Shah Mat

How was this done from the factory? I assume this used to be black and one of the previous owners sprayed it white and filled in the holes where a nut would go? It seems too thin for a sheet metal screw.
When i got the boat, two screws were not in place and the third just spins like there is a frozen nut buried that is spinning with it.
I have the pad that snaps in place, but kind of like the looks without the three pads across the dash area.