George Town: Speculation is growing that changes may take place in the appointment of commissioners for the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) in July 2025. In this context, the board’s deputy chairman, Senator Dr. Lingeshwaran Arunasalam, has shared his views. He stated that the reappointment of both himself and PHEB chairman and member of Parliament for Jelutong RSN Rayer, is in the hands of the DAP leadership.
“I leave it entirely to the party leadership. Let the party decide whether my tenure should continue after July,” said Rayer, who is also the MP for Jelutong, in an interview with Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
Lingeshwaran, the board’s deputy chairman and a senator, also affirmed that the final decision rests with the party.
“As loyal members of DAP, we respect the leadership’s decision and will work towards the betterment of the community based on the party’s principles,” he added.
Meanwhile, former PHEB chairman Professor Dr. P. Ramasamy has urged the Penang government to proceed cautiously if it plans to change the board’s leadership. Ramasamy was also the deputy chief minister of Penang and during his tenure he held the position of PHEB chairman for 15 years.
Based on information he received, Ramasamy claimed that the state DAP, under the leadership of Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, is seriously considering the removal of both the chairman and deputy chairman of PHEB.
Currently, Rayer serves as the chairman of PHEB but recently failed to secure a position in DAP’s 30-member central executive committee during the party elections.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Jagdeep Singh Deo has expressed his willingness to take over the leadership of PHEB if necessary.
However, concerns have been raised regarding the legality of such an appointment. The 1906 ordinance that established the Penang Hindu Endowments Board legally includes Sikhs under the Hindu category. Nevertheless, some have questioned how a Sikh could be appointed as the head of the Penang Hindu Endowments Board.
There is also growing dissatisfaction among Indian members within DAP, particularly Tamils, over the perception that key positions meant for the Indian community continue to be monopolised by the family of the late Karpal Singh.
Although Karpal Singh was popular and well respected within the Malaysian Tamil community for his immense contributions, during his time, none of his family members were given prominent positions in the party or in parliament or state assemblies.
However, the situation is different today. While there is a growing call for Tamil cabinet minister to be appointed, Gobind Singh Deo continues as the only Indian cabinet minister in the present Madani unity government.
His brother Ram Karpal Singh is the MP from Penang while another brother Jagdeep Singh serves as a state assemblyman and deputy chief minister of Penang.
So, naturally there emerges voices of discontent, when speculations came about that Jagdeep would also be appointed as the chairman of PHEB.
With the position of PHEB chairman at stake now, many in the Hindu Tamil community feel sidelined, as it appears that another member from Karpal Singh’s family is being considered for the role, sparking further controversy.
