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S T Rajagopal Thandonee
8 hrs ·
PAST story from the PRESS (8): APPOINTMENT SYSTEM STAYS. (The Star 28.06.1998).
Malacca will not allow Portuguese to elect headman.
By A. Letchumanan
MALACCA: The state government has no plans to allow the 1,000-strong Portuguese community in Ujong Pasir here to elect its own regedor (headman).
State Human Resource and Health committee chairman Datuk Wira Gan Boon Leong said it had been the policy of the state to appoint headman , just as in the case of sidang (head of the traditional village)
“The post of regedor in the settlement has been designated, equivalent to a sidang since the early 1990s and we will continue with the tradition of appointing suitable persons,” he told The Star.
Gan was commenting on call by the Regedor’s Panel and the Fishermen’s Action Committee , two groups representing the community , to have an election to decide on the new headman.
The present regedor Michael Young tendered his resignation last year after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60 but was asked to continue until this year.
The panel which comprises 14 members appointed by Young proposed fisherman Peter Gomez as the replacement but his candidacy has not been confirmed by the state.
The community use to elect their own regedor but this practice was stopped after the state decided in the early 1990s to appoint the leader.
Malacca Portuguese-Eurasian Association vice-president Michael G. Singho said the community had a high perception of regedor, who is suppose to be its cultural and ethnic head.
“The regedeor sits at the highest strata of the social-cultural structure of the Portuguese community and his approval is needed for application by the community for Amanah Saham Nasional and Amanah Saham Bumiputra,” he said.
Singho said that if the call for an election was not heeded, the Malacca Portuguese would be reduced to mere bystanders and the regedor would be perceived as a representative to the community and not of the community.
“Only with an election will the creditably and traditional reverence of the regedor be upheld and maintained,”he said.
Gan said the community need not worry as the papers on the appointment of Peter Gomez were being prepared by the Melaka Tengah District Officer.
“There is no hitch in the appointment and we hope to make a formal announcement on it soon,” he said.- fb posting 11.09.2014.
Note: After Michael Young, who was elected as the Regedor by the residents in 1974, retired in 1998, Peter Gomez was appointed as the Regedor by the state.
The practice of appointing a headman by the state continues till today.
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Michael Young, elected regedor who retired in 1998. Phoyo: S.T. RajagopalMichael Young, elected regedor who retired in 1998. Phoyo: S.T. Rajagopal
Peter Gomez who was appointed by the state in 1998, replacing Michael Young. Photo: S.T. Rajagopal.Peter Gomez who was appointed by the state in 1998, replacing Michael Young. Photo: S.T. Rajagopal.
Michael G. Singho. Wanted an elected regedor. Photo: S.T. Rajagopal.Michael G. Singho. Wanted an elected regedor. Photo: S.T. Rajagopal.
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