Hindraf supports Zaid's call for reforms - Malaysiakini

Hindraf Makkal Sakthi chair P Waythamoorthy has expressed cautious optimism over Pakatan Rakyat (PR) chair Zaid Ibrahim's call for change and reform in Malaysia.

Makkal Sakthi – people power in Tamil – is the Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf) theme.

Waythamoorthy (left) foresees that Sabah and Sarawak will be taking an increasingly neutral stance to determine who rules in Putrajaya.

“The March 2008 political tsunami in Peninsular Malaysia has given a chance for them do what is best for themselves,” said Waythamoorthy.

He was speaking to Malaysiakini in Kota Kinabalu from London.

hopelessly divided

The Hindraf stalwart sees both sides of the political divide in Peninsular Malaysia as hopelessly divided in the foreseeable future. Still, in Umno for example, there are leaders like Tengku Razaleigh who can be expected to reach out across the political divide.

“Peninsular Malaysia is emerging as volatile and unpredictable despite the best efforts of Umno to force the Malays to circle the wagons,” said Waythamoorthy.

Under these circumstances, Sabah and Sarawak have the opportunity to be a third force in Malaysian politics, he added. “This is more than a catchphrase. This signals a maturing of politics in Malaysia.

“There is strong political leadership in Sabah and much promise in Sarawak. Hindraf has much support in these two states and we have much to learn from them. We don't mind campaigning in Sabah and Sarawak to push the agenda for change and reform. We have raised this with Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (right).”

Waythamoorthy sees the politics of both states as rising above petty rivalries and race or religion. He believes that the people have the right to hear the truth and decide the kind of political parties they want in government and the opposition. For him, the choice appears to be between keeping feudal-style Malay political warlords or embracing egalitarianism in the running of the nation's politics.

No amount of temple demolishing, church bombings or hurling wild-boar heads into mosque compounds is going to derail the people's political process in Malaysia, swore Waythamoorthy. “The people's message from the streets to the lunatic fringe is to cease and desist.”

Critical views

Former Sabah PKR State Secretary Kanul Gindol takes a more critical view of the PKR, however. He thinks it is bogged down by Anwar Ibrahim's 'politics is my family's business' approach in running the party.

Then, he reckoned that there is the Umno-style “corrupt to the core political vagabonds who have jumped on the PKR's bandwagon. There's also the “proxies, stooges and traitors” cultivated in Sabah and Sarawak to serve their political masters in Peninsular Malaysia,” continued Kanul.

Former Sabah PKR deputy chief Daniel John Jambun sees Zaid's speech as the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. “It offers hope to Sabah and Sarawak,” said Daniel, also the deputy chair of the powerful Sabah PKR KadazanDusunMurut Task Force.

However some former senior Sabah BN activists in Sabah and Sarawak are not that sure and expect four crucial events in the near future to stress PKR to the breaking point.

The first is Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy 2 trial. Then there is the suspected willingness among a number of PKR MPs to be bought over by Umno to give it a two-thirds majority in Parliament to pass the new electoral rolls.

Thirdly, the Federal Court is expected to rule on the continuing saga of the two Menteris Besar in Perak on Feb 9 and the decision could have a huge impact on PKR's future.

Finally, it is believed, that Umno 'moles' in PKR are ready to seize control of the party 'when Anwar is carted off to jail'.

The last group, said to be closely linked to Anwar himself, is said to have already written his political obituary and successfully lobbied for party elections, due next month, but expected to be deferred to May.

East Malaysia will be watching these developments very closely.

“Those who think that they can seize control of the party and get away with it are sadly mistaken., said a senior Sabah PKR activist. “Sabah and Sarawak won't just go along with anyone in Peninsular Malaysia who comes to power through undemocratic means.”

Family rejects 'suicide' claim, wants independent autopsy - Malaysiakini

The family of a man, said to have committed suicide while in police custody, have refused to collect his remains from the morgue and are seeking another post-mortem.

Sawmill worker P Babu, 28, was found dead in the Jempol police lock up at about 4am after he surrendered himself in connection with a robbery case.

When contacted, Jempol MIC Youth chief M Palani said the first post-mortem report classified the death as suicide.

The deceased had apparently used his shirt to hang himself.

"But this is unofficial. We were told that we would get the black and white report within seven days," he added.

'Strong willed person'

Palani said the family have rejected the findings because "Babu was a strong willed person and would not have this decision (to commit suicide)".

