MIC president S Samy Vellu has two honourable options left over the recent Hindu Rights Actions Force (Hindraf) demonstration - and one of them is for him to step down. This is the view of Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang in a statement today advising Samy to admit his failures as the Indian party president in the past 28 years and submit his resignation.
Another option suggested by Lim is for Samy Vellu to get the cabinet and Parliament to concede the legitimacy of the ‘grievances, frustrations and unhappiness’ of the Malaysian Indians. “(Adopt) a new national policy on a new deal to end the marginalisation of the Indian community, failing which, he should resign as MIC president and cabinet minister for three decades of failure to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Indians,” he said. The criticism comes after Samy’s decision to set up a special committee to analyse and address socio-economic problems faced by the Indian community after meeting premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi two days ago.
Another letdown“The PM (in) kicking the ball back to the MIC to set up another committee on the plight of Indians is a great letdown [...] is further proof of the advanced denial syndrome of the Barisan Nasional government,” he stated. The DAP supremo stated further that “the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration was a public vote of no confidence in Samy for his failure in the past three decades to check and reverse the relentless marginalisation of Indians into a new underclass in the country”.
The Ipoh Timur parliamentarian also said the government has adopted the two worst possible responses to the Hindraf demonstration that is impervious and insensitive to those who took part in it. “Firstly, organisers and supporters of the Hindraf demonstration are being persecuted and prosecuted. “Secondly, asking the MIC to set up another committee after three decades of neglect and marginalisation of the Indian community is no different from dismissing or treating flippantly the root causes of the Hindraf demonstration,” he asserted. Last Sunday, about 30,000 people - mostly Indian Malaysians - gathered at Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur to participate in a rally organised by Hindraf to submit a memorandum to the British High Commission. The authorities had denied a permit for the rally and obtained a rare court order restraining the public from taking part. The police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Be more concerned Lim pointed out that the situation as such as been vindicated in a letter written by Penang state executive councillor Dr Toh Kin Woon to Malaysiakini yesterday.Toh said the government should, instead of condemning the rallies, be more concerned over the grievances, frustrations and disappointments that have brought thousands to the streets. He also criticised the move by BN leaders to chastise backbencher K Devamany for taking a divergent stand on Hindraf. “The message sent seems to be that all BN elected representatives are expected to be meek and passive followers of the views of their leaders and that no space is provided for independent views, including those articulated by the larger civil society,” the Gerakan politician said.
Friday, November 30, 2007
MIC's new approach on community woes
The MIC will be setting up a special committee and a call centre soon to help the Indian community to overcome its woes. According to a Bernama report, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has asked MIC to form a special committee to prepare a complete report on demands by the Indian community as a follow-up to the party's proposals in June. The news agency quoted MIC president S Samy Vellu as saying that the directive followed a meeting with Abdullah on Wednesday. "The committee was asked to study the proposals in the report titled "New Mechanism for the Indian Community" presented to the Prime Minister in June," said Samy Vellu. Samy Vellu, who is also the works minister, added that Abdullah sympathised with the MIC's requests and promised to study them. "However, he asked the special committee to put in new proposals." The new proposals include data on non-Bumiputeras in the public sector, posts and vacancies at the federal, state and local authority-level, and giving priority to recruiting non-Bumiputeras in areas where they have high population concentration in sectors like welfare, education, health and youth.
On the call centre proposal, Samy Vellu said the hotline would enable the public to channel their problems to the party. He said issues such as temples and Tamil schools could be made known to the party through the call centre. "The MIC is a responsible party which represents the Indian community and has the social, moral and political obligations to protect the interest of Indians. "It will continue to struggle for the betterment of the Indian community so that they can progress together with the other communities towards achieving the objectives of Vision 2020," he added in the Bernama report. Seeking compensation MIC and Samy Vellu has come under strenuous pressure following the gathering of some 30,000 Indians in the streets of Kuala Lumpur last Sunday in a Hindraf-organised rally to highlight the marginalisation of the Indian community. It was the largest gathering of the Indian community in this country and according to analysts, their defiant stand to take part in the rally - which had been declared illegal by the authorities - only underlined their frustrations of being sidelined. The police had to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd which brought the busy Jalan Ampang stretch to a standstill for almost six hours.
In a related development, the government said it would be demanding compensation for damage to public property from leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) and those involved in its illegal demonstrations.
Deputy Internal Security Minister Mohd Johari Baharom said the ministry and police were estimating the damage to public property and other losses caused by the demonstrators. "The amount of losses will be conveyed to the Hindraf leaders and others involved," he was quoted as saying in Bernama. "They also have to pay for the cost of equipment that the police had to use to quell Sunday's illegal demonstrations. The government will not allow them to escape paying."
On the call centre proposal, Samy Vellu said the hotline would enable the public to channel their problems to the party. He said issues such as temples and Tamil schools could be made known to the party through the call centre. "The MIC is a responsible party which represents the Indian community and has the social, moral and political obligations to protect the interest of Indians. "It will continue to struggle for the betterment of the Indian community so that they can progress together with the other communities towards achieving the objectives of Vision 2020," he added in the Bernama report. Seeking compensation MIC and Samy Vellu has come under strenuous pressure following the gathering of some 30,000 Indians in the streets of Kuala Lumpur last Sunday in a Hindraf-organised rally to highlight the marginalisation of the Indian community. It was the largest gathering of the Indian community in this country and according to analysts, their defiant stand to take part in the rally - which had been declared illegal by the authorities - only underlined their frustrations of being sidelined. The police had to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd which brought the busy Jalan Ampang stretch to a standstill for almost six hours.
In a related development, the government said it would be demanding compensation for damage to public property from leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) and those involved in its illegal demonstrations.
Deputy Internal Security Minister Mohd Johari Baharom said the ministry and police were estimating the damage to public property and other losses caused by the demonstrators. "The amount of losses will be conveyed to the Hindraf leaders and others involved," he was quoted as saying in Bernama. "They also have to pay for the cost of equipment that the police had to use to quell Sunday's illegal demonstrations. The government will not allow them to escape paying."
Malaysia incident figures in Parliament
NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha was adjourned for a short period, even as the Rajya Sabha witnessed a charged discussion on the alleged ill-treatment of Indians in Malaysia.
While Speaker Somnath Chatterjee refused to allow much of what transpired to go on record, stating that it was not right for such a message to go out from the House against another country, the matter was raised in considerable detail in the Upper House.
In the Lok Sabha, the issue was raised by S.K. Karventhan (Congress). Pointing out that the Indian community, comprising mainly Tamils, had been living in Malaysia for several decades, he sought to go into the details of what happened in Kuala Lumpur on November 26. However, the Speaker intervened, urging him not to get into details.
While fellow members from Tamil Nadu and others who had given notice were allowed to associate with Mr. Karventhan, the insistence of the Bharatiya Janata Party to speak on the subject held up the proceedings.
With the BJP refusing to yield, Mr. Chatterjee ordered that the television coverage be switched off, and adjourned the House for 30 minutes. Seek statement
In the Rajya Sabha, members sought immediate intervention by the Centre and a statement from the External Affairs Ministry. Raising the matter, T. Siva (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) deplored the action of the Malaysian government against the ethnic Tamils, who were demanding equal rights. The authorities were not addressing their problems, he said.
