[UPDATED] Irate mob causes ruckus at Penang Hindu Endowment Board presser

BUTTERWORTH – A scheduled press conference by the outgoing Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) executive director Datuk M. Ramachandran was disrupted by an angry mob here around 11am, forcing police to call in reinforcements.

As the media gathered at Ramachandran’s office in an industrial lot near the Chai Leng Park here, an irate mob, some claiming to be members of Pakatan Harapan, entered the room. 

Ramachandran is now allegedly embroiled in a dispute with Deputy Chief Minister P. Ramasamy over how the board was managed.

The mob then stormed in, asking what the objective of the media briefing was.

They refused to exit the room, saying that they, too, wanted to participate in the question-and-answer session, while they hurled verbal abuses at Ramachandran.

The media tried to persuade the group to leave, but to no avail.

Minutes later, police reinforcements arrived at the office to disperse the crowd gathered outside, but those inside refused to leave.

The situation was tense, but the group calmed down when police entered the room.

Ramachandran, who was accused of having an affair, was attacked by a group of assailants with parang, which left him seriously wounded last year.

Meanwhile, at a press conference held later, Ramachandran said he was fearful for his life, but would not be cowed into giving up his fight to expose alleged “irregularities” in the board here.

He told a one-hour press conference at the Pearl View Hotel here that Ramasamy began to disregard transparency and accountability regarding PHEB in 2018 when he signed off several questionable payments to a non-governmental organisation, a contractor and a few individuals.

Ramachandran had earlier denied claims by Ramasamy that a project was awarded to his son-in-law, saying it was unsubstantiated. 

“I may be the executive director, but I do not have any authority to award projects or to sign cheques. My authority was taken away until I could not even enter the office on weekends without seeking security approval. I also cannot approve annual leave.”

He also said that he has no authority to deal with money, that his role at the PHEB is strictly as an adviser, and that he has no veto power when he attends board meetings.

Yesterday, Ramasamy accused Ramachandran of abusing his powers at PHEB, and informed that an independent auditor would be appointed to oversee the board.

He (Ramasamy) also stressed that he has not done anything wrong, and was willing to be investigated.

Ramachandran also said that he has written to PHEB to accept their offer for him to retire at the end of this year, and he prefers to be paid in terms of his service fees rather than an ex gratia payment of RM50,000.

“I am fighting to clear my name and PHEB. Remember that I also have to deal with the auditors, who can spend weeks auditing the board. Hence, I need to ensure that we are transparent,” said Ramachandran. – The Vibes, December 10, 2022