FORMER Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy is expected to be charged tomorrow at the Butterworth Sessions Court for alleged corruption.
Ramasamy becomes the first official in the DAP - led state government of 2008 - 2023 to face a corruption charge.
Now, the leader of an Indian-based party - Urimai after quitting DAP in 2023, Ramasamy, aged 76, is also the first ever top public executive to be charged in Penang.
Ramasamy was instructed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to appear at the MACC headquarters in Penang here.
Upon his arrival, he was informed that he would be charged at the Butterworth Sessions Court under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009, said Urimai Interim Council Secretary M. Satees in a statement.
"We believe the charges are linked to the procurement of the Golden Chariot in 2017 and welfare assistance distributed to the public through the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB).
“These matters have repeatedly been used by detractors to discredit Ramasamy since 2017 and were long ago brought to the attention of the MACC," said Satees.
Satees claimed that the charges were clearly politically motivated.
"We are aware that certain DAP leaders have been persistently lobbying the MACC to pursue this case.
“With Indian voters increasingly distancing themselves from so - called multiracial parties like PKR and DAP, it appears that the Madani (national unity) government feels compelled to silence dissenting voices."
Ramasamy and Urimai will fight these allegations in a court of law, and the party believes the truth will ultimately prevail, said Satees. – May 13, 2025
