VOH - Multiracialism in Malaysia against injustice ?

Multiracialism in Malaysia
VOH ( Voice of Hindraf) - 26 Sept 2008

Teresa Kok released from ISA, Hindraf lawyers still languishing in jail under ISA, (NTV news at 4.30pm 19/09/08). This afternoon Teresa Kok the M.P. for Seputeh and State Executive Councillor for Selangor was released. Hindraf is happy with this release and join millions of Malaysians in welcoming Teresa Kok back to civilian life as a free person again. We applaud proactive Malaysians who fearlessly campaigned and spoke out against her detention. Minister in the Prime Ministers Department and de facto law Minister unprecedently tendered his resignation as a powerful UMNO Minister as a matter of principle as ISA which was originally meant against the communist and terrorist seeking to overthrow the government through violent means and using arms was used against Teresa Kok, Raja Petra and Sin Chiew’s Tan. DAP’s supremo Lim Kit Siang formed a Parliamentary caucus for the release of Teresa. DAP pro-actively organised nationwide peaceful assemblies and marches for Teresa’s release. The PAS, PKR and DAP top leaders condemned Teresa’s arrest by way of media statements and press conferences. PAS Kota Raja Member of Parliament lodged a police report for abuse of powers in ISA for Teresa. Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim announced that foreign lawyers, (Queen’s Counsel) would be brought in to defend Teresa and we would seek an audience with the Sultan of Selangor to complain on Teresa’s arrest.. DAP’s Selangor leader Ronnie Liu, Selangor State Executive Councillor announced that the Selangor State Assembly would be specially convened to pass a motion condemning Teresa’s arrest. Bar Council called for an urgent EGM the very next Saturday. Bulbir Singh, Lt ( R ) P. Nathan, Chelvam Rengasamy, Mohd Ghazali Osman of Ipoh and Teoh Boon Siew of P.J. wrote letters to the editor in the NST, M.Manoharan the MP for Teluk Intan organised a candle light vigil and peaceful assembly in Teluk Intan, Param Cumaraswamy the former U.N.Rappoter with Anwar Ibrahim’s lawyer Sankara Nair and other lawyers called for Teresa’s release. All this and scores of other public campaigns in the internet and elsewhere within six days and Teresa was released.

But for poor DAP Assemblyman for Kota Alam Shah and Hindraf legal adviser the same was not done. Even the Bar Council did not call for an EGM when four lawyers were detained under the ISA and an ISA warrant out against the fifth lawyer. So much for multiracialism in Malaysia because these five lawyers merely fought for the tiny minority ethnic Indians where the Malaysian Opposition parties, NGO’s and civil society do not get to score much political points by taking and making the same pro active actions as done for Teresa. Welcome to the real world.

In all Justice and Fairness let us treat the Indian issues as a Malaysian issue, let us fearlessly campaign and speak out, let us pro actively organise nationwide peaceful assemblies and marches, let us condemn the ISA arrest by way of media statements and press conferences, let us write letters to the editors, let us call for urgent EGM’s and even seek an audience with the Sultan of Selangor for the release of the Hindraf lawyers and all others detained under the ISA.

Let us do this vigorously and pro actively until they are released.

Voice of Hindraf