The debate over Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong’s appointment to oversee the National Hindu Endowment Board (NHEB) rages on with the party now being accused of kowtowing to Umno.

 

Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) chairperson P Ramasamy said Mah’s acceptance of the position is a testimony that Gerakan continues to be “subservient to Umno”, which leads the BN administration in Putrajaya.

 

“Gerakan has a history of subservience to Umno. The worst part is, Mah has happily accepted the porfolio,” the Penang Deputy Chief Minister II told reporters in Komtar.

 

“He (Mah) should have rejected the post when offered (by Prime Minister Najib Razak) and told him to give it to a Hindu,” Ramasamy added on Friday.

 

He was fending off accusations by Gerakan Youth that he was “ racist and un-Malaysian” for saying Mah’s appointment was an “ insult ” to the Indian community and MIC.

 

MIC director of strategy S Vell Paari, who backed Mah's posting, chided Ramasamy for not questioning Selangor's appointed PKR representative Xavier Jeyakumar, a Christian overseeing Hindu temples.

 

Ramasamy said he is not against Mah - who is a newly minted Minister in the PM’s Department following his victory in the just concluded Teluk Intan by-election on May 29 - taking the portfolio per se, but on the double standards.

 

“There is no problem if Mah is a Hindu, if he is, then I have nothing against him holding this portfolio. There are also Chinese who are Hindus,” said the Perai assemblyman.

 

“But this is a religious body. Can Umno or BN appoint Mah as the head of a federal Islamic body?

 

"Can non-Muslims be appointed to head Islamic bodies? Then why the double standard and hypocrisy?” asked the former university professor.

 

'Common sense to appoint Hindu'

 

“This is about religion and not race, so it is common sense to put a Hindu to be in-charge of Hindu affairs,” said Ramasamy.

 

“Religion is a sensitive issue in Malaysia. Can we appoint a non-Buddhist to head a Buddhist organisation or a Christian to head an Islamic organisation?” he asked.

 

On Xavier’s alleged role in overseeing Hindu temples, the deputy CM denied it saying the Seri Andaman assemblyperson merely dealt with Indian community issues.

 

He urged Najib to recede Mah’s appointment and assign it to a Hindu, or a MIC leader like the party’s president G Palanivel or deputy S Subramaniam.

 

“Or else, there is just no respect shown to the Hindus in this country, who have always felt marginalised.

 

"As it is, even a small portfolio like this is being taken away from the community,” Ramasamy lamented.

 

“The question of me being un-Malaysian or racist does not arise as I am merely stating what is very obvious. Is this a tall order? 

 

"I am already getting many calls from people who are aghast at what is happening, and it does not look good for Najib,” he said.

 

'What are Hindu reps doing?'

Meanwhile, Penang Hindu Association deputy president P Murugiah said Indian MPs in Parliament are not united in seeking a solution to the issue, which he also described as "a slap" to the community.

 

Murugiah urged the MPs to unite as “one voice” and ask Najib to appoint a Hindu to managed the national board.

 

“What are the Indian or Hindu MPs doing in Parliament? What are their roles in the NHEB?” Murugiah asked.

 

“At least one of them could be appointed to head the portfolio,” Murugiah added.

 

“If the seven Indian MPs in Parliament do not organise themselves or unite over this matter, this is what will happen (Mah’s appointment),” he quipped.

 

The portfolio was earlier held by Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (PHM) president P Waythamoorthy, who quit in disappointment after eight months.

 

Yesterday, PHM’s deputy chairperson K Tamilselvan said Mah’s appointment to the board was "another attempt by the Barisan Nasional to hoodwink the Indians into believing that the government would be fulfilling its nambikei promises".