Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Perjuangan Hindraf Perjuangan Bangsa Malaysia

By Amirah Saidi

Tanggal 27 November 2007, Hindraf telah mula dikenali di Malaysia dan juga seluruh negara di dunia. Sejak kemerdekaan sehingga kini, wujud banyak NGO yang berperanan untuk membantu orang miskin tetapi yang menjadi kenyataan ialah yang miskin bertambah miskin dan tersisih dari pengaliran ekonomi negara. Perkara inilah yang telah dibawa ke muka dunia oleh perjuangan HINDRAF.

Semua mata memandang ke arah Hindraf, begitu juga dengan pihak atasan pentadbir Malaysia. Mereka begitu bimbang dengan percetusan semangat Hindraf yang inginkan keadilan untuk bangsa India yang bergelar `minority`. Mungkin pada masa itu (tahun 2007) UMNO dan BN agak tebal dengan keangkuhan telah mengakibatkan kaum India teraniaya teruk di semua aspek. Ini telah menyebabkan Hindraf bertindak untuk memberi keutamaan kepada kaumnya untuk perjuangan pada waktu itu. Secara logik, sesiapa saja akan bertindak untuk mempertahankan diri dan keluarganya dulu sebelum membantu sahabat-sahabat lain. Oleh itu, pada pandangan saya, Hindraf telah mengukir batu asas bagi satu perjuangan murni untuk Bangsa Malaysia.

Bangsa Malaysia merangkumi semua kaum di negara kita. Mungkin ramai di antara kita masih tidak sedar ataupun tidak berminat akan wujudnya golongan masyarakat tertindas di kalangan penduduk di Sabah, Sarawak dan juga masyarakat Cina serta Melayu. Kalau diselidik punca penindasan ini, jawapanya sudah tentu angkara kepentingan politik pemimpin tertentu. Jika dibiarkan mereka menindas terus golongan malang ini, lama-kelamaan penindasan ini akan tentu menyebabkan kewujudan politik kuku besi di negara kita.

Bagi saya, masyarakat Malaysia perlu bangun dan bersatu untuk memelihara politik berbentuk demokrasi. Masyarakat Malaysia perlu sedar akan betapa pentingnya mana-mana perjuangan yang berjuang untuk golongan tertindas. Jangan kita beranggapan, nasib kita baik dan dapat hidup senang lenang, oleh itu kita tidak perlu risau tentang golongan malang yang tertindas ini. Anggapan sebegitu rupa adalah asas bagi kemusnahan masa depan anak-anak kita. Ini adalah kerana, masa depan anak-anak kita tidak terjamin dengan kewujudan politik yang menindas kaum golongan tertentu untuk kepentingan mereka sendiri.

Oleh itu saya amat mengalu-alukan kehadiran Hindraf sebagai satu badan yang berani menegur dan menekan mana-mana parti pemerintah yang cuba menindas atau menganiaya mana-mana kaum yang bergelar Bangsa Malaysia. Syabas saya ucapkan kepada Uthaya dan Hindraf. Teruskan usaha murni ini dan selamatkan Malaysia dari sistem politik yang mengabaikan penduduk miskin serta malang yang berpunca dari kezaliman politik.

Perjuangan murni Hindraf merupakan satu perubahan ketara bagi semua rakyat Malaysia yang selama ini asyik menyoal objektif perjuangannya untuk masyakarat tertindas yang selalunya diputar belit oleh kerajaan pemerintah demi menjaga kepentingan politik mereka sendiri. Oleh itu marilah kita bantu satu sama lain untuk menegakkan keadilan. Buang ketepi kelainan bangsa, kelainan agama dan anggaplah setiap perjuangan yang menuju keadilan adalah murni. Perjuangan Hindraf adalah perjuangan Bangsa Malaysia.

False and malicious newsreport by your reporter

Mr.M.Rajan

Editor In Chief

Makkal Osai

No. 19A, Jalan Murai 2, By Fax No: 03-6250 6714

Batu Complex, 3rd Mile, By E-Mail : news@makkalosai.com

Off Jalan Ipoh,

51200 Kuala Lumpur


URGENT

Dear Sirs,

RE : False and malicious newsreport by your reporter Mr.Muthamilmannan (Makkal Osai

20/07/2009 front page and at page 13)

We refer to the above matter.