D. Raja (CPI) said though 8 per cent of the Malaysian population was of Indian origin, they were not enjoying equal rights. They were being discriminated against, and this led to protests, which he said, were peaceful.
Referring to India’s good relations with Malaysia, he said the government should act with a sense of urgency and take up the issue at the appropriate level.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking him to take up the matter with that country.
Mr. Raja was joined by Congress Chief Whip V. Narayanasamy and K. Malaisamy (All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) in expressing concern.
Sharing the sentiments of the House, Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan said the government would definitely take note of it.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachouri said he would convey the feelings of the House to the External Affairs Minister. If possible, the government would come out with a statement.
While Speaker Somnath Chatterjee refused to allow much of what transpired to go on record, stating that it was not right for such a message to go out from the House against another country, the matter was raised in considerable detail in the Upper House.
In the Lok Sabha, the issue was raised by S.K. Karventhan (Congress). Pointing out that the Indian community, comprising mainly Tamils, had been living in Malaysia for several decades, he sought to go into the details of what happened in Kuala Lumpur on November 26. However, the Speaker intervened, urging him not to get into details.
While fellow members from Tamil Nadu and others who had given notice were allowed to associate with Mr. Karventhan, the insistence of the Bharatiya Janata Party to speak on the subject held up the proceedings.
With the BJP refusing to yield, Mr. Chatterjee ordered that the television coverage be switched off, and adjourned the House for 30 minutes. Seek statement
In the Rajya Sabha, members sought immediate intervention by the Centre and a statement from the External Affairs Ministry. Raising the matter, T. Siva (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) deplored the action of the Malaysian government against the ethnic Tamils, who were demanding equal rights. The authorities were not addressing their problems, he said.
D. Raja (CPI) said though 8 per cent of the Malaysian population was of Indian origin, they were not enjoying equal rights. They were being discriminated against, and this led to protests, which he said, were peaceful.
Referring to India’s good relations with Malaysia, he said the government should act with a sense of urgency and take up the issue at the appropriate level.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking him to take up the matter with that country.
Mr. Raja was joined by Congress Chief Whip V. Narayanasamy and K. Malaisamy (All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) in expressing concern.
Sharing the sentiments of the House, Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan said the government would definitely take note of it.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachouri said he would convey the feelings of the House to the External Affairs Minister. If possible, the government would come out with a statement.
MK joins issue with Malaysia's remarks
Chennai, Nov 29: Joining issue with a senior Malaysian minister who asked him to "lay off" from the happenings in his country, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said it was his "duty" to "defend" Tamils and he was prepared to accept any "punishment" for doing so.
Karunanidhi when asked for his response to comments by Nazri Aziz, a minister in the Malaysian Prime Minister's department, said he had done his duty as Chief Minister to request Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take action to mitigate the "sufferings of Tamils in Malaysia." "If there is any punishment for doing the duty, I am prepared to accept it," he said.
The DMK supremo also made it clear he did not criticise the Malaysian government.
Asked if he had to say anything to Aziz for the harsh comments that he should mind his business , Karunanidhi said "I don't want to reply to his (Aziz) remarks. I don't want to get into a tit-for-tat. It is my duty to defend Tamils." On Tuesday, Karunanidhi wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking the Centre to take appropriate action to end the "sufferings" of Tamils in Malaysia.
He said he was very much pained at the way in which Tamils in Kuala Lumpur were treated by Malaysian police on November 25 when they had organised a protest rally there.
Aziz was quoted by the Malaysian media as saying:"His (Karunanidhi) place is in Tamil Nadu, not Malaysia. He should worry about his own state. His own state has got problems." "This has got nothing to do with him ... Lay off," he said.
Karunanidhi's daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi said the recent events involving ethnic Tamils in Kuala Lumpur caused a "lot of conern" because they have been treated "very badly." (Agencies)
Karunanidhi when asked for his response to comments by Nazri Aziz, a minister in the Malaysian Prime Minister's department, said he had done his duty as Chief Minister to request Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take action to mitigate the "sufferings of Tamils in Malaysia." "If there is any punishment for doing the duty, I am prepared to accept it," he said.
The DMK supremo also made it clear he did not criticise the Malaysian government.
Asked if he had to say anything to Aziz for the harsh comments that he should mind his business , Karunanidhi said "I don't want to reply to his (Aziz) remarks. I don't want to get into a tit-for-tat. It is my duty to defend Tamils." On Tuesday, Karunanidhi wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking the Centre to take appropriate action to end the "sufferings" of Tamils in Malaysia.
He said he was very much pained at the way in which Tamils in Kuala Lumpur were treated by Malaysian police on November 25 when they had organised a protest rally there.
Aziz was quoted by the Malaysian media as saying:"His (Karunanidhi) place is in Tamil Nadu, not Malaysia. He should worry about his own state. His own state has got problems." "This has got nothing to do with him ... Lay off," he said.
Karunanidhi's daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi said the recent events involving ethnic Tamils in Kuala Lumpur caused a "lot of conern" because they have been treated "very badly." (Agencies)
GOPIO Press Statement
New York: The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International) has slammed the Malaysian government for targeting Indian minority in the country and urged India among other countries to take remedial measures.
The organisation has criticised the Malaysian government of “depriving it (Indian community) of its lawful rights and pursuit of livelihood in peaceful coexistence with other groups in the country.”
In a statement, the organisation’s president, Inder Singh, expressed “grave concern” over the Malaysian government trying to deny the fundamental rights of the ethnic Indian minority and urged it to take immediate steps to halt such actions.
The statement comes with reference to the incident of police using teargas and water cannons to break up a banned rally by about 10,000 ethnic Indians who were protesting government discrimination against minorities on November 25.
Mr. Singh has also urged India, Untied States and Britain to make the government take prompt remedial measures.
The government action, Mr. Singh said, was in violation of universally accepted norms of human rights and of civil society.
The GOPIO International said it supported all efforts for fair and equal treatment of all citizens of a country, especially one with a significant population of people of Indian origin. — PTI
The organisation has criticised the Malaysian government of “depriving it (Indian community) of its lawful rights and pursuit of livelihood in peaceful coexistence with other groups in the country.”
In a statement, the organisation’s president, Inder Singh, expressed “grave concern” over the Malaysian government trying to deny the fundamental rights of the ethnic Indian minority and urged it to take immediate steps to halt such actions.
The statement comes with reference to the incident of police using teargas and water cannons to break up a banned rally by about 10,000 ethnic Indians who were protesting government discrimination against minorities on November 25.
Mr. Singh has also urged India, Untied States and Britain to make the government take prompt remedial measures.
The government action, Mr. Singh said, was in violation of universally accepted norms of human rights and of civil society.
The GOPIO International said it supported all efforts for fair and equal treatment of all citizens of a country, especially one with a significant population of people of Indian origin. — PTI
Need Donors - Hindraf Supporters
114 supporters of HINDRAF require bail at RM3,000 per person.
This comes to a total of RM342,000. If you are able and prepared to help, even if it is just RM10.00,
Please contact:1) Mr. Vasan at 019-371-84512) Ganabathy Rau at 012-286-1776
Or bank in the amount into the account of HINDRAF ENTERPRISERHB Bank account number 21409900063168
This comes to a total of RM342,000. If you are able and prepared to help, even if it is just RM10.00,
Please contact:1) Mr. Vasan at 019-371-84512) Ganabathy Rau at 012-286-1776
Or bank in the amount into the account of HINDRAF ENTERPRISERHB Bank account number 21409900063168
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Nazri to Tamil Nadu CM - butt out!
