Rayer upset over leaked confidential letter

The Seri Delima assemblyman wrote the letter to the PHEB chairman.

GEORGE TOWN: Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer is upset that a confidential letter to the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) was leaked to the press.

The letter dated Jan 25 was addressed to the PHEB chairman P Ramasamy.

“I want to know how is that certain NGOs could have in their possession copies of the letter and display them at a press conference yesterday.

“It’s an internal and confidential letter from me to the chairman.

“How was it leaked?” he asked.

Rayer, who is also the board commissioner, was speaking at a press conference here today.

He is expected to bring up the issue at the next PHEB meeting.

The letter was distributed to newsmen and displayed by four NGO local leaders at the press conference in Butterworth.

The NGO representatives were Penang chapter chairmen of Malaysian Indian Youth Council Reghu Devan Lopez, Malaysia Hindu Sangam G Shanmuganathan and Malaysia Hindhudharma Organisation V Nandakumar, and Penang Indian Sports and Recreational Club president M Karthi.

In the letter, Rayer urged Ramasamy and the board to stop the management committee of the Waterfall hilltop temple, Balathandayuthabani Kovil, from extending the single public address (PA) system (for Thaipusam) to the Penang Sports Club (PSC) tannir panthal (refreshment shed) near the Jalan Scotland-Jalan Utama junction.

Currently, the single PA system runs for 2.5km from the Waterfall hilltop temple, Balathandayuthabani Kovil, to the Jalan Brown-Jalan Utama junction.

Rayer has also sent copies of the letter to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and to all other commissioners and the hilltop temple chairman P Kuvenaraju.

The extension plan had now been stalled.

At yesterday’s press meeting, the NGO leaders denied any knowledge of the letter.

However, at the end of the conference, the NGO leaders posed for cameras displaying Rayer’s letter.

The leaders claimed they did not organise the conference and were unsure who were the organisers.

They claimed they were merely invited to give statements in favour of the single PA system.

FMT learnt that the conference was organised by a local MIC leader closely linked to a state DAP leader through family ties.

Rayer also refuted claims by the NGOs that he had politicised the three-day Thaipusam, which starts on Monday, with the silver chariot procession.

He said he only intervened following requests by many panthal operators to end the “annoying” single PA system.

Devotional music

He said the panthals located between the temple compound and the Jalan Utama-Jalan Brown junction would be allowed to play their own devotional music for this year’s event.

This will effectively end the existence of the single PA system.

“I have received many requests from the affected panthal operators to be allowed to play their own music.

“We should allow it,” he said, urging the police not to storm the panthals to seize their PA systems and audio CDs.

Denying that he had a political agenda, Rayer said he was merely representing the wish of the majority.

“Penang Thaipusam is among the best religious, cultural event in the world largely due to its panthal, kavadis, music and dancing.

“An overwhelming majority of Hindu lay public wants Thaipusam to be celebrated in the traditional Penang way.

“As an elected representative I have a public duty to safeguard their interests and rights,” he said.

Rayer also criticised the NGOs for being irresponsible for associating music played by the panthals with gangsterism and crime.

“Are the NGOs telling us that Hindu youths are hooligans?

“This is an unwarranted and irresponsible statement to tarnish Hindu youths.

“The NGOs should apologise for smearing the Hindu community,” said Rayer.

Earlier, a group of panthal operators held a peaceful protest at the Waterfall area against the NGOs and the hilltop temple management committee for attempting to install the single PA system.

They displayed placard supporting Rayer and condemning the PA system.

The group spokesman Jim Tachinamurthy said the single PA system had transformed part of the Thaipusam into a mourning procession.

If the single PA system were to be stretched to the PSC panthal, he said Thaipusam “will be as good as dead”.

He accused certain minority groups of trying to “destroy” Thaipusam by stopping the panthal music.

Noting that panthals without music are only meant for funeral and obituaries, he said that Penang was famous for panthal music and kavadi dancing.

He said thousands of Hindus from Penang and other states, and tourists are flocking Penang during Thaipusal because of its carnival atmosphere.

“Without these features, Penang Thaipusam will lose its carnival atmosphere.We might as well not celebrate the festival at all,” said Tachinamurthy.