About 100 members of the Indian community protested in front of Komtar in George Town today, urging Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his deputy P Ramasamy to quit their posts.

Led by MV Mathiyalagan Veeriah, the group from Batu Kawan, carried banners with slogans “We are strongly against Ramasamy organising a second Thaipusam”, “Hoi Ramasamy, you have no right to comment about Thaipusam” and “Is it fair to demolish the historical temple in Ladang Byram?”

The group, a coalition of five communities from several temples in Batu Kawan on mainland Penang, later handed over a five-point memorandum to a staff from Ramasamy’s office in Komtar.

In the memorandum, Mathiyalagan, claiming to represent Malaysian Indians who voted for Pakatan Rakyat in 2008, said they are dissatisfied with several “unjust and unfair” issues affecting the community.

Mathiyalagan, who listed the five points which prompted the protest, said that Ramasamy (photo) had on Dec 10, 2015, vowed to resign from his posts of deputy chief minister II and Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) chairperson if he were to lose in the Sri Maha Muthu Mariamman Temple dispute.

On Aug 11, Mathiyalagan said, the High Court decided that the PHEB, led by Ramasamy, has no right in the management of the temple.

He also claimed that the High Court ordered PHEB to pay costs to the committee members of the temple.

“Ramasamy cannot seize or take over any Hindu temple under the PHEB, nor can he take away assets belonging to the temples, including those related to the Hindu burial sites,” said the group.

Mathiyalagan said during the 2013 general election, Pakatan Rakyat promised the Batu Kawan community a housing scheme that is similar to that provided to residents of Kampung Buah Pala.

In the case of Kampung Buah Pala, the villagers were evicted in 2009 to pave the way for a high-rise development project in Bukit Gelugor, but were later compensated with double-storey houses.

“But it is just a lip service for us. None of the promises for the Batu Kawan community were fulfilled,” he said.

Mathiyalagan said the group was also upset that in 2013, three gold bars under the care of PHEB – worth RM300,000 – went missing and were yet to be returned to the board.

Corruption charges

The group also expressed dissatisfaction with Lim over his two corruption charges related to the purchase of his bungalow on Jalan Pinhorn.

They are also unhappy with DAP collecting RM1 million in donations from the public to cover the bail money slapped on Lim.

“We ask that you step down from your post voluntarily, to preserve the dignity of the state government,” said Mathiyalagan.

In an immediate response, Ramasamy dismissed the group as MIC and IPF (All Malaysian Indian Progressive Front) members.

He denied ever promising to resign from his posts if lost the case involving the Batu Kawan temple management, saying the PHEB is appealing the case and the outcome is pending.

“According to the Registrar of Societies, temple devotees cannot manage the temples. It must be handed over to the PHEB,” Ramasamy said.

On the group calling on him and Lim to reisgn from their posts, Ramasamy said “they can say whatever they want”.