GEORGE TOWN: Newly appointed Penang deputy chief minister II (DCM II) Jagdeep Singh Deo wants to shed the “old deputy CM’s image” by serving all, not just the Indian community and minority groups.
In an interview with FMT, Jagdeep said he intends to “refresh” the role of DCM II, and will bank on his experience as a two-term state executive councillor holding important portfolios, including that of housing and local government.
Jagdeep dismissed the notion that the post of DCM II should only be held by a member of the Tamil community.
He said although the role, conceptualised by his late father and DAP stalwart Karpal Singh, was to advance Indian interests, it was “never reserved for a Tamil alone”.
The fact remains that he is an Indian Malaysian, although of Punjabi descent, but cared for the affairs of all, regardless of their ethnic background, he said.
He described calls for the post to be given to a Tamil as “petty and racist”, and said those behind such calls should “stop stirring up a non-issue”.
“I’m here to serve all. Even under the 1906 Hindu Endowments Board Ordinance, if you look at the meaning of a Hindu, it includes Sikhs,” he said.
“India had a Sikh PM. Like Manmohan Singh, I have taken care of thousands of Hindu groups and I will continue to take care of them,” he said in the interview at his new 52nd floor office at Komtar overlooking the Penang strait.
Jagdeep’s predecessor, P Ramasamy, had reportedly said the DCM II’s primary role was to look after the interests of Tamils following the Hindraf rallies in 2008.
Moving forward, Jagdeep said he was elevated to the post due to his extensive experience as a two-term exco member.
He said that due to his seniority, he has been entrusted with with a supervisory role of all portfolios over and above his present portfolio of human resources, science and technology.
Jagdeep is the most senior exco member in the Penang government after chief minister Chow Kon Yeow.
“We are in the government together, we don’t work in silos. Decisions are made collectively by the executive council,” Jagdeep said.
He said he has his work cut out for him, having been entrusted with the task of moving Penang towards renewable energy by tapping into solar and wind energy. He also wants more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations set up.
He said Penang remains an ideal destination for EV car makers such as Tesla and BYD to assemble their vehicles, as the state has a vast talent pool in technology.
“We want to look at the bigger picture to make this happen. There are many ways to incentivise car makers to reduce the cost of doing business and also offer more affordable cars for the people.
“We are also aiming to have at least 1,000 public EV chargers in the nearest possible time. I also want to make it cheaper for Joe Public who wants to go green by giving incentives and subsidies for those who want to install solar panels or perhaps install EV chargers at home,” he said.
Looking back on how much he has achieved, Jagdeep said he wished Karpal was around to see his success.
“He had only one piece of advice for me, which was to work the hardest for the people, regardless of position. He would be happy to see where I am today and I miss him dearly,” he said. - FMT
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