Latest news with #PenangHinduAssociation
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
House discount cancelled
GEORGE TOWN: Two days after announcing a 5% discount for Indian Muslim homebuyers in Penang, the offer was rescinded in a state government U-turn. The proposal is now back on the drawing board after Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim raised the issue with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. Although the discount was intended to boost demand for unsold new properties in Penang, state MCA secretary Yeoh Chin Kah criticised the move as racially divisive. By offering the privilege only to Indian Muslims, Yeoh questioned whether it amounted to a new form of racial quota. 'The people of Penang cannot accept this policy and condemn it for dividing the races,' he said. Yeoh questioned why the Penang government could not base its housing policy on economic status rather than race and religion, expressing confusion that DAP, a party advocating for a 'Malaysian Malaysia', would introduce such a racially framed initiative. 'Don't low-income groups who are not Indian Muslims also need assistance? Shouldn't struggling families be treated equally and helped regardless of background?' he added. Penang Hindu Association president Datuk P. Murugiah said that if there is an overhang of properties in the state, offering a discount to only one ethnic group is unfair. 'The discount should be for all Penangites regardless of race, especially the B40 and M40 groups, with priority given to B40 families,' he said. Murugiah said the privilege should, rightly, even be extended to anyone born in Penang. Sim, in a statement yesterday announcing that Chow had agreed to suspend the discount offer pending a review by the state executive council, emphasised the importance of upholding social justice and ensuring every Malaysian's right to own a home. 'I take note of the public feedback regarding the 5% discount given to the Indian Muslim community only for the purchase of unsold (overhanging) new property units in Penang,' he said. Sim said he had discussed the matter with Chow, who agreed to bring it up for review and discussion at the upcoming state executive council meeting. About an hour earlier, state housing and environment committee chairman Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo had again announced that from June 1 this year until May 31 next year, developers would be encouraged to offer Indian Muslims who are first-time homebuyers a 5% discount. He first made the announcement on June 5. Sundarajoo said the decision was made during yesterday's meeting of the state executive council and the state planning committee meeting on Tuesday, following discussions with housing industry stakeholders. He added that the discount excludes bumiputra quota units and does not affect existing housing policies. The provision of the discount is based on developers' corporate social responsibility and does not involve financial support or subsidies from the state government. The provision of the discount relies on the corporate social responsibility of the developers and does not include any financial support or subsidies from the state government. Sundarajoo said that, based on the Penang Property Market Report for the fourth quarter of 2024 by the National Property Information Centre, 2,796 residential units have been identified as overhung, involving various property types across the state. He described the number of unsold new affordable housing units in Penang as worrying, adding that the discount was an intervention by the state to help revitalise the housing sector.
The Sun
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
B40 families receive aid via free groceries initiative
GEORGE TOWN: Since January, over 300 low-income and hardcore poor families across Penang and neighbouring regions have received grocery aid through the Penang Hindu Association (PHA) and Klinik Derma Sivasanta (KDS). On Wednesday, an aid distribution event was held at KDS in River Road, involving 60 families. Another 10 families who could not attend due to medical or caregiving responsibilities had the aid delivered to their homes. Since early this year, the two organisations have distributed grocery packages worth RM180 each to families in Penang Island, Butterworth, Prai, Sungai Bakap, Nibong Tebal, Simpang Ampat, Kulim and Ipoh. Each aid package includes more than 35 essential grocery items, vegetables, milk powder for children and senior citizens, diapers, health products, face masks and a vegetarian meal. The initiative is sustained entirely through public donations and support from several NGOs. PHA president Datuk P. Murugiah said the charity efforts were in response to the rising cost of living, inflation and concerns over job losses. 'Some families have had to borrow money just to buy food, medicine, milk for their children and even to pay for transport to school ,' he told theSun. Murugiah, who also coordinates operations at KDS, urged the government to carry out a comprehensive study on the current poverty situation. However, he pointed out that such conditions may not be fully visible through official statistics alone. Beyond food aid, the two entities have also extended support to bedridden individuals and those suffering from conditions such as cancer, stroke and kidney failure, by providing partial financial assistance to cover medical bills. Additionally, PHA supports underprivileged students by providing laptops and partially covering academic fees. More than 50 students have benefitted through the programme. 'None of this would be possible without the compassion and generosity of our donors,' Murugiah said. Established in 2012, PHA is a non-profit organisation committed to the welfare of underprivileged communities in Penang and neighbouring states. Over the years, it has been involved in community service initiatives, including funeral rites and cremation for unclaimed bodies from hospitals and care homes, providing vegetarian meals for senior citizens and assisting students in need. KDS, a charitable medical clinic founded in 1982 as a welfare wing of the Temple of Fine Arts, provides free medical care to the public, with a focus on serving the underprivileged. It has expanded its services to include a mobile medical unit for rural outreach and currently also offers free legal services to those in need. This grassroots effort, now in its 27th year, continues to provide a safety net for many urban poor families. According to a study by Unicef Malaysia in August 2024 involving 433 low-income households in Penang, 27.9% of respondents said they had to cut down on food due to financial constraints.
The Sun
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
PHA, KDS aid 300 low-income families across Penang in 2024
GEORGE TOWN: Since January, over 300 low-income and hardcore poor families across Penang and neighbouring regions have received grocery aid through the Penang Hindu Association (PHA) and Klinik Derma Sivasanta (KDS). On Wednesday, an aid distribution event was held at KDS in River Road, involving 60 families. Another 10 families who could not attend due to medical or caregiving responsibilities had the aid delivered to their homes. Since early this year, the two organisations have distributed grocery packages worth RM180 each to families in Penang Island, Butterworth, Prai, Sungai Bakap, Nibong Tebal, Simpang Ampat, Kulim and Ipoh. Each aid package includes more than 35 essential grocery items, vegetables, milk powder for children and senior citizens, diapers, health products, face masks and a vegetarian meal. The initiative is sustained entirely through public donations and support from several NGOs. PHA president Datuk P. Murugiah said the charity efforts were in response to the rising cost of living, inflation and concerns over job losses. 'Some families have had to borrow money just to buy food, medicine, milk for their children and even to pay for transport to school ,' he told theSun. Murugiah, who also coordinates operations at KDS, urged the government to carry out a comprehensive study on the current poverty situation. However, he pointed out that such conditions may not be fully visible through official statistics alone. Beyond food aid, the two entities have also extended support to bedridden individuals and those suffering from conditions such as cancer, stroke and kidney failure, by providing partial financial assistance to cover medical bills. Additionally, PHA supports underprivileged students by providing laptops and partially covering academic fees. More than 50 students have benefitted through the programme. 'None of this would be possible without the compassion and generosity of our donors,' Murugiah said. Established in 2012, PHA is a non-profit organisation committed to the welfare of underprivileged communities in Penang and neighbouring states. Over the years, it has been involved in community service initiatives, including funeral rites and cremation for unclaimed bodies from hospitals and care homes, providing vegetarian meals for senior citizens and assisting students in need. KDS, a charitable medical clinic founded in 1982 as a welfare wing of the Temple of Fine Arts, provides free medical care to the public, with a focus on serving the underprivileged. It has expanded its services to include a mobile medical unit for rural outreach and currently also offers free legal services to those in need. This grassroots effort, now in its 27th year, continues to provide a safety net for many urban poor families. According to a study by Unicef Malaysia in August 2024 involving 433 low-income households in Penang, 27.9% of respondents said they had to cut down on food due to financial constraints. For more information or to contribute, contact Murugiah at 016-444 9246.
