A coalition of NGOs in Penang made demands to Lim Guan Eng to address problems plaguing the Indian community there
GEORGE TOWN: A coalition of local NGOs here has called on the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to directly address Indian issues, inclusively and effectively in Penang.
Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations and Concerned Citizens on Indian Affairs in Penang chairman N Ganesan said Lim would never find permanent solutions for fundamental Indian issues in the state by sidetracking the problems.
He also reminded Lim that it was the social responsibility of his Pakatan Rakyat administration to resolve the Indian issues.
He said Lim should firstly set aside time to hear out lay Indian public views and opinions on arising matters pertaining to the community.
Secondly, he said the Chief Minister should forge close working ties with the coalition, representing 51 Indian-based NGOs and Hindu temples in Penang, to address and resolve the issues.
He said there were fundamental problems in the manner the Indian and Hindu social, political and economic issues being handled currently by the state government.
He said these were matters for the state government to deal with, not for Lim’s administration to delegate and relegate them to peripherally related agencies to handle them.
“Currently Lim had been viewing Indian issues narrowly.
“He ignores our requests to hear our views on various issues affecting the community
“He seems not to understand the fundamental dynamism of Indian issues in Penang.
“He also does not have time for us despite us requesting a meeting with him three times,” lamented Ganesan at a press conference here today.
Also present were coalition members V Nandakumar, SV Manimaran, P Janarthan and P Asokan.
For instance, he said the issue of Hindu burial ground and crematorium in Batu Lanchang was yet to see any positive resolution because Lim had not found the time to hear the coalition’s petition.
Demands in the petition
The coalition submitted the petition to the Chief Minister’s Office this morning.
Ganesan said demands in the petition were minimum social responsibilities and costs for the state government.
Among the coalition’s demands are:
1)The current two cremation incinerators must be restored to operating conditions with the necessary statutory compliance achieved.
2)Competent personnel need to be appointed to manage, operate and maintain the facility.
3)The management of the crematorium has to be consolidated with the appointment of competent and experienced manager.
4)Independent continuous audits of the management and technical aspects need to be performed by reputable audit firms and the reports of each audit to be made public.
5)The state government needs to provide financial and other necessary resources and expertise for the request we have set forth above.
6)On successful implementation of the items above for the Batu Lanchang crematorium, it is the desire of the Indian community that another similar crematorium be set up at a suitable site on the mainland. The Indian population in the 55-95 years segment is expected to triple in 20 years’ time and much of this growth is expected to happen on the mainland.
“We are interested in achieving a sound and amicable solution to the matters.
“We have been very patient with him and had given him almost three months to respond but he responded by deflecting and ignoring our requests.
“His disregard for the seriousness of the matter and towards representatives of the Indian community of Penang is in stark contrast to his otherwise daily rhetoric of inclusiveness.
“Given this, we cannot help but conclude that the Malaysian Malaysia of DAP was nothing more than just another political perversion,” said Ganesan.
GEORGE TOWN: A coalition of local NGOs here has called on the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to directly address Indian issues, inclusively and effectively in Penang.Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations and Concerned Citizens on Indian Affairs in Penang chairman N Ganesan said Lim would never find permanent solutions for fundamental Indian issues in the state by sidetracking the problems.
He also reminded Lim that it was the social responsibility of his Pakatan Rakyat administration to resolve the Indian issues.
He said Lim should firstly set aside time to hear out lay Indian public views and opinions on arising matters pertaining to the community.
Secondly, he said the Chief Minister should forge close working ties with the coalition, representing 51 Indian-based NGOs and Hindu temples in Penang, to address and resolve the issues.
He said there were fundamental problems in the manner the Indian and Hindu social, political and economic issues being handled currently by the state government.
He said these were matters for the state government to deal with, not for Lim’s administration to delegate and relegate them to peripherally related agencies to handle them.
“Currently Lim had been viewing Indian issues narrowly.
“He ignores our requests to hear our views on various issues affecting the community
“He seems not to understand the fundamental dynamism of Indian issues in Penang.
“He also does not have time for us despite us requesting a meeting with him three times,” lamented Ganesan at a press conference here today.
Also present were coalition members V Nandakumar, SV Manimaran, P Janarthan and P Asokan.
For instance, he said the issue of Hindu burial ground and crematorium in Batu Lanchang was yet to see any positive resolution because Lim had not found the time to hear the coalition’s petition.
Demands in the petition
The coalition submitted the petition to the Chief Minister’s Office this morning.
Ganesan said demands in the petition were minimum social responsibilities and costs for the state government.
Among the coalition’s demands are:
1)The current two cremation incinerators must be restored to operating conditions with the necessary statutory compliance achieved.
2)Competent personnel need to be appointed to manage, operate and maintain the facility.
3)The management of the crematorium has to be consolidated with the appointment of competent and experienced manager.
4)Independent continuous audits of the management and technical aspects need to be performed by reputable audit firms and the reports of each audit to be made public.
5)The state government needs to provide financial and other necessary resources and expertise for the request we have set forth above.
6)On successful implementation of the items above for the Batu Lanchang crematorium, it is the desire of the Indian community that another similar crematorium be set up at a suitable site on the mainland. The Indian population in the 55-95 years segment is expected to triple in 20 years’ time and much of this growth is expected to happen on the mainland.
“We are interested in achieving a sound and amicable solution to the matters.
“We have been very patient with him and had given him almost three months to respond but he responded by deflecting and ignoring our requests.
“His disregard for the seriousness of the matter and towards representatives of the Indian community of Penang is in stark contrast to his otherwise daily rhetoric of inclusiveness.
“Given this, we cannot help but conclude that the Malaysian Malaysia of DAP was nothing more than just another political perversion,” said Ganesan.
No comments:
Post a Comment