A group in support of the HEB takeover of the old Batu Kawan cemetery was met with resistance from another set of people supporting a Hindu temple's ownership of the cemetery.
Supporters of Penang Hindu Endowment Board
BATU KAWAN: A peaceful demonstration this morning in show of support for the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) takeover of a Hindu cemetery near Batu Kawan stadium nearly turned ugly when rival groups began a shouting match against each other.
Things nearly turned out of control when a local temple group arrived at the scene to stop the pro-HEB group demonstration, which began at 10am.
Only swift intervention by police personnel from the Seberang Perai Selatan district managed to thwart any untoward incident between the two groups.
The irony was the rival groups involved two brothers, elder A Nallakumar and younger A Kumaravel, at the helm of opposing sides.
The almost one hour commotion was then peacefully dispersed by the police.
In support of DCM ll P Ramasamy
It all started when a pro-HEB group of some 100 people, who also supporters of Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, erected a canopy, demonstrated and displayed banners near the cemetery to show support to the HEB take over.
Ramasamy had revealed last Tuesday that the HEB, which he chairs, plans to take over ownership and management of the cemetery.
The Prai assemblyman and Batu Kawan MP claimed that the cemetery was abandoned and left to rot by its previous owner, a Hindu temple in Ladang Batu Kawan, Sri Maha Muthu Mariamman Kovil management committee.
The pro-Ramasamy group was led by Batu Kawan village safety and development committee chairman G Dumani and Kumaravel, a local resident.
Also in the group were DAP councillor in the mainland municipality (MPSP) Teoh Seang Hooi and Ramasamy’s political aide Sateesh Muniandy.
War of words
The other group
While some of the demonstrators took turns to speak on a loud hailer, the rival group led by the temple chairman Nallakumar and local IPF leader MV Mathialagan arrived at the scene at 10.30am with their own 100 supporters.
They instantly demanded the pro-Ramasamy group to dismantle their canopy and ‘disappear’ from the place.
This sparked a war of words and there were some pushing and shoving among rival supporters before police managed to split and disperse both groups.
Nallakumar later lodged a police report at the Batu Kawan police station at 5pm. When contacted Sateesh said the pro-Ramasamy group did not lodge any report.
Ramasamy has previously claimed that the temple had abandoned the cemetery after receiving a new two-acre burial land, some two kilometers away, as compensation from the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) to facilitate the stadium development years back.
He also said the HEB would only need to fork RM1 to acquire the land, unlike the temple committee which would need millions of ringgit to do so.
Nallakumar however, dismissed Ramasamy’s claims, insisting that the cemetery was always under the temple ownership and it was never abandoned.
He claimed that PDC had given back the cemetery to the temple after originally acquiring it following mass protest by the local residents.
“This happened during the previous Barisan Nasional administration in 1990s.
“We have been using the cemetery until before the last election when we began to use the newly allotted cemetery land,” he said.
Following Pakatan Rakyat takeover of the state government, he said the temple committee requested a RM300,000-state fund from Ramasamy to reconstruct the landscape and beautify the cemetery.
However, he said Ramasamy until today had not responded to it.
Documentary proof of ownership
'Cemetery belongs to the temple'
He said the temple committee was infuriated by Ramasamy’s autocratic style of trying to bulldoze his way to take over the cemetery without any discussions with the temple committee.
“Suddenly he wants to take over the cemetery when he could have provided us the fund to upgrade the cemetery,” said Nallakumar.
Last Sunday, Nallakumar and Mathialagan led some 100 people to protest against the HEB’s proposed takeover.
Nallakumar said the Ladang Batu Kawan cemetery started during the British colonial days in 1817 and contained some 1,800 deceased burial grounds.
‘We have all the documented proofs to show the temple committee is the owner of the cemetery.
“HEB has no rights over our land,” insisted Nallakumar.
Ramasamy’s cemetery plan was also criticised by the Human Rights Party (HRP) on Friday.