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz has warned Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi not to interfere in Malaysian politics. At a press conference in the Parliament lobby, Nazri said Karunanidhi should "look at his own backyard" before interfering in Malaysia’s affairs. "His own state is out of control. (What happens in Malaysia) has nothing to do with him. This is not his country. This is Malaysia," said Nazri. Karunanidhi has reportedly written to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking immediate action for the "sufferings and bad treatment" of Tamils in Malaysia, based on grievances linked to last Sunday’s street protest. Nazri also took the opportunity to warn the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), the coalition behind the rally, against challenging the government. "I would like to reiterate the prime minister’s and deputy prime minister's statement that we would not accept challenges from Hindraf," he said. "In France, the authorities use rubber bullets to control the crowd, we only use water cannon and tear gas, and still they (Hindraf) said that we (the police) have used excessive force.” Check on claims Nazri further said the government would not hesitate to charge Hindraf legal adviser P Uthayakumar under the Sedition Act if it is true that he had made certain claims in a memorandum to be presented to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The memorandum that the Umno led government had killed some hundred Indians in the Kampung Medan "mini genocide" (in May 2001) and that the Indian Malaysians fear they would be forced into terrorism in a matter of time, as has happened among Sri Lankan Tamils.
Nazri was of the view that words like "genocide" could incite the Indian community to hate the Malays and vice versa.
"He (Uthayakumar) has to be responsible for his actions. We will discuss this with the attorney-general and consider charging him under the Sedition Act," he said. Asked when the government would act on its threat to use the Internal Security Act against demonstrators, Nazri said: "For the time being, we will use existing laws. We will use the police and open court as long as we can control the situation." Asked for an update on the royal commission of inquiry into the Lingam tape, Nazri said the cabinet meeting today, which was chaired by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, discussed only the terms of reference. He said the cabinet did not discuss the composition of the commission and that Abdullah would select its members and announce all the details.
Nazri was of the view that words like "genocide" could incite the Indian community to hate the Malays and vice versa.
"He (Uthayakumar) has to be responsible for his actions. We will discuss this with the attorney-general and consider charging him under the Sedition Act," he said. Asked when the government would act on its threat to use the Internal Security Act against demonstrators, Nazri said: "For the time being, we will use existing laws. We will use the police and open court as long as we can control the situation." Asked for an update on the royal commission of inquiry into the Lingam tape, Nazri said the cabinet meeting today, which was chaired by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, discussed only the terms of reference. He said the cabinet did not discuss the composition of the commission and that Abdullah would select its members and announce all the details.
US defends peaceful protests in M'sia
The United States underscored on Wednesday the rights of Malaysians to hold peaceful protests, after Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi swiftly suppressed mass rallies and threatened to use a draconian law to detain protestors indefinitely without trial. "We believe citizens of any country should be allowed to peacefully assemble and express their views," a US State Department official said when commenting on the crackdown of unprecedented street protests in Kuala Lumpur this month. The first rally organised by polls reform group Bersih called for electoral reform which drew some 30,000 people, and another by at least 30,000 ethnic Indians last Sunday was aimed at highlighting racial discrimination.
However the Malaysian government quickly rejected the US comments.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Aziz defended the government's response to the rallies, which went ahead despite police bans. "What is good for their country is not necessarily suitable for our country. We are a sovereign nation," said Nazri, the nation's de facto law minister.
However the Malaysian government quickly rejected the US comments.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Aziz defended the government's response to the rallies, which went ahead despite police bans. "What is good for their country is not necessarily suitable for our country. We are a sovereign nation," said Nazri, the nation's de facto law minister.
Use of ISA
The rallies were the biggest in a decade and took place despite bans ordered by police, who broke up the gatherings with tear gas, water cannons and baton charges. The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not go beyond his succinct statement, which was the first reaction by Washington on the rare outpouring of anti-government dissent in Malaysia. The protests led to a veiled threat by Abdullah on Tuesday to use the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA) that allows for detention without trial to stem the dissent. Rights groups, who have campaigned to have the ISA abolished, cautioned the prime minister against using such laws. "It is a huge mistake for Prime Minister Abdullah to even consider using this unjust law to crack down on peaceful demonstrators," said T Kumar, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific advocacy director in Washington. "We strongly urge him not to use it."
Political instability
Amnesty has also called on the US authorities to check whether excessive force was used in quelling the recent demonstrations and to oppose any use of the ISA against peaceful protests, he said. Abdullah argued that the ISA was "a preventive measure to spare the nation from untoward incidents that can harm the prevailing peace and harmony and create all sorts of adverse things." "So, I don't know (when to invoke the ISA), but ISA will be there. When it is appropriate to use it, it will be used," he said. Malaysia is holding more than 100 people under the ISA, about 80 of them alleged Islamic militants. Rights groups have long campaigned for them to be freed or brought to trial. The legislation allows for two-year detention periods that can be renewed indefinitely. The government maintains that detention without trial is needed as a first line of defence against terrorism. US intelligence consultancy Stratfor, in a bulletin to clients this week, said the Malaysian demonstrations signaled "instability" ahead of national elections expected early next year. "The recent demonstrations signal chaos and unpredictability to come before elections are announced, but Badawi's grip on internal security is not going to loosen any time soon," it said.- AFP
Another brain-dead Press statement
KUALA LUMPUR: Stay out of the controversy involving the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) – that’s the stern message for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who rebuked Karunanidhi for interfering, said what happened here had “nothing to do with Tamil Nadu.”
”Do not meddle in our affairs. This is Malaysia, not Tamil Nadu ... lay off,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday, when asked about wire reports that Karunanidhi had written to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to take immediate and appropriate action to end the “sufferings and bad treatment” of Tamils in Malaysia.
Nazri said he would not apologise for calling those who participated in the Hindraf rally on Sunday “penyangak” (thugs), stressing that the demonstrators had violated the law as no permit was issued.
He explained that it was illogical to assume that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would not accept their memorandum.
“I cannot accept the action of 20,000 people who want to be involved in a simple action of submitting a memorandum. They can send one person or even 10. The question is – are they really sincere in highlighting their grievances, or are they trying to create chaos?
“It’s a mistake to make an apology to them. It’s not the Indian community that’s involved. Don’t be samseng (gangster),” he said, adding that the issue was discussed at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.
Nazri said police would probe a petition to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, which stated that a genocide would occur here with the Indian community being forced into violence like in Sri Lanka if their “cause” was ignored.
“The Attorney-General’s Chambers will study who sent the petition and charge the writer for sedition. The Hindraf memorandum is also a matter of concern because its contents are seditious,” he added.
“I’m sure these matters will also create animosity between the Indians, the Malays and the Government. We will take action. These people must be responsible for their actions.”
Nazri also reiterated Abdullah’s warning that the Internal Security Act would be used if the situation warranted it.
“Don’t challenge the Government. They can try and hold a rally again and see what will happen,” he added.
“The authorities were accused of excessive action. Look at France, whose police used tear gas and even rubber bullets when a demonstration occurred there.”
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed support for most of the demands made by Hindraf.
