THE Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) has followed the law in taking over a temple in the state and there is nothing unusual about it, said Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy.

The PHEB chairman said Penang MIC chairman M. Nyanasegaran appears to not understand the law and procedure in matters pertaining to the Registrar of Society (RoS) and temple takeovers done by the board.

Ramasamy said PHEB is only taking over the temple management after being assented by the governor in accordance with Section 4 of the Hindu Endowments Ordinance.

“When we (PHEB) took over, the first step was only the management of the temple because it was de-registered. 

“Nyanasegaran is confused over management control and taking over properties. We are not going to take over temple properties but we’re only going to takeover the temple management, which we did in early December as approved by the governor,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Nyanasegaran had earlier said the assets of Bukit Tengah’s Sri Mangalanayagi Amman Temple should be under the Insolvency Department and not under the endowment board until the de-registration issue is resolved.

In August last year, RoS de-registered the temple’s management body, citing mismanagement and asked PHEB to take over.

Ramasamy said the Insolvency Department is not authorised in temple management takeovers and said they only come into the picture when an application is made to the high court to take over the properties.

“Insolvency has no say in taking over the management of the temple. 

“They only come in when an application is made to the high court to take over the properties. They then can decide whether to contest or not,” Ramasamy said. 

On December 24 last year, there was a ruckus at the Sri Mangalanayagi Amman temple when Ramasamy and PHEB officials went to take over its management.

Former office-bearers of the temple claimed officials forced their way into the house of worship by prying open the gates and were disrespectful by wearing shoes on the temple grounds.

They also said PHEB didn’t notify them of their visit to the temple.

Regarding this, Ramasamy said that the former committee is not in control of the temple and therefore does not need to be informed, and that their claims of officials wearing shoes in the temple grounds are an attempt to put wrong impressions to the public.

“They are not the legitimate committee. They have no say as the temple is officially under PHEB. They deliberately locked the gates knowing we were coming. So we had no choice. The chairman should just give up and get lost. 

“Also, we didn’t walk inside the temple with shoes. We were outside where renovations were taking place. So let those hooligans who attacked be charged for rioting,” he said. 

On the mismanagement of funds claimed to be over RM100,000, Ramasamy said it was insane for such a thing to have happened under a registered committee and the arrangement they made for a monthly payback was absurd.

“Where can you take money for personal use from a temple and pay in installments? There is no such thing. This is a clear breach of RoS Act,” he said, adding that he will file for an injunction to prevent the said committee members from entering the temple premises. 

As for the de-registered committee’s request to allow them to finish renovation work and hold its kumbhabhisekam (consecration ceremony) – a ritual performed every 12 years by Hindu temples – Ramasamy said they should send an appeal to PHEB and it is up to the board to make a decision. – January 4, 2020.