A group shouting outside M Ramachandran’s office in Perai this morning, forcing a press conference to be called off and held elsewhere.
BUTTERWORTH: The chief administrator of a Hindu assets agency in Penang says he is being targeted in a smear campaign after he blew the whistle on alleged lapses by the state authorities.
M Ramachandran, executive director of the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB), said the lapses began in 2018 and involved the use of the board’s funds, which he believed went to cronies and for political gain.
He said he had been put in cold storage and subjected to a smear campaign because of his complaints.
Ramachandran’s press conference at Lebuh Kikik here was interrupted by a group of at least 20 people who stormed his office.
M Ramachandran showing two Penang Hindu Endowments Board cheques, which he said were made out to a private club.
Police were called in to disperse the group who wanted to sit in at the conference, saying they also wanted to ask questions. The press conference was later called off and held at a hotel nearby.
Ramachandran denied claims that he took money from the board, hid temple donations or awarded contracts to relatives.
“The only persons authorised to withdraw funds from the board are the chairman, P Ramasamy, and the secretary, R Surenthran. I don’t have any power to award contracts. The board is a public statutory body, not a private limited company,” he said. “I did not touch a single sen from temple donations.”
Yesterday, the board’s chairman, P Ramasamy, who is Penang deputy chief minister, suspended Ramachandran pending a probe into alleged misconduct.
Ramachandran said if Ramasamy could prove his allegations, “I will kneel down before him and apologise”.
Funds allegedly used to benefit political leaders
Ramachandran alleged the lapses in PHEB took a turn for the worse from 2018, with board funds allegedly used to benefit political leaders, fund non-aid recipients who were non-Hindu and not from Penang, and a private club, which was given RM250,000.
“I questioned all these and people got angry. This was a source of revenue for the board,” he said.
Ramachandran said due to his reluctance to approve payments for non-related matters, he was kept in cold storage, adding that his powers as an administrator were removed.
Ramachandran said he made futile attempts to meet the chief minister and DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook after allegedly receiving threats. He said he then lodged a police report.
He said he would fight his suspension in court, saying it came as an abrupt reversal as only late last month he was given an appreciation letter with a promise of an ex-gratia payment of RM50,000 ahead of his retirement after 11 years.
“I have refused to accept the ex-gratia payment and have asked for service benefits in the form of 10 months’ pay,” the former trade unionist said.
Ramasamy’s response
When contacted, Ramasamy said Ramachandran had never used internal channels to air his grievances over alleged lapses in the board.
He said Ramachandran had instead gone to the chief minister and other irrelevant parties to make a complaint.
Ramasamy alleged that Ramachandran’s suspension arose over a CCTV project awarded to his son-in-law, which came to light after public complaints. Ramasamy also alleged that a cash advance of RM5,000 was authorised for the project, against the board’s cheques-only policy.
Ramasamy also denied claims that he had sent a mob to interrupt the press conference. He said he did not condone hooliganism.
The endowments board is a statutory body set up in 1906 under the Hindu Endowments Act to administer all endowments including land, property, buildings, houses, burial grounds, temples and money given for the benefit of the Hindu community in Penang.