He told reporters yesterday that he turned up at the Klang Sessions Court on Saturday to give moral support to lawyers P. Uthayakumar, Waythamoorthy and V.S. Ganapathi Rao.
Anwar said he had advised Hindraf not to use Article 153 of the Federal Constitution to pursue their demands as it involved the rights and privileges of the Malays and other indigenous local folk.
In a separate press conference, Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang urged Nazri to apologise unconditionally for labelling the demonstrators “penyangak.”
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who rebuked Karunanidhi for interfering, said what happened here had “nothing to do with Tamil Nadu.”
”Do not meddle in our affairs. This is Malaysia, not Tamil Nadu ... lay off,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday, when asked about wire reports that Karunanidhi had written to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to take immediate and appropriate action to end the “sufferings and bad treatment” of Tamils in Malaysia.
Nazri said he would not apologise for calling those who participated in the Hindraf rally on Sunday “penyangak” (thugs), stressing that the demonstrators had violated the law as no permit was issued.
He explained that it was illogical to assume that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would not accept their memorandum.
“I cannot accept the action of 20,000 people who want to be involved in a simple action of submitting a memorandum. They can send one person or even 10. The question is – are they really sincere in highlighting their grievances, or are they trying to create chaos?
“It’s a mistake to make an apology to them. It’s not the Indian community that’s involved. Don’t be samseng (gangster),” he said, adding that the issue was discussed at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.
Nazri said police would probe a petition to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, which stated that a genocide would occur here with the Indian community being forced into violence like in Sri Lanka if their “cause” was ignored.
“The Attorney-General’s Chambers will study who sent the petition and charge the writer for sedition. The Hindraf memorandum is also a matter of concern because its contents are seditious,” he added.
“I’m sure these matters will also create animosity between the Indians, the Malays and the Government. We will take action. These people must be responsible for their actions.”
Nazri also reiterated Abdullah’s warning that the Internal Security Act would be used if the situation warranted it.
“Don’t challenge the Government. They can try and hold a rally again and see what will happen,” he added.
“The authorities were accused of excessive action. Look at France, whose police used tear gas and even rubber bullets when a demonstration occurred there.”
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed support for most of the demands made by Hindraf.
He told reporters yesterday that he turned up at the Klang Sessions Court on Saturday to give moral support to lawyers P. Uthayakumar, Waythamoorthy and V.S. Ganapathi Rao.
Anwar said he had advised Hindraf not to use Article 153 of the Federal Constitution to pursue their demands as it involved the rights and privileges of the Malays and other indigenous local folk.
In a separate press conference, Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang urged Nazri to apologise unconditionally for labelling the demonstrators “penyangak.”
Another BN leader breaks ranks
Several major marches and pickets, all peaceful, have taken place in our country over the last few months. There was the ‘Walk for Justice’ organised by the Bar Council. This peaceful march called for a complete review of the country’s judiciary system with a view to restoring its independence, and hence put into effect the separation of powers so important for justice. This was followed by a march to the palace organised by Bersih, a broad coalition of political parties and NGOs, calling for free and fair elections. The most recent, this time to hand over a memorandum to the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, was organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force, or Hindraf, in short. Although the stated objective of this last demonstration was to demand compensation for the exploitation of Indians from the British government, it was in effect to highlight the socio-economic and cultural plight of the Indians, especially their lower strata. To all these must be added the numerous pickets called by the trade unions for higher salaries just to meet rises in costs of living so burdensome to the workers.
All these marches and pickets, especially those organised by Bersih and Hindraf, drew tens of thousands of people. And this, despite the authorities warning the public not to take part as these assemblies were all so-called “illegal”. Participants were threatened with arrest should they take part in all these illegal assemblies. These marches drew flak and condemnation from almost all Barisan Nasional leaders. Their criticisms centred on their illegality, potential threat to peace, the possible destablisation of the economy including frightening away foreign investors. I disagree with the views of our country’s leaders. Instead of condemning, one would have thought and hoped that they should have been more concerned over the grievances, frustrations and disappointments that have brought so many thousands to the streets in the first place and to seek fair and just solutions to them. Is it true that there are lots of defects in our country’s judicial system? If so, what are they? What must we do to overcome these so that we can restore its independence, and give real substance to the separation of powers in order to strengthen our country’s democratic institutions? Likewise, what are the shortcomings in our country’s electoral system, especially pertaining to the electoral rolls, election campaigning, access to media, etc? And on Hindraf, what are the grievances, frustrations and unhappiness of the lower strata of the Indian community, and that of all the other communities, pertaining to housing, education, health, jobs, equity and religious freedom? Until and unless these and many more issues concerning our country’s judicial and electoral systems as well as social justice for the poor are looked into seriously and satisfactory solutions found, the discontent that has brought thousands to the streets over the last several months will remain. To me, it is this discontent and unhappiness that will be a greater threat to our country’s peace and stability, rather than the marches, pickets and demonstrations.
To be fair, the government did finally agree to the setting up of a royal commission of inquiry to look into the Lingam case that triggered the outpouring of dissatisfaction over the state of our judicial system. The terms of reference of this soon to be set-up royal commission have, however, not yet been announced. Hopefully, its scope of work will include getting to the bottom of why our judicial system has declined so precipitously over the years. A truly democratic society that allows peaceful marches, an independent and just judicial system, free and fair elections, equal respect by the state for all religious faiths and social justice for the poor are, among others, the key pillars of democracy, peace and stability. Without these, no amount of coercion, including the threat to use the obnoxious Internal Security Act (ISA), can bring us the lasting peace and security that all Malaysians desire. Finally, I find it extremely disturbing that a backbench Barisan Nasional MP who took a divergent stand on Hindraf should be so severely rebuked and chastised by a couple of BN leaders. This clearly does not augur well at all for intra-BN democracy. The message sent seems to be that all BN elected representatives are expected to be meek and passive followers of the views of their leaders and that no space is provided for independent views, including those articulated by the larger civil society. I wonder how such a stance by the leaders can attract people who want to seek changes from within!
The writer is a member of Gerakan and Penang state executive councillor for Economic Planning, Education, and Human Resources Development, Science, Technology and Innovation.
All these marches and pickets, especially those organised by Bersih and Hindraf, drew tens of thousands of people. And this, despite the authorities warning the public not to take part as these assemblies were all so-called “illegal”. Participants were threatened with arrest should they take part in all these illegal assemblies. These marches drew flak and condemnation from almost all Barisan Nasional leaders. Their criticisms centred on their illegality, potential threat to peace, the possible destablisation of the economy including frightening away foreign investors. I disagree with the views of our country’s leaders. Instead of condemning, one would have thought and hoped that they should have been more concerned over the grievances, frustrations and disappointments that have brought so many thousands to the streets in the first place and to seek fair and just solutions to them. Is it true that there are lots of defects in our country’s judicial system? If so, what are they? What must we do to overcome these so that we can restore its independence, and give real substance to the separation of powers in order to strengthen our country’s democratic institutions? Likewise, what are the shortcomings in our country’s electoral system, especially pertaining to the electoral rolls, election campaigning, access to media, etc? And on Hindraf, what are the grievances, frustrations and unhappiness of the lower strata of the Indian community, and that of all the other communities, pertaining to housing, education, health, jobs, equity and religious freedom? Until and unless these and many more issues concerning our country’s judicial and electoral systems as well as social justice for the poor are looked into seriously and satisfactory solutions found, the discontent that has brought thousands to the streets over the last several months will remain. To me, it is this discontent and unhappiness that will be a greater threat to our country’s peace and stability, rather than the marches, pickets and demonstrations.
