Satees Muniandy, who is the Urimai secretary, said Hindu endowments fell under the Federal List of the Ninth Schedule to the Federal Constitution.

“Item 15(c) of the Federal List clearly stipulates that Hindu endowments are under the purview of the federal government. This is not ambiguous. The constitutional position is clear.

“It is deeply concerning that a deputy minister could provide inaccurate constitutional information in the Dewan Negara,” he said in a statement.

Satees said Parliament required accuracy and that the public deserved honesty.

Item 15(c) of the Federal List states that matters involving charities and charitable institutions, charitable trusts and trustees (excluding wakaf), as well as Hindu endowments fall under Putrajaya’s purview.

Yuneswaran said earlier today that religious affairs fell under the jurisdiction of the states, as set out in the constitution’s State List under the Ninth Schedule, when explaining why Hindu endowments boards must be established at the state level.

He also said the ministry would fully support states in establishing their own Hindu endowments boards, as implemented in Penang.

He was responding to a proposal by senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran for a national-level Hindu endowments board to regulate issues related to temples.

In a separate statement, Urimai chairman P Ramasamy pointed out that the Penang Hindu Endowments Board was a federal body administered by the state.

“The Penang state administers the PHEB but accounts are submitted to the Parliament,” he said.

Ramasamy, who chaired the PHEB from 2010 to 2023, said any Hindu endowments board, whether established at the national or state level to manage temple affairs, must be granted statutory agency status with enforcement powers.

“Attempts at centralising the Hindu religion might work to the disadvantage of the Hindu community. However, the Hindu endowments board can function on behalf of Hindu temples in terms of legalising them and administering them,” he said.