‘Guan Eng ignoring Indians’
A coalition of NGOs in Penang made demands to Lim Guan Eng to address problems plaguing the Indian community there
Athi Shankar, FMT
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.