To be fair, the government did finally agree to the setting up of a royal commission of inquiry to look into the Lingam case that triggered the outpouring of dissatisfaction over the state of our judicial system. The terms of reference of this soon to be set-up royal commission have, however, not yet been announced. Hopefully, its scope of work will include getting to the bottom of why our judicial system has declined so precipitously over the years. A truly democratic society that allows peaceful marches, an independent and just judicial system, free and fair elections, equal respect by the state for all religious faiths and social justice for the poor are, among others, the key pillars of democracy, peace and stability. Without these, no amount of coercion, including the threat to use the obnoxious Internal Security Act (ISA), can bring us the lasting peace and security that all Malaysians desire. Finally, I find it extremely disturbing that a backbench Barisan Nasional MP who took a divergent stand on Hindraf should be so severely rebuked and chastised by a couple of BN leaders. This clearly does not augur well at all for intra-BN democracy. The message sent seems to be that all BN elected representatives are expected to be meek and passive followers of the views of their leaders and that no space is provided for independent views, including those articulated by the larger civil society. I wonder how such a stance by the leaders can attract people who want to seek changes from within!
The writer is a member of Gerakan and Penang state executive councillor for Economic Planning, Education, and Human Resources Development, Science, Technology and Innovation.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Great Indian Divide
The Indian protest in Kuala Lumpur has been a great success because it made a very loud noise. But the Indian protesters forgot to shout Daulat Tuanku. Instead they showed allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II by carrying placards that had Queen Elizabeth’s picture. Others also carried pictures of Mahatma Ghandi. According to the NST, Hindraf legal adviser P. Uthayakumar said that they would 'get a second bite at the cherry' when they go to London in mid-January to present a memorandum to the Queen of England. But the Queen is reported to suffer constipation and some flatulence during cold winter months like January – a predicament inherited from her ancestors who avoided the privy in winter because they had no internal plumbing. She may not be disposed to receive Uthayakumar. But there is some confusion. The NST reports: "We don't want to rely on Indian-based parties anymore. We want to go directly to Umno because it is they who hold power," said the lawyer who was in the midst of the illegal gathering yesterday. So is it Queen Elizabeth or UMNO? Unfortunately for the Indian community, all roads to UMNO go through Samy Vellu’s office. This appeal to Queen Elizabeth and Mahatma Ghandi is a mistake. The banners scream 'We are Malaysians'. To the other Malaysians, it seems to be that the protesters are Indian Hindus first and Malaysians second. The ethnic, religious identity is pushed forward. The name ‘Hindraf’ is also exclusive. It excludes Indians who are Christians, Sikhs and Muslims. Why call it Hindu Rights Action Front? Why not just Indian Rights Action Front (INDRAF)? Why associate with religion? This is what some NGOs said - the Hindu Indians are making a mistake of projecting a narrow Hindu image. However, the grievances and the protest by the Indian Hindus is real and justified.The BN Gomen's failure to uplift the Indians is real. It is a big failure. The BN Gomen does not really care for them. UMNO says they want to be the payung for all Malaysians. This is a lie. They are the least bothered about the fate of the Indians. Uthayakumar’s idea that he wants to go directly to UMNO may earn him a Datukship, but the Indians will not get anything else. Hindu Tamils are now treated like fourth class citizens by the BN Gomen. Parties like MIC and PPP just get by on handouts for their community. The Tamils can be ignored by the UMNO boys. Why should the UMNO boys respect the Indians? While the Hindraf was protesting on Jalan Ampang, Nallakaruppan was hosting the founding of his new Indian political party called Malaysian Indian United Party (or Muniandy) at the Istana Hotel. In his speech, Nallakaruppan pledged allegiance to the BN. He said that the Muniandy party would support all the BN’s policies. Just a few months ago he was dancing on stage with Anwar Ibrahim in Ijok, hoping to be Keadilan’s candidate against the BN at the by-election. But since Anwar dropped him in favour of a Malay, Nallakaruppan is now dancing to the UMNO-BN tune. The Indians cannot depend on the BN Gomen or anyone else to uplift them. They have no choice but to uplift themselves. Like the Chinese, any community (including the Malays) that does not depend on the BN Gomen will become richer and more successful. This is because the BN Gomen itself does not have any idea how to uplift the people. This is a Gomen that is groping in the dark. The blind cannot lead anyone to light. They cannot see.Historically, the majority of Indians came here as very poor people. But the Indians in India and Malaysia are not one uniform body. Indians are a small minority in Malaysia – making up less than 10% of the population. Numerically they are becoming even more irrelevant. But this small minority is divided into so many sub-minorities almost all of whom are far richer and better off than the Tamil Hindus – the largest Indian group who were also the people protesting on Sunday. The Sindhi and Gujerati Hindus are business oriented. They may not even acknowledge that Tamil Hindus are human. In their belief the Tamils are children of Hanuman, the dark-skinned monkey god who helped their white-skinned god Ram rescue their white-skinned princess Sita Devi from the clutches of the dark-skinned Ravan. Then we have the Ceylon Tamils. An irate Indian Tamil woman once said that the Ceylon Tamils in Malaysia are ashamed to say that they are also Indians or Tamils. So in official application forms where they must state their race, they put themselves under ‘Lain-Lain’ or Others, not as Indians. Few people may be aware of this but the Ceylon Tamils are by far the most successful racial group in Malaysia, whose per capita incomes may be higher than the Chinese, Gujeratis, Mamaks, etc. There are more millionaires per thousand people among Ceylon Tamils than any other race in Malaysia. The richest man in Malaysia is a Ceylon Tamil billionaire known as Ananda Krishnan.There are the Sikhs who have their own axes to grind against the Hindus. The Sikhs have also done very well in Malaysia. They may have started as jagas and susu lembu sellers but now they are among the best doctors and lawyers in the country. Money lending is still their forte. In a nutshell, they are doing much better than the Tamil Hindus. Then there are the RSS sympathizers in Malaysia. RSS stands for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Nathuram Vinayak Godse, the Hindu extremist who murdered Mahatma Ghandi in 1948, was a member of the RSS. The RSS in India is led by Brahmins whose main purpose is to preserve the Hindu caste system and thereby preserve their positions. They do not look kindly at Mahatma Ghandi and none of them will have a picture of Ghandi in their homes, let alone hoist Ghandi’s picture at a public rally. There is very little love lost between all these Indians. There are extremely very few intra-Hindu Indian marriages. It is almost impossible to see a Ceylon Hindu marry an Indian Hindu or a Gujerati marry a Telugu. You will not find any of the RSS Brahmins marrying any of the Hindraf people. It just does not happen. On the other hand, in Malaysia, there are thousands of marriages between Malays and Indians of all types and castes. This Sunday, 9th December, a extraordinarily beautiful and quite rich Malay woman is marrying a Hindu Tamil (who of course had to convert). The wedding will be held at a major hotel and will be reported in the Malay media. The Indian media will never cover such an event. The RSS sympathizers did not support the Hindraf protest. Instead, they released a statement to the media that said: “the MIC and the Government had helped to fund, build, repair as well as settle relocation and land issues for temples nationwide.” In other words: what is there to complain about? There are enough temples. Caste and inter-Indian race differences are great. The discrimination and prejudices within the Indians is greater than from without. But that does not really affect the bread and butter issues that were the main reason for the protest on Sunday. It is also mind-boggling that many Hindu success stories have come to a tragic end through outright murder. All too often Indians suffer violence at the hands of fellow Indians. This is not unlike the case with the African Americans and Mexican Americans who suffer tragic violence at the hands of their own people. In Penang recently, a well known and very senior Tamil Hindu lawyer by the name of Annamalai was brutally stabbed to death by two Indians, most likely hired killers, in broad daylight. I knew Mr Annamalai who was over 60 years old and was a polite and gentle man. The killers have not been caught and neither is the motive known. A few years ago, a young Hindu woman who owned three beauty salons in Klang was also brutally murdered by Indians. After being beaten and stabbed, her body was repeatedly run over by her own Pajero. The crazed intensity of the violence against her was unimaginable. Again, her killers were not found and neither was the reason for her murder known. Earlier to that, a young Tamil Hindu geologist who ran a very succesful geological services company in Bukit Mertajam was killed by Indians. His head was cracked open by an axe. His killers were never caught and neither was the reason for his murder known. These were among the cream of their society in their own neighbourhoods - Indians who had come up in life through hard work and against much odds. They all suffered violent death at the hands of Indians. It could be any number of reasons why they were killed but often it is pure jealousy by Indians against fellow Indians. It is okay if a Chinese or Malay is succesful, but when an Indian makes good, any number of other Indians may become extremely jealous. And if there is even a hint of an insult or injury, real or imagined, it may be enough to trigger murderous action. So the Indians do not need extra enemies from outside to keep them down. They can be their own worst enemies. First of all, the Indians must realise that holding up posters of Ghandi or Queen Elizabeth is brain dead. It would have been better if they held up posters of the great Tamil hero Veerapandian Kattaboman.