Citing Section 94 of the Local Government Act 1976, HRP pointed out that it was incumbent on the local council MPSP, and not the HEB, to gazette, manage and maintain the burial grounds
Supporters of Penang Hindu Endowment BoardBATU KAWAN: A peaceful demonstration this morning in show of support for the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) takeover of a Hindu cemetery near Batu Kawan stadium nearly turned ugly when rival groups began a shouting match against each other.
Things nearly turned out of control when a local temple group arrived at the scene to stop the pro-HEB group demonstration, which began at 10am.
Only swift intervention by police personnel from the Seberang Perai Selatan district managed to thwart any untoward incident between the two groups.
The irony was the rival groups involved two brothers, elder A Nallakumar and younger A Kumaravel, at the helm of opposing sides.
The almost one hour commotion was then peacefully dispersed by the police.
In support of DCM ll P Ramasamy
It all started when a pro-HEB group of some 100 people, who also supporters of Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, erected a canopy, demonstrated and displayed banners near the cemetery to show support to the HEB take over.Ramasamy had revealed last Tuesday that the HEB, which he chairs, plans to take over ownership and management of the cemetery.
The Prai assemblyman and Batu Kawan MP claimed that the cemetery was abandoned and left to rot by its previous owner, a Hindu temple in Ladang Batu Kawan, Sri Maha Muthu Mariamman Kovil management committee.
The pro-Ramasamy group was led by Batu Kawan village safety and development committee chairman G Dumani and Kumaravel, a local resident.
Also in the group were DAP councillor in the mainland municipality (MPSP) Teoh Seang Hooi and Ramasamy’s political aide Sateesh Muniandy.
War of words
The other groupWhile some of the demonstrators took turns to speak on a loud hailer, the rival group led by the temple chairman Nallakumar and local IPF leader MV Mathialagan arrived at the scene at 10.30am with their own 100 supporters.
They instantly demanded the pro-Ramasamy group to dismantle their canopy and ‘disappear’ from the place.
This sparked a war of words and there were some pushing and shoving among rival supporters before police managed to split and disperse both groups.
Nallakumar later lodged a police report at the Batu Kawan police station at 5pm. When contacted Sateesh said the pro-Ramasamy group did not lodge any report.
Ramasamy has previously claimed that the temple had abandoned the cemetery after receiving a new two-acre burial land, some two kilometers away, as compensation from the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) to facilitate the stadium development years back.
He also said the HEB would only need to fork RM1 to acquire the land, unlike the temple committee which would need millions of ringgit to do so.
Nallakumar however, dismissed Ramasamy’s claims, insisting that the cemetery was always under the temple ownership and it was never abandoned.
He claimed that PDC had given back the cemetery to the temple after originally acquiring it following mass protest by the local residents.
“This happened during the previous Barisan Nasional administration in 1990s.
“We have been using the cemetery until before the last election when we began to use the newly allotted cemetery land,” he said.
Following Pakatan Rakyat takeover of the state government, he said the temple committee requested a RM300,000-state fund from Ramasamy to reconstruct the landscape and beautify the cemetery.
However, he said Ramasamy until today had not responded to it.
Documentary proof of ownership
'Cemetery belongs to the temple'He said the temple committee was infuriated by Ramasamy’s autocratic style of trying to bulldoze his way to take over the cemetery without any discussions with the temple committee.
“Suddenly he wants to take over the cemetery when he could have provided us the fund to upgrade the cemetery,” said Nallakumar.
Last Sunday, Nallakumar and Mathialagan led some 100 people to protest against the HEB’s proposed takeover.
Nallakumar said the Ladang Batu Kawan cemetery started during the British colonial days in 1817 and contained some 1,800 deceased burial grounds.
‘We have all the documented proofs to show the temple committee is the owner of the cemetery.
“HEB has no rights over our land,” insisted Nallakumar.
Ramasamy’s cemetery plan was also criticised by the Human Rights Party (HRP) on Friday.
Citing Section 94 of the Local Government Act 1976, HRP pointed out that it was incumbent on the local council MPSP, and not the HEB, to gazette, manage and maintain the burial grounds
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