Oct 07 2008
Big trouble in Ipoh Little india
I don’t know what to say. Maybe have to bang my head on the wall!!! Small town like Ipoh also getting bad name no thanks to politicians.
The city’s Little India is shaping out to be a battle scene for two political parties fighting for the right to hold their own grand Deepavali celebration.
Perak executive councillor A. Sivanesan from Pakatan Rakyat is crossing swords with an equally determined Perak MIC chairman Datuk G. Rajoo over the matter.
Sivanesan said the state government rejected Rajoo’s application yesterday to hold the celebration in Little India as the Ipoh Barat MIC had been organising the event over many years “to make profits.” Rajoo is Ipoh Barat chairman.
He added that Pakatan planned to organise the annual event this time with the backing and participation of local hawkers, businessmen and organisations.
“We have received complaints from traders that, in the past, Ipoh Barat MIC never involved the public when organising the celebration.
“This time the community will decide with Pakatan on how the celebration should be done,” he told reporters at the state secretariat yesterday.
Sivanesan, who is also state Health, Environment and Human Resources Committee chairman, accused the MIC of making profit from the festival through sales of trading lots.
“But we (Pakatan) are not doing it to make money. As a veteran politician, Rajoo should understand that the final decision is in the hands of the state executive council,” he said.
A defiant Rajoo, however, said Ipoh Barat MIC would carry on with its preparations for the Deepavali celebration, which they had been doing for the past 16 years, as they were doing it legally.
He said they had received approval in May from the Ipoh City Council for the week-long celebration.
“We paid RM2,770 for the lots and we were issued an official receipt. We’ve even received payment for 83 stalls,” he said, adding that the state government was being unfair and that Sivanesan should not have meddled as the council was an independent body.
Rajoo also denied that MIC made a profit from the event, adding that the party had even subsidised the traders.
issues:
1. profit. MIC says no profit but actually gives subsidy. state says MIC makes profit.
- very easy. MIC can expose how much it charges per lot. By right, they paid RM2770 (total or per day?) to Ipoh city council, and created 83 lots. That means a lot is only RM876.75. So, if the charge is extra RM50 for electricity, water, and miscellaneous expenses, still OK. Of course, they have to show last year’s records as well. Then we can know who is lying.
2. public. state plans to involve community and alleges MIC never did so.
- This is publicity stunt. Obviously Pakatan will get feedback from all quarters, especially the business community and perhaps many “new” Pakatan supporters will try their luck. The community was with MIC previously so can get something, now the community sway towards Pakatan…also hoping to get something.
3. legality. MIC already have approval from city council, but state government rejected it.
- This is critical issue. Is this interference by state government? Who has the legality to approve or reject the application? Can MIC sue the council?
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Poobalan
I think you are missing the bigger issue and get lost in details.
I don’t think PR govt or Siavanesan should prevent anyone from organising any events for the benefit of the community, as long it is legal and has the necessary approvals.
By trying to get the event banned, Sivanesan trying to be petty and vindictive and also shows a worrying abuse of power, the same offense that PR accused BN previously.
If MBI has given approval, why the state exco is over-turning it ? Don’t they have better things to do ? Isn’t this an abuse of executive power ?
In all my years, I have never seen any Deepavali function been banned and PR has now started a precedent that will have negative repercussion later on. This is gutter politics at its worst….
At the end of the day, the losers are the community.
[Reply]
poobalan reply on October 8th, 2008:
That’s my point number 3 - legality. i said it is critical
[Reply]