But since no one knows what Veerapandian Kattaboman looked like, they could have even held up posters of the great Tamil movie hero MG Ramachandran or MGR who once portrayed Veerapandian Kattaboman in a Tamil movie. But why Ghandi and why on earth Queen Elizabeth II? This only proves that the Indian Tamils may have their feet planted here, but not all their thoughts are fully settled here.The time for pussyfooting and endless talk is over. Indians must 'bite the bullet' and take decisive and practical action to help themselves. Since all the protests have been made, it is now up to the Indians to put forward what they really want to do. Do not expect the Barisan Nasional or the UMNO boys to help you. They do not even know how to help themselves. After 50 years they do not even realize the main problem that is holding the Malays down – their religion and their total disregard of the English language. So how are they going to figure out what are the real issues facing the Indians? Even if they want to help the Indians they will not know what to do.Some simple-minded Indians have suggested that the Indians be exempted from all university racial quotas. This is a beginning but it does not solve the problem of the poor Tamils in the estates and the rural areas. The MIC has set up the Tafe College, taken over private law and accounting colleges (Vanto Academy) and set up medical schools yet the plight of the Tamil Hindus in the estates and rural areas has not changed much. In Semeling in Kedah (in the Merbok constituency), the MIC has built the most modern medical campus not only in Malaysia but maybe in the whole of Asia, Europe and the US. Please Google 'AIMST'. One minute you are driving through oil palm plantations then suddenly you turn a corner and almost run into a group of huge UFO spaceship type buildings rising out of the oil palms - this is the Asian Institute of Medical Science and Technology. Yet only the guards and gardeners at the AIMST are Indians from the surrounding rubber and oil palm estates in Semeling. Most of the Indian students at AIMST are from well to do Indian families from outside Kedah who can afford the almost RM300,000 fees at this private medical school. Increasingly now, more Chinese students are also enrolling at AIMST. So even if all the protests work and the Barisan Nasional Gomen offers Indians unlimited entry into universities, it is the children of educated, urban, west coast Indians who are going to gain admission. The Ceylon Tamils, the urban Tamils, Punjabis, Gujeratis, Tamil Muslims, etc., will take advantage of the opportunities. The Indians from the rural areas and the estates are never going to make it, or at least not any time soon. Dont believe me? Here is my proof. Before the NEP, before 1970, it was status quo. The playing field was 'more' level then. Or was it ? The Ceylon Tamils monopolised senior Gomen jobs, teaching jobs, doctors, lawyers, etc. The Telugus were mandors at the estates while the Tamils were the labourers. The Sindhis and Gujeratis monopolised the textiles business. The Mamaks ran the sundry shops. The Tamil Hindus were at the lowest rung of the ladder. Who really cared for them? But that was the 'level' playing field available at that time. It is by sheer effort and perseverance that many of the Tamil Hindus have come up in life to become the Uthayakumars and the Selvams of today. But these are so few, the exceptions.So even if the BN Gomen completely opened up all the university opportunities to Indians it is the minority within the minority ie the Ceylon Tamils, the Gujeratis, the Punjabis, the Tamil Muslims, etc., who are going to take full advantage of these opportunities. The majority Indian Hindus in the estates are going to end up no better than before. The solution seems obvious enough. The Indians must demand that Indian Hindus from the estates and the rural areas must be given super priorities at university entrance. This has been done for the past 37 years in Malaysia where poor Malay children from the rural schools and rural areas are given preferences over urban kids.
So, if an Indian Hindu child from the estates has lesser grades than a child from the urban centres, the rural Indian child must be treated differently. But will the Indian community agree to this? How many of the urban-living Hindraf protesters from Sunday will agree to this idea?The Indians must also demand for a 100% Government-funded special boarding school system where poor Indian Hindu children from the estates and rural areas are provided free schooling and board from Forms 1 till 5 and beyond. If the Malay kampongs were not conducive for Malay children to become the sons and daughters of the NEP, neither are the estates conducive to make successes out of Indian children. It is just not going to happen. There are exceptions where estate children have gone to earn PhDs but lets cut the crap, okay? We are not concerned with exceptional cases. We want to democratize opportunities for the Indian poor in the estates, the vast majority who are not exceptional but just ordinary poor people. There is a catch though. These Indian boarding schools must be taught by Malay and Chinese teachers only. The students must be weaned away from the negative, crude and pessimistic attitudes and language of the estates. Indian teachers may unwittingly delay this process. Lastly, these boarding schools for Indians must be located in largely Malay localities like in the East Coast states. They must be totally isolated from their estate environments and learn to fit into a more Malay and Malaysian environment. This way, if they have to protest again, they will not hold up pictures of Ghandi or Queen Elizabeth. They may learn to hold up posters of Sultan Muzaffar Shah, Hang Kasthuri, Hang Lekir, Tun Ali, Abdullah Munshi, and so on who were all Tamils. As for the other poor Indian Hindus, the Indian community must demand that the Gomen provide them unlimited entry into all the vocational training institutes, especially the Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara or IKBN, plus the MARA Skills Institutes. Surprisingly, it is Nazri Aziz as Minister in charge of MARA who has opened some MARA Skills Institutes to Indians.The Indian community must also demand Gomen-funded housing for all poor Indians, those in the estates and rural areas as well as in the urban areas. They can either rent or buy these houses from the Gomen through any number of rent-own schemes, etc. The housing must not be the cheapo, two-room, one-bathroom type pigeon holes. They must be decent-sized houses with at least three sleeping rooms and two bathrooms. Even if they cost a bit more, the housing must be comfortable. Safe and comfortable housing is important to break the poverty cycle and bring Indian Hindus into the mainstream of our society.Indians must also demand access to the Amanah Saham investment fund. Not the Amanah Saham Nasional that is open to all races and is priced at market prices but the RM1.00 per share Amanah Saham Bumiputra where your RM1.00 per share is guaranteed by the Gomen. Then, all the Banks’ special Amanah Saham financing packages (since the RM1.00 per share is guaranteed by the Gomen) that are available to bumiputras will also be made available to Indians. This will be a major help to the Indian community. Then here are more important but even more difficult things that the Indian community must do. They must listen to Mr SM Idris of the Consumers Association of Penang who has been campaigning all his life to abolish toddy shops on the estates. Indians and drinking must part company because it has been proven time and time again that Indians and alchohol do not mix well. Ban alchohol on the estates and the Indian community will save a lot of heartache.
