec 27, 2015.
Our argument is that the funds and jewellery belonging to the temples were never handed over to the committee appointed by the PHEB in July 2015. Both the PHEB and the interim committee have approached the old committee regarding this matter, but until today, we have not only received the money or jewellery or the accounts on what really happened to them.
Yet false and untrue reports have been made against the PHEB as though we are responsible for this state of financial affairs of temples and burial grounds.
Why was the committee de-registered in September 2015 and what were the reasons the ROS gave for this action? Did the old committee comply with the procedures and regulations of the ROS?
Thirty-six police reports cannot turn a lie into truth. The PHEB, being a responsible statutory body of the Penang state government, will do its utmost to safeguard the interests and properties of Hindus in Penang. We would not be intimidated by lies and police reports.
We do not have to make hundreds of police reports, it is a sheer waste of time, but one police report had been made yesterday.
Our lawyers are checking whether we could file for defamation against the present management committee, including its leader, Manogaran, and the temple's trustee, one Mathialagan.
P RAMASAMY is Penang Deputy Chief Minister II and chairperson of the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB).
