DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS BY DAP INDIAN LEADERS TO DIVERT THE ATTENTION FROM KG BUAH PALA.

Over the last 10 days I have personally come under criticisms from Indian DAP leaders who have defamed me by unfounded allegations that I had collected RM700, 000 up to millions of Ringgit to file the civil suit against the UK Government.

The series of allegations beginning from The Penang Deputy Chief Minister, Perak ADUN for Sungkai and finally by ex ISA detainee – all leaders of the Democratic Action Party which is leading the State Government in Penang which is embattled in the Land Scam involving the 200 year old Heritage village of Kg.Buah Pala. HINDRAF is committed to fight for justice and for the poor and defenceless people of Kg.Buah Pala.

We acknowledge the previous BN Government under Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon robbed their ancestral land from them. The current Government, which promised the villagers that their Land would be returned to them should they, win the elections held in March 2008 have instead short changed the people of Kg.Buah Pala.

Over the last 2 months HINDRAF have vigorously campaigned to save this last remaining heritage village and in the process have raised various legitimate questions that the DAP led Government could not and dare not answer. In return Lim Guan Eng had instructed his Indian Party Lieutenants to divert attention by attacking and alleging HINDRAF have been compromised by the BN Government. When that allegation did not find its way in the minds of the people, they are now resorting with malicious and vindictive allegations that I have personally collected millions of Ringgit to fund the civil suit in UK and had misappropriated those funds.

After filing the civil suit in the UK in August 31st 2007, I had attended a total of 10 road shows throughout the country and more than 50,000 people have heard me speak and explain on the civil suit. I was prepared for these sort of allegations even then. All those speeches and participants were video recorded. I had in all those gatherings specifically said that I would never collect a single cent from the public to fund the civil suit. At the same time I also emphasised that I will never promise anyone a single ringgit out of the suit. . I had then distributed almost 100,000 leaflets informing the Malaysian Indians that we will never collect any funds and instead they could do their part by attending the mass gathering on November 25th 07. The 50,000 over people who attended the road shows perfectly understood that my struggle was a genuine attempt to highlight their plight, thus the wave of support on November 25th.

Apart from this our Press Statements and websites clearly warned the public not to be fooled should anyone seek funds for purpose of the civil suit.

The unfounded malicious and vindictive allegations by DAP leaders are defamatory and I will instruct my Lawyers within the next weeks to take the appropriate action. The purpose of the action is give all 3 DAP leaders the honour and opportunity to prove their allegations in the Court of Law. It is plainly obvious to me that these DAP leaders and many other cohorts of theirs envy of the achievements of HINDRAF within a short space of time and are doing whatever possible to break the unity of the Indian Community. They failed to realise that we are not competing with them or any other political party. We are an entity only committed to fight for Justice for the Indian community and highlight their plight both locally and at the International forum.

We have done what others have failed for so many years and thus their personal attack on us.I had been very reluctant to counter the allegations against me by these Indian DAP leaders as I did not wish to divert the attention and make the people of Kg Buah Pala scapegoats in their desperate attempt to save their village, however I am now compelled to break the silence. Lim Guan Eng has to act equitably and rule the Penang State with fairness and compassion rather than bully the people who he himself acknowledged had their land robbed by the previous government.

P.Waytha MoorthyCHAIRMANHINDRAF.