"We are also questioning the fact that he hung himself using his shirt. Shouldn't he be wearing a police issued t-shirt (for detainees)?" he asked.

Yesterday, Palani filed a police report calling for a thorough investigation into Babu's death.

Both MIC and PKR politicians have cried foul over the incident and offered to help the family secure a second post-term.

For years, activists and politicians have been complaining about the high number of fatalities involving Indian Malaysian police detainees.

In January 2008, a police constable was charged with causing hurt to extract a confession from A Kugan, 22, who died in police custody in Subang Jaya.

In July, P Gunasegaran, 31, was found dead in the Sentul police station. An inquest is currently underway.

Najib's aide to resign over 'racist' remarks - Malaysiakini

Nasir Safar, the special officer to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who stirred a hornet's nest with his stinging 'racist' remarks will resign, according to a statement from the premier's office this evening.

"The remarks allegedly made by Nasir in Malacca today do not in any way reflect the views of the prime minister," the statement said, according to Bernama.

"... Nasir never intended to make any derogatory remarks. He spoke at length on the contributions made by all races in developing the country.

"Nevertheless, Nasir apologises for any offence caused...and in light of this, will tender his resignation."

Prompt action lauded

Lauding the move, MIC vice-president and Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam said the prompt action by the prime minister indicated his seriousness and commitment in ensuring the success of the letter and spirit of the '1Malaysia' policy.

"This should act as a deterrent to ensure that similar statements are not repeated by any quarters," he added in a statement.

Subramaniam said the government is very receptive to the sensitivities of all communities.

"The spirit of unity in in diversity and that of inclusiveness rather than tolerance as has been exemplified by the prime minister should form the premise of the foundation of this nation as we move forward in the globalised era.

"I am sure it is the wish of all Malaysians to create such a Malaysia and we should come together as we persevere to achieve that goal," he added.

Walkout staged

Earlier, Malaysiakini reported that Nasir drew flak for his comments made during a seminar titled 'Rapat 1Malaysia' in Malacca this morning.

Among others, he had allegedly described the Indians and Chinese in Malaysia as 'pendatang' or 'guests'.

He had also threatened to revoke the citizenship of those making 'extreme demands' to scrap the subject cap for the SPM examination.

A source, who was among those at the seminar, claimed that Nasir also said that Chinese women come here to 'jual tubuh' (engage in the flesh trade).

His remarks prompted scores of MIC and MCA members as well as non-governmental organisation representatives to stage a walkout.

Following this, MIC leaders, including party president S Samy Vellu, demanded that stern action be taken against Nasir.

Samy Vellu called for the special officer to be punished under the Sedition Act.

Press statement – Malaysian Indian and modern day slavery at the hands of UMNO.

Press statement – Malaysian Indian and modern day slavery at the hands of UMNO.

The latest custodial death toll of the Malaysian Indian just moved a notch up with the death of P. Babu in Jempol. The endless death in police custody of the…

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The latest custodial death toll of the Malaysian Indian just moved a notch up with the death of P. Babu in Jempol. The endless death in police custody of the Malaysian Indian has no boundary for the unfounded power that the PDRM wield under the UMNO led government.

Imagine? P.Babu, a young orphan, attended willfully for an enquiry and he ends up beinf murdered in police custody.

All the talk of One Malaysian and the stage drama conducted by Najib in visiting Chennai and Thaipusam is nothing but a charade for the voters’ bank. Similarily those who dance to his tunes including those Malaysian Indians who are totally nonchalant in ending the policy driven slavery of the Malaysian Indians at the hand of UMNO is similar to what the segregated African had to go through the Apartheid system from 1948 to 1994.

The poverty stricken Malaysian Indians are in similar position today in an indirect slavery, through the policies and underhand powers that UMNO supports in maintaining the slavery of the Malaysian Indians in police custody as well as the socio development of this segment through their mandores.

The significance of poverty stricken Malaysian Indian is always played down for the stigma that is created whether it is from UMNO or the opposition as they are only visible when the vote bank counts. It is a foregone conclusion that Pakatan is not the kind of force that can challenge UMNO hegemony when the MB of Selangor was conveniently sidelined in Batu Caves and all that they could do is brood in media and play politics rather than to take measures to prevent such events that they should have foreseen.

The problem here lies not with UMNO, but the inefficient and ineffective PAKATAN, UMNO has its own problem driven by greed and power and therefore weak in her stand. However the PAKATAN coalition seems to be equal partners as they fail to reach out to the poverty stricken Malaysian Indians to address their problems but rather diddle around without a direction in their political ploys.

