This is in reference to the FMT article: “Penang Chettiars reveal Thaipusam accounts, donations”, published on January 19.

It was revealed that the Chettiars have donated a total of RM345,500 in nearly eight years, beginning November 2009, even though they have operated the Silver Chariot procession for nearly 160 years. It was also stated the Penang deputy chief minister II was satisfied with the accounts presented to him by the Chettiars in 2015. The Chettiars also mentioned that the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) rejected their donation for an education fund amounting to RM20,000 in 2015 and that a donation of RM40,000 to the PHEB-owned Maha Mariamman Temple in Queen Street was received with some reservation.

First, presenting the Chettiar temple Thaipusam accounts is not the same as only providing meagre information about their donations for the last eight years or so. Presenting their accounts means providing information about the income derived from public donations, the types of donations received, their value and the total expenditure. Saying that the Chettiars had given a certain amount of money for temples and charitable bodies does address the question of donations that they have received for eight years, but not the last 160 years. Why only restrict their donations to eight years i.e. from late 2009? What about the years prior to this period? Surely the Chettiars’ trustees cannot deny that they have been receiving public donations for many, many years.

Second, the amount donated to various bodies is minuscule compared to what Chettiars likely received in public donations. Why are the Chettiars hiding the truth? If it is their money, nobody will ask questions, but it is the public’s money received largely from members of the Hindu working class. It is grossly wrong for the Chettiars to receive donations from the Malaysian public and repatriate these funds to Chettinad India so that mansions, hotels and bungalows can be built for members of their own caste.

Third, it is not true to say that the Chettiar temple is owned by the entire Chettiar community in Penang. In fact, it is owned and managed by five families (Vedu). Members of these five families act as trustees of the temple and manage the Silver Chariot. With a few exceptions, the local Chettiars in Penang have no say in the running of the temple.

The Chettiar temple has 50 members, 44 of them foreigners and the rest, Malaysians. Yes, it is not wrong for foreigners to come on tourist visas and take part in Thaipusam. But can foreigners come to Malaysia, manage temples and collect public donations in millions and then take back the money to Chettinad, Tamil Nadu, India? Is it right for these foreigners, all citizens of India, to marginalise local-born Chettiars and Hindus generally from participating and organising temple activities? The trustees coming from the five families with the exception of one red-identity card holder, are all foreign citizens.

Yet these foreign Chettiars are trying to dictate what local Hindus can and cannot do. In fact, local Hindus are not even accorded respect and dignity during Thaipusam or any other religious festival. Prominence and respect are always given to members of the Chettiar community particularly those who are related to the five trustees. Many local Hindus have been offended by the treatment meted out by the temple authorities over the years.

Fourth, it is a blatant lie to state that when the trustees showed their temple accounts to me, I was satisfied with it. In fact, I told the trustee who showed me the figures that I was not in a position to verify the authenticity of their accounts.

Fifth, the trustees of the Chettiar temple in Penang should speak the truth and not hide it. In 2015, the Chettiars gave a donation of RM10,000 and not RM20,000 to the PHEB. We have proof of this. However we rejected the donation because we felt that the trustees were not honest in admitting the amount of public donations they had received and this amount was considered an “insult” to the board.

Yes, the Chettiar trustees gave a donation of RM40,000 to the Maha Mariamman temple, a temple under the PHEB without seeking our permission. The temple committee did deposit the donation in a bank, but we instructed them to issue their own cheque to return the amount. But the trustees refused to accept it until now. So, it is not true to state that Queen Street temple never made an attempt to return the money. The truth is that the trustees refused to accept the money that was returned.

Sixth, the Chettiar trustees never willingly cooperated with the PHEB. In a recent meeting with the police over the timing and the routes of both chariots, both the PHEB and Chettiar trustees represented by one foreigner agreed to the timing of the chariot procession. In other words, this February 8, the Golden Chariot will start its journey from Queen Street at 5am whereas the Silver Chariot will start at 6.30am, an interval of more than one hour.

In yesterday’s (Thursday) Thaipusam committee meeting attended by all government agencies including the police, representatives of temple associations, Chettiar trustees and PHEB members, the earlier agreed upon timing and route schedule was unanimously endorsed. But there are already murmurs that Chettiar trustees are not agreeable to this, even though they did not voice out their concerns yesterday.

P Ramasamy is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang.

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