MIC slams Pakatan over hilltop temple credit

Penang MIC is upset that the Pakatan Rakyat state government is trying to win brownie points with the voters by claiming responsibility for the construction of the new hilltop Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple.

Situated in the Waterfall area of Penang, the temple is famous for Thaipusam, which is celebrated on a large scale annually, attracting millions of Hindus and tourists.

"It is BN, the federal government, which gave RM1.9 million to build the temple, compared with the RM300,000 given by the Pakatan state government," state MIC Youth chief J Dhinagaran (left) said today.

"Do not believe the sweet words of the Pakatan government, which is trying to woo votes from Penangites," Dhinagaran said at a press conference today.

He was responding to pamphlets, allegedly distributed by the state government during Thaipusam on Jan 27, in which Pakatan claimed credit for the construction of the new temple.

Pakatan in the pamphlet also states its achievements as the state government in Penang.

Dhinagaran said Pakatan has a record of not fulfilling the promises it made during the 2008 general election campaign. 

He said PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahimpromised to save the Kampung Buah Pala Indian settlement, but it was torn down.

However, before Deepavali in 2011, the 24 residents of the village were given their keys to double-storey houses within the settlement area.

Dhinagaran said Pakatan's attitude like displaying large banners of themselves, especially its Indian assemblypersons, during the Thaipusam festival clearly showed its "desperado attitude" to familiarise themselves with the people before the coming general election.

"Is it because the Penang Pakatan government realises that the Indian elected representatives have failed miserably in carrying out their responsibilities in their respective constituencies?" he asked.

'Pakatan leaders a bunch of liars'

Dhinagaran urged Penangites to judge for themselves whether it was the BN or Pakatan that would bring benefit and progress to them as well as to the state.

He called the Pakatan leaders a "bunch of liars who are trying to hoodwink" the people by painting a wrong picture of current situations to seek cheap political mileage, and he called on them to issue an apology for this.

He complained that the Pakatan administration had "stooped so low to rake in sympathy" from the hundreds of thousands of people who converged in Penang for the auspicious Thaipusam religious festival.

"They have politicised the festival for their own selfish interests, by distributing pamphlets, detailing their false achievements to the people," Dhinagaran added.

"I think this is the first time that pamphlets welcoming Indians to the Thaipusam festival in Penang were distributed. I have never come across such a pamphlet during the reign of the BN."