The Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) will work with any NGO except Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia as they are “indentured slaves of BN and Umno”, said Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy.

“We welcome suggestions and criticisms, including memorandums on any issue related to the Indian and Hindu community, but not from Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia,” Ramasamy said in a press conference today.

By labelling Hindraf as “slaves of Umno”, Ramasamy was alluding to the association’s president P Waythamoorthy’s appointment as a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department after the May 5 general election (GE).

Before the GE, Hindraf had thrown its support behind BN and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, and had wanted the latter to endorse its blueprint to improve the status of the Indian community, which is yet to be implemented.

“They have yet to get their blueprint endorsed by the prime minister, so what memorandums are they talking about?” added Ramasamy, who is also PHEB chairperson.

“They have sold the Indian community lock, stock and barrel. Please don’t promote the BN or Umno agenda here. Their purpose is just to smear the reputation of the state government,” he stressed.

NONE Ramasamy was referring to the allegation by Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia’s national adviser N Ganesan ( right ) that he believed the former and his boss, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, had sent thugs to “violently disrupt” the NGOs meeting on Nov 30.

Lim and Ramasamy have strongly denied the accusations, and have begun legal proceedings against Ganesan and The New Straits Times .

Ganesan had then raised several issues related to two crematoriums along Batu Lanchang run by the PHEB, which he claimed to be in dire straits and badly mismanaged, adding that the purpose of the meeting was to collect signatures to send a petition to Lim.

During the press conference today, Ramasamy said as at Dec 2 the incinerator is in good working condition and the PHEB is now waiting word from the hospital for an unclaimed body to be cremated and the commissioning of the incinerator.

A total of RM129,843.00 have been spent in the upgrading and repair works at the cemetery and crematorium, he added.

Crematoriums and cemetery now under board’s supervision

He stressed that the running of the crematoriums and cemetery have now come under the supervision of the PHEB.

The cemetery had been previously managed by three private caretakers, who have proven to be lacking in performance and their contract had been terminated.

“Having completed the initial urgent requirements at the cemetery, the board will soon be embarking on its second phase of the upgrading works at the cemetery,” Ramasamy said.

“The total estimated expenditure will be between RM1.5 to RM2 million and the second phase of the upgrading works will be completed by June nest year,” he added.

Ramasamy said since the Pakatan Rakyat government took over the PHEB in 2008, it has improved the financial status, procedures and delivery services to the Hindu community.

The PHEB currently has two offices (in Komtar and Jalan Macalister), increased the state’s allocation from RM80,000 to RM1 million, and improved its income generated from renting its properties from RM3,000 to RM40,000 per month.

The income collected for the PHEB has been used to help disburse about RM350,000 scholarships for poor Indian students, Ramasamy said.