Jagdeep’s religion no obstacle to becoming PHEB chair, says former executive director

Backed by several Hindu groups, Penang deputy chief minister II Jagdeep Singh Deo says he is ready to chair the Penang Hindu Endowments Board.

GEORGE TOWN: 

Jagdeep Singh Deo’s religion does not prevent him from becoming the next chairman of the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB), a former executive director of the statutory body said.

M Ramachandran said the law clearly allows Sikhs to be part of PHEB. He added that religion should not be used as a basis to oppose the Penang deputy chief minister’s appointment to the post.

“Some people have argued that a Sikh cannot be chairman. I said, don’t talk nonsense. The law is clear. Sikhs are included in the term ‘Hindu’ in the ordinance,” he told FMT, referring to the Hindu Endowments Ordinance 1906.

The pre-Merdeka law says the term “‘Hindu’ includes Sikh and any branch or variety of religion professed by the natives of India, except the Christian, Buddhist and Muslim religions”.

Ramachandran was commenting on Jagdeep’s statement that he was ready to take over the board after receiving the backing of Hindu groups.

However, the Penang branch of a Hindu-based NGO said yesterday that the board must be led by a Hindu leader who understands the religious values and aspirations of the community.

The Malaysia Hindudharma Mamandram said it was “imperative that the leadership of such an important institution reflects the cultural and spiritual heritage of the community it serves”.

“We are confident that under the leadership of a Hindu individual, PHEB will be better positioned to support and elevate the Hindu community in Penang,” it said in a statement.

But Ramachandran said that Jagdeep already had strong backing from the local Indian community, with at least 50 local Indian groups, including temples and NGOs, voicing support for him to be chair.

He also said he was ready to return in a support role, or even in his former capacity as CEO, if Jagdeep took over as he wanted to “help get the work done”.

Lawyer Shamsher Singh Thind agreed that there was no legal requirement for the chairman or commissioners to be Hindu. He said that while PHEB manages Hindu temples and their properties, it does not get involved in religious matters.

“The role of the PHEB chairman is not the same as the chairman of a temple management committee. Each temple under PHEB has its own committee,” he said in a Facebook post.

Jelutong MP RSN Rayer is the current PHEB chair. His tenure will end in July. - FMT