Penang-funded fortnightly newsletter Buletin Mutiara was thrust into the spotlight by a state DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy) leader who complained its coverage of the state's contributions to the Indian community was lacking.

"Even an MIC leader is given a slot in the bulletin. Does Utusan Malaysia give us a slot like this?

NONE "Whenever I ask this question, I am told I am racist and my question has never been answered," Penang Dapsy assistant secretary Satees Muniandy ( right ) told the state-level party convention yesterday.

Satees, who is Taman Supreme branch delegate, pointed directly to the Tamil version of the Buletin Mutiara , saying the section hardly reported on the work the party or state government carried out for the Indian community.

This, he added, was apparent in the issue of stateless Indian Malaysians , on which the party had formed a committee. Nothing about this effort was published in the bulletin.

"However, there are pages dedicated to very insignificant stuff," Satees lamented, during the debate before nine resolutions proposed by the state DAP committee were unanimously passed.

First DCM post for Indians

Another Taman Supreme delegate, known only as Parameswaran, praised the Pakatan Rakyat government in Penang for appointing an Indian Malaysian as a deputy chief minister.

"Who says that DAP does not appreciate the Indians? This is recognition not found in any other state," Parameswaran told the annual convention attended by 307 delegates and 118 observers.

In reply, Deputy Chief Minister II and Penang Hindu Endowment Board chairperson P Ramasamy said the support of Buletin Mutiara on Indian issues has been discussed within the state DAP committee.

NONE Ramasamy ( right ) urged members like Satees to provide more information on his complaint so that the newsletter's strategy could be looked into.

"Although the issue of statelessness is the responsibility of the federal government, we are very concerned about the matter at the state level. This is not only an Indian problem, but there are Chinese and Malays who are also affected," he said.

Ramasamy also turned his guns on state MIC deputy chairperson L Krishnan, who was quoted by The Star as saying that more than 70 percent of the 800,000 Indian Malaysian voters in Penang supported the MIC and the BN.

"Whether this is true or not, let the voters decide. But to say we have 800,000 Indian voters in Penang cannot be true. Is he saying half the state's population of 1.6 million are voters from the Indian community?" Ramasamy, who is state DAP deputy chairperson, asked.

What DAP has done for Indians

Ramasamy also refuted allegations by the MIC and BN that the Pakatan Rakyat state government had done nothing for the community.

"True, we must improve our propaganda machinery to let people know what we have done, especially things that were never done by the BN in the last 55 years," the Batu Kawan MP added.

These efforts, he said, included providing funds - about RM6.7 million so far - to Tamil schools, just as the state provided funds for the Chinese and missionary schools

Penang had also provided land to several Tamil schools, besides land to Hindu temples, and acted to preserve the community's burial grounds.

He reminded the delegates about the demolition of a Hindu temple in Prai by the Penang Port Commission and Penang Port Sdn Bhd, blaming its chairpersons - state BN secretary Dr Hilmi Yahya and MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek for this.

Ramasamy also said the state government was now planning to provide cable cars for those who not able climb up to newly completed, and higher, Murugan temple on Penang Hill for their prayers during Thaipusam.

"Don't worry, the cable car project will be done via open tender, like the rest of the projects implemented by the Pakatan state government," he added.