Penang Hindu Endowment Board chairperson P Ramasamy has offered an olive branch to newly-minted Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mah Siew Keong.

The Penang deputy chief minister II offered to meet and discuss matters with Mah after intensely questioning his appointment to oversee the Hindu Endowment Board.

Ramasamy had insisted that the board be managed by a Hindu, regardless of race, as it is a religious body, criticising Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for insulting the Hindus as if there is no one from the community who is capable of the job.

Members of Gerakan, where Mah ( right ) is president, had condemned Ramasamy for being “racist and un-Malaysian”.

“I have no personal enmity with Mah. He has clarified his role, there’s basically only one Hindu Endowment Board in Penang and he has been given the role to oversee it,” Ramasamy said.

“There is no such thing as a Federal or National Hindu Endowment Board. The Penang booard is governed by a federal enactment,” he explained to Malaysiakini.

“The duty of this unit is to oversee and present accounts to the Parliament annually,” added the Perai assemblyperson.

Ramasamy said Mah had pointed out in interviews to the media that he has no executive powers.

Mah is also supposed to have appointed two Hindus from Gerakan Youth to help him manage his new portfolio.

So for all intent and purposes, the Board is to continue being managed by the Penang government, Ramasamy added.

“Mah has said he doesn’t want to refute me, that is his prerogative,” Ramasamy said.

“My stand remains that whoever is put in charge of the board should be a Hindu. This is my minimal requirement,” he added.

Ramasamy denied that he had meant, by questioning Mah’s position that he would do a lousy job.

He said If Mah wants to meet him, he would oblige for the benefit of the Penang Hindu Endowment Board.

“But that doesn’t mean I agree with his appointment,” Ramasamy quipped.

“At one point Mah should come and visit the Penang Hindu Endowment Booard to see the progress we’ve made in these six years,” Ramasamy said.

“The board has made tremendous progress, the state allocates RM1 million annually for us, and we have not only erected new temples, we have acquired land and properties and also provide scholarships to poor Indian students,” he stressed.