There must be an end to Tamil schools in the country. Tamil is a great language. It has a long history and is a beautiful poetic language. But Tamil will keep the Hindus in the poverty cycle in Malaysia. In Malaysia, Tamil will make you poor. Believe me on this one. Ban Tamil schools and send all the Tamil kids to Gomen schools or Chinese schools.Then, more importantly, to curb gangsterism, completely ban all Tamil movies, especially through Vanavil and other TV stations. They are absolutely brain-dead and a bad influence on already brain-dead Indian youngsters. Tamil movies are of zero cultural and moral value. Unfortunately Indian Hindus can riot (they did) to buy tickets for Rajni’s latest movie ‘Boss’. It was another useless Tamil movie that cannot win an award even at the Blind Movie Producers Awards. Endless fighting, beating, crying, killing, dancing, singing, marrying, seducing are the staple of brain-dead Tamil movies which have a strong and significant impact on the Indian population. Two Tamil movie actors, MG Ramachandran and Jayalalitha, have been elected as Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu just because of their movie acting. (No you cannot compare them to Ronald Reagan or Arnold Schwarzenegger). Large numbers of Indians know more about Indian politics than what is happening in Malaysia. They may not know the names of Malaysian Cabinet Ministers but they will know the names of Indian Chief Ministers and other Indian politicians. This shows that, after 150 years, many of the Indians have not fully grafted their roots to the local conditions. This must change. The Indians are ready to migrate to Australia (or to the Queen of England’s kampong) and sing Waltzing Matilda in English to earn Australian citizenship. Why not remain in Malaysia and learn to speak Malay properly? Finally, the Indian Hindus, all of them, including the RSS, the Punjabis, the Gujeratis, the Brahmins and the estate Indians, must get together and propose to the Barisan Nasional Gomen to pass laws that make it illegal and a crime to practice any kind of caste system in Malaysia. This means that all Hindu temples must be open to all Hindus, irrespective of caste. Any Hindu, and not just a Brahmin, can become a priest at the Hindu temples. The RSS will definitely not agree to this suggestion. The RSS is the vanguard of the caste system and seeks to protect the position of the Brahmins. More than the BN Gomen, more than the conditions in the estates, more than Tamil schooling or Tamil movies, the caste system is the single most backward and degrading force that holds back all Indians. Whether Sindhis, Gujeratis, Punjabis, Tamils, Telugus, RSS, etc., they are all negatively affected by the really stupid and false caste system. Get rid of the caste system and the Indians will bloom to become a great people.And the Indians in Malaysia definitely do not need 17,000 temples for three million Hindus. What for? Each temple needs a Brahmin priest, a commitee and it spreads more religious prejudice and anger. The same with suraus and mosques. Why do we need so many mosques. Over the past 15 years thousands of suraus and mosques have been built. Each one now has its imam, committee, etc. Each one is spreading religous prejudices. We do not need so many mosques or Hindu temples. Enough is enough. Only the RSS and PAS boys are interested in temples and mosques because they can control the temples and mosques. Temples and mosques bring in money. The more temples there are, the more money accrues to the brahmins. But this initiative can only come from the Indians. The Malays and the Gomen will not even know where to begin on this one. They have no idea of the caste system. So the Indians cannot expect any help in this area from the Gomen. It is the Indians who must move this initiative. There will be plenty of resistance from the RSS and gang but you must all get together and kick this caste sucker into the sea. Otherwise it is all a complete waste of time. The Indians must be the inheritors of Thiru Valluvar, Bagat Singh, Ranjit Singh and Bharatiyar. They were real heroes. Ghandi was confused. Godse was a nut.
But since no one knows what Veerapandian Kattaboman looked like, they could have even held up posters of the great Tamil movie hero MG Ramachandran or MGR who once portrayed Veerapandian Kattaboman in a Tamil movie. But why Ghandi and why on earth Queen Elizabeth II? This only proves that the Indian Tamils may have their feet planted here, but not all their thoughts are fully settled here.The time for pussyfooting and endless talk is over. Indians must 'bite the bullet' and take decisive and practical action to help themselves. Since all the protests have been made, it is now up to the Indians to put forward what they really want to do. Do not expect the Barisan Nasional or the UMNO boys to help you. They do not even know how to help themselves. After 50 years they do not even realize the main problem that is holding the Malays down – their religion and their total disregard of the English language. So how are they going to figure out what are the real issues facing the Indians? Even if they want to help the Indians they will not know what to do.Some simple-minded Indians have suggested that the Indians be exempted from all university racial quotas. This is a beginning but it does not solve the problem of the poor Tamils in the estates and the rural areas. The MIC has set up the Tafe College, taken over private law and accounting colleges (Vanto Academy) and set up medical schools yet the plight of the Tamil Hindus in the estates and rural areas has not changed much. In Semeling in Kedah (in the Merbok constituency), the MIC has built the most modern medical campus not only in Malaysia but maybe in the whole of Asia, Europe and the US. Please Google 'AIMST'. One minute you are driving through oil palm plantations then suddenly you turn a corner and almost run into a group of huge UFO spaceship type buildings rising out of the oil palms - this is the Asian Institute of Medical Science and Technology. Yet only the guards and gardeners at the AIMST are Indians from the surrounding rubber and oil palm estates in Semeling. Most of the Indian students at AIMST are from well to do Indian families from outside Kedah who can afford the almost RM300,000 fees at this private medical school. Increasingly now, more Chinese students are also enrolling at AIMST. So even if all the protests work and the Barisan Nasional Gomen offers Indians unlimited entry into universities, it is the children of educated, urban, west coast Indians who are going to gain admission. The Ceylon Tamils, the urban Tamils, Punjabis, Gujeratis, Tamil Muslims, etc., will take advantage of the opportunities. The Indians from the rural areas and the estates are never going to make it, or at least not any time soon. Dont believe me? Here is my proof. Before the NEP, before 1970, it was status quo. The playing field was 'more' level then. Or was it ? The Ceylon Tamils monopolised senior Gomen jobs, teaching jobs, doctors, lawyers, etc. The Telugus were mandors at the estates while the Tamils were the labourers. The Sindhis and Gujeratis monopolised the textiles business. The Mamaks ran the sundry shops. The Tamil Hindus were at the lowest rung of the ladder. Who really cared for them? But that was the 'level' playing field available at that time. It is by sheer effort and perseverance that many of the Tamil Hindus have come up in life to become the Uthayakumars and the Selvams of today. But these are so few, the exceptions.So even if the BN Gomen completely opened up all the university opportunities to Indians it is the minority within the minority ie the Ceylon Tamils, the Gujeratis, the Punjabis, the Tamil Muslims, etc., who are going to take full advantage of these opportunities. The majority Indian Hindus in the estates are going to end up no better than before. The solution seems obvious enough. The Indians must demand that Indian Hindus from the estates and the rural areas must be given super priorities at university entrance. This has been done for the past 37 years in Malaysia where poor Malay children from the rural schools and rural areas are given preferences over urban kids.
