BUKIT MERTAJAM – Penang Hindu Endowment Board executive director Datuk M. Ramachandran was slashed outside his house in Alma here at about 9.45pm last night.
He was rushed to the Bukit Mertajam Hospital emergency ward and is now seriously injured according to people close to the matter.
Neighbours said four men arrived outside his house and slashed him with parangs and fled the scene.
Seberang Prai Tengah district police are said to have narrowed down a list of suspects.
The matter is still under investigation and a motive for the attack is yet to be determined.
The board had completed its online board meeting yesterday before Ramachandran went to pick up his granddaughter from her tuition class.
The 70-year-old was returning home to Alma around 7pm when he was set upon by a group of men.
Ramachandran is now at Seberang Jaya Hospital where he remains under observation.
Meanwhile, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy who chairs the board, said that he rushed to the hospital to see Ramachandran when he was notified of the attack.
“The first thing he muttered to me (at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital) was whether he was attacked. I told him unfortunately yes and told him to rest and recover.”
He added that the police are trying to finalising a list of suspects to investigate.
State exco member Jagdeep Singh Deo hopes that the police will bring the perpetrators to justice soon, adding that he wishes Ramachandran a speedy recovery.
Gerakan vice-president Datuk Baljit Singh also conveyed his best wishes, saying that nobody should resort to violence to settle any dispute.
Ramachandran, a former unionist, is the leading figure of the board for close to a decade due to his role as chief executive officer.
The board oversees the administration of Hindu temples in Penang, religious needs of the community and the education needs of Tamil vernacular schools. – The Vibes, July 24, 2021
Additional reporting by Ian McIntyre
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