May we bring to your kind attention of the false and malicious newsreport in Makkal Osai 20/07/2009, front page and at page 13 that “no announcement made about the new party (but instead) a book launch and public donation spree by Uthayakumar and that his supporters went home disappointed”.

To the contrary all the mainstream newspapers and internet newspapers reported the formation of the Human Rights Party as follows:-

  1. “Human Rights Party will continue the struggle” (Headlines, Malaysia Nanban 20/07/2009)
  2. “New Party started by Uthayakumar” (Tamil Nesan 20/07/2009 page 6)
  3. “New Party for Uthaya (The Star 20/07/2009 page N 25)
  4. “Uthayakumar forms new party (NST 20/07/2009 page 12)
  5. Uthayakumar tubuh parti baru untuk kaum India” (Berita Harian 20/07/2009 page 15)
  6. Uthayakumar lancar parti baru (Utusan Malaysia 20/07/2009 page 9)
  7. “Uthayakumar forms Human Rights Party” and within 24 hours 33,505 viewers viewed the video on this Human Rights Party announcement (Malaysiakini 19/07/2009)
  8. “Uthayakumar sets out to create Indian clout with new party” (Malaysian Insider
  9. Even China Press on 20/07/2009 reported so at page A8 and we believe so by the other Chinese language dailies and the other dailies
  10. NTV7 news at 8.00p.m. also reported on the announcement of the Human Rights Party

Kindly investigate if this said by Mr.Muthamilmannan’s newsreport is motivated by financial and/or political considerations and kindly take the necessary action against him if deemed fit by your goodselves.

On our part our humble request is that Mr.Muthamilmannan is not dispatched anymore to cover any of our future evens or write about us in the future as he has obviously failed to uphold independent journalistic principles and ethics.

For the records this is not the first time your Mr.Muthamilmannan has caused to be published false and malicious newsreports about us.

We believe in freedom of the press and a fair, independent and truthfull reporting and have no intentions at all whatsoever of interfering in your editorial policies.

Our supporters have been calling us today and asking us to:-

  1. File a civil suit against Makkal Osai and Mr.Muthamilmanan

  1. Launch an SMS and E-mail campaign to boycott Makkal Osai and buy Malaysia Nanban instead

  1. To write to the Home Minister and Bahagian Kawalan Akhbar, KDN on this complaint

We are however not inclined to do so as we have many old friends in Makkal Osai. We acknowledge that during the Hindraf struggle and a time when the Malaysian Indians needed you most in the pre and post 25/11/2007,Hindraf Rally times, Makkal Osai carried the people power Makkal Sakthi news vis a vis the Indian people’s struggle without fear or favour.

We wish to reiterate that we are not desperate politicians hard up for media attention for our political survival. We are political activists and political workers with human rights ideals and not politicians per se.

In any event the total amount collected on 19/07/2009 was a mere RM13,990.00. Not a single amount of RM2,500.00 was ever collected as was reported by your goodselves. The report that we did not even provide mineral water to the participants is done in bad faith. The report that we would put people in our office lock up was a joke to which the audience responded with a big laugh when they saw a slide picture of our supporters in the lock up. This was however subsequently latter clarified that this lock up was meant to be a gallery to honour our supporters who had died, arrested by the police prosecuted in court etc.

Your said reporter also did not report on the Human Rights Party (HRP) that was very explicitly written on page 40, and 42 of our book “ Malaysian Indians Political Strategy the way forward” a copy of which was handed over to your Mr.Muthamilmannan by our Mr.S.Jayathas

At the tail end of my speech at yesterday’s Human Rights Party announcement at Hokkien Hall, Klang, I had concluded that if one cannot help in any way, one should not do any harm in any way to this our sacred and sincere struggle. Be that as it may it is our wish and hope that we maintain the best relationship with Makkal Osai .

We are not even demanding an apology but would appreciate a corrective newsreport to reflect the truth as aforesaid and that there is no repeat of this in the future.

Thank you.

Your faithfully,

(P.Uthayakumar)

Secretary General (Pro tem)

Human Rights Party (HRP), Malaysia.

Tel no: 03-2282 5622,03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245

E-Mail : p.uthayakumar@hotmail.com