So, if an Indian Hindu child from the estates has lesser grades than a child from the urban centres, the rural Indian child must be treated differently. But will the Indian community agree to this? How many of the urban-living Hindraf protesters from Sunday will agree to this idea?The Indians must also demand for a 100% Government-funded special boarding school system where poor Indian Hindu children from the estates and rural areas are provided free schooling and board from Forms 1 till 5 and beyond. If the Malay kampongs were not conducive for Malay children to become the sons and daughters of the NEP, neither are the estates conducive to make successes out of Indian children. It is just not going to happen. There are exceptions where estate children have gone to earn PhDs but lets cut the crap, okay? We are not concerned with exceptional cases. We want to democratize opportunities for the Indian poor in the estates, the vast majority who are not exceptional but just ordinary poor people. There is a catch though. These Indian boarding schools must be taught by Malay and Chinese teachers only. The students must be weaned away from the negative, crude and pessimistic attitudes and language of the estates. Indian teachers may unwittingly delay this process. Lastly, these boarding schools for Indians must be located in largely Malay localities like in the East Coast states. They must be totally isolated from their estate environments and learn to fit into a more Malay and Malaysian environment. This way, if they have to protest again, they will not hold up pictures of Ghandi or Queen Elizabeth. They may learn to hold up posters of Sultan Muzaffar Shah, Hang Kasthuri, Hang Lekir, Tun Ali, Abdullah Munshi, and so on who were all Tamils. As for the other poor Indian Hindus, the Indian community must demand that the Gomen provide them unlimited entry into all the vocational training institutes, especially the Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara or IKBN, plus the MARA Skills Institutes. Surprisingly, it is Nazri Aziz as Minister in charge of MARA who has opened some MARA Skills Institutes to Indians.The Indian community must also demand Gomen-funded housing for all poor Indians, those in the estates and rural areas as well as in the urban areas. They can either rent or buy these houses from the Gomen through any number of rent-own schemes, etc. The housing must not be the cheapo, two-room, one-bathroom type pigeon holes. They must be decent-sized houses with at least three sleeping rooms and two bathrooms. Even if they cost a bit more, the housing must be comfortable. Safe and comfortable housing is important to break the poverty cycle and bring Indian Hindus into the mainstream of our society.Indians must also demand access to the Amanah Saham investment fund. Not the Amanah Saham Nasional that is open to all races and is priced at market prices but the RM1.00 per share Amanah Saham Bumiputra where your RM1.00 per share is guaranteed by the Gomen. Then, all the Banks’ special Amanah Saham financing packages (since the RM1.00 per share is guaranteed by the Gomen) that are available to bumiputras will also be made available to Indians. This will be a major help to the Indian community. Then here are more important but even more difficult things that the Indian community must do. They must listen to Mr SM Idris of the Consumers Association of Penang who has been campaigning all his life to abolish toddy shops on the estates. Indians and drinking must part company because it has been proven time and time again that Indians and alchohol do not mix well. Ban alchohol on the estates and the Indian community will save a lot of heartache.
There must be an end to Tamil schools in the country. Tamil is a great language. It has a long history and is a beautiful poetic language. But Tamil will keep the Hindus in the poverty cycle in Malaysia. In Malaysia, Tamil will make you poor. Believe me on this one. Ban Tamil schools and send all the Tamil kids to Gomen schools or Chinese schools.Then, more importantly, to curb gangsterism, completely ban all Tamil movies, especially through Vanavil and other TV stations. They are absolutely brain-dead and a bad influence on already brain-dead Indian youngsters. Tamil movies are of zero cultural and moral value. Unfortunately Indian Hindus can riot (they did) to buy tickets for Rajni’s latest movie ‘Boss’. It was another useless Tamil movie that cannot win an award even at the Blind Movie Producers Awards. Endless fighting, beating, crying, killing, dancing, singing, marrying, seducing are the staple of brain-dead Tamil movies which have a strong and significant impact on the Indian population. Two Tamil movie actors, MG Ramachandran and Jayalalitha, have been elected as Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu just because of their movie acting. (No you cannot compare them to Ronald Reagan or Arnold Schwarzenegger). Large numbers of Indians know more about Indian politics than what is happening in Malaysia. They may not know the names of Malaysian Cabinet Ministers but they will know the names of Indian Chief Ministers and other Indian politicians. This shows that, after 150 years, many of the Indians have not fully grafted their roots to the local conditions. This must change. The Indians are ready to migrate to Australia (or to the Queen of England’s kampong) and sing Waltzing Matilda in English to earn Australian citizenship. Why not remain in Malaysia and learn to speak Malay properly? Finally, the Indian Hindus, all of them, including the RSS, the Punjabis, the Gujeratis, the Brahmins and the estate Indians, must get together and propose to the Barisan Nasional Gomen to pass laws that make it illegal and a crime to practice any kind of caste system in Malaysia. This means that all Hindu temples must be open to all Hindus, irrespective of caste. Any Hindu, and not just a Brahmin, can become a priest at the Hindu temples. The RSS will definitely not agree to this suggestion. The RSS is the vanguard of the caste system and seeks to protect the position of the Brahmins. More than the BN Gomen, more than the conditions in the estates, more than Tamil schooling or Tamil movies, the caste system is the single most backward and degrading force that holds back all Indians. Whether Sindhis, Gujeratis, Punjabis, Tamils, Telugus, RSS, etc., they are all negatively affected by the really stupid and false caste system. Get rid of the caste system and the Indians will bloom to become a great people.And the Indians in Malaysia definitely do not need 17,000 temples for three million Hindus. What for? Each temple needs a Brahmin priest, a commitee and it spreads more religious prejudice and anger. The same with suraus and mosques. Why do we need so many mosques. Over the past 15 years thousands of suraus and mosques have been built. Each one now has its imam, committee, etc. Each one is spreading religous prejudices. We do not need so many mosques or Hindu temples. Enough is enough. Only the RSS and PAS boys are interested in temples and mosques because they can control the temples and mosques. Temples and mosques bring in money. The more temples there are, the more money accrues to the brahmins. But this initiative can only come from the Indians. The Malays and the Gomen will not even know where to begin on this one. They have no idea of the caste system. So the Indians cannot expect any help in this area from the Gomen. It is the Indians who must move this initiative. There will be plenty of resistance from the RSS and gang but you must all get together and kick this caste sucker into the sea. Otherwise it is all a complete waste of time. The Indians must be the inheritors of Thiru Valluvar, Bagat Singh, Ranjit Singh and Bharatiyar. They were real heroes. Ghandi was confused. Godse was a nut.
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