Rival chariots unite for Thaipusam as Endowment Board, Chettiars make peace
This year's Thaipusam in Penang saw animosity between the Penang Hindu Endowment Board and the Nattukottai Chettiars clan being set aside with devotees welcoming two chariots at the religious event which kicked off in George Town today.
The golden and silver chariots, operated by the board and the Chettiars respectively, took to the procession route at 6am this morning with the former in the lead. They were accompanied by a large crowd of devotees.
This year's Thaipusam in Penang saw animosity between the Penang Hindu Endowment Board and the Nattukottai Chettiars clan being set aside with devotees welcoming two chariots at the religious event which kicked off in George Town today.
The golden and silver chariots, operated by the board and the Chettiars respectively, took to the procession route at 6am this morning with the former in the lead. They were accompanied by a large crowd of devotees.
Board chairperson P Ramasamy said both parties have overcome their differences and agreed to a joint procession this year.
Conflict between the duo had somewhat marred the yearly Thaipusam event since 2017.
"So you can say this is the first time that the board has its very own chariot and since we were tasked to organise the annual Thaipusam celebration, it is only fair we have our own chariot," said Ramasamy, who is Penang deputy chief minister (II).
"There was a huge crowd this morning, people were very happy to see the two chariots, there was so much excitement and joy," he told Malaysiakini.
"There is no antagonism this year as both parties have put aside their animosity over the chariots," he added.
Special donors, who wished to remain anonymous, had contributed to the building of the golden chariot which is now the pride of the board.
"Donations which poured in for the golden chariot have been enormous and we thank all the generous donors. Rest assured, the money will be used for the Indian poor, for their education and their social-economic development," he said.
During last year's Thaipusam, the board collected over RM370,000 in donations, the highest ever over the years.
Ramasamy also allayed the fear of any misappropriation of funds saying the Penang Hindu Endowment Board's accounts were audited and presented to Parliament every year.
He added that the donations collected were handled transparently and the total collection announced to the public.
"There is no hanky-panky. The board is not a profit-making institution," he said.
"My mantra is simple, whatever you do, do it for the benefit of the people. Whatever comes from the public, returns to the public. We have been practising this since we took over the board in 2008," he said.
He said the board was currently in the midst of studying how it could spread its wings to other states in Malaysia, especially those with large Indian communities.
A forum on the topic is being mooted and plans to propose an enactment on state Hindu endowment boards will be discussed with the attorney-general after consulting with legal experts.
"These are in line with promises made in the Pakatan Harapan 2018 election manifesto," said Ramasamy.
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