The death in custody of a Malaysian Indian is a national issue irrespective of origin, but nobody seems to focus on it except that what we normaly see, a statement or two by the leaders then everything dies off as another political playground reigns. Only if the Pakatan can stay chained and focused, will they have the chance to make the difference for the majority of poverty stricken Malaysian Indians and in whole for the masses.

The death of P.Babu will soon become another brutal episode for UMNO to celebrate its slavery of the Malaysian Indians and PAKATAN to play politics similar to what happened to Francis Udayappan, Kugan, Teoh Beng Hock, and Gunasegaran.

The Premier of Malaysia, Najib should be ashamed of himself, as he goes wooing the Malaysian Indians yet in his backyard, his dogs ie the PDRM continues its unbridled slavery through their policies against the poverty stricken Malaysian Indians with the murder of P. Babu in police custody.

P. Waytha Moorthy

Hindraf- Chairman

Police murder Indian in Bahau police lock up. Police The Star & MIC axis

Yet again another ethnic minority Malaysian Indian is killed by the police in the police lock up and this time at the Bahau police station. In our annual “Malaysian Indian…

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Yet again another ethnic minority Malaysian Indian is killed by the police in the police lock up and this time at the Bahau police station. In our annual “Malaysian Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2009 Malay-sia Truly Racist ” we had estimated that about 95% of the victims of death and /or killings in police custody and killings by being shot dead by the police are Indians.

The Indians having been targetted by UMNOs’ 98% Malay muslim police force has been ongoing for over especially in least the last 20 years or so. And today P. Babu’s (28) killing in the Bahau police station is just the tip of the iceberg of the hundreds if not thousands of Indians being killed in police custody or by being shot dead by the police.

Late November year Surend a 17 year old juvenile together with four others were shot dead by the police in Klang. The sister R. Seetha who could not take the pain of this police atrocities and had committed suicide after consuming paraquat and giving the same to her four young children.

Two months before that six Indians were shot dead by the police in their house in Kulim, Kedah.

Some three years back an Indian middle aged man was given an electric shock and killed in the very same Bahau police station within 24 hours of his detention.

A. Kugan was brutally beaten up and killed at the Taipan police station.

All these and the hundreds if not the thousands of Indians never got justice from the UMNO government or their courts and merely “mati katak”.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of the hundreds of thousands of such cases of police unlawful arrest torture and atrocities year in and year out.

The MIC as usual is assigned to do damage control. This time the MIC Exco mandore for Negeri Sembilan plays “wayang kulit” by saying “we hope the police can enlighten us on what really happened” as was reported in The Star.

The Star, another UMNO linked newspaper takes the pro police murder justified angle and gives the impression of this murdered victim to be seen to be guilty even before being found guilty of the alleged offence by a Court of law and so he deserves to be killed in a police lock up. Their sub headlines” Ex convict assisting police investigations found dead in cell speaks for itself.

If at all the police had earlier opened fire on P. Babu as was reported by “The Star the police defender”, the police would have released a photo fit of Babu, a manhunt would have been launched, newsreports published to alert hospitals and clinics to report on this injured Babu, an all points buliten launched etc especially when Babu was alleged to have been shot on the leg. But neither The Star nor any of the other UMNO controlled or other newspapers had done so.

This is just another typical tip of the iceberg case of the whole state machinery plus the media (Star) and also the pin drop silence by NGO’s and even the 82”multi – racial” Opposition PKR, DAP and PAS MPs and their supreme and top leaders. When the victim of this most serious and fundamental violations of human rights is an ethnic minority Malaysian Indian, which community has no or very little political or economic clout, no one cares.

And so these UMNO atrocities against the Indians continue with impunity.

P. Uthayakumar.

S’gor PKR denies Indian poor agricultural land to get out of poverty

Even Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR led Selangor State Government would not set aside agricultural land for especially the poor and hardcore poor Indians at least in Selangor although they are already…

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Even Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR led Selangor State Government would not set aside agricultural land for especially the poor and hardcore poor Indians at least in Selangor although they are already in power for two years now.

But this very same Selangor State could allocate 526 hectres of land in Serendah, Rawang, Selangor to the almost exclusively malay muslims Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan (YBK) Selangor. (NST 2/2/10 at page 13)

Even if one quarter hectre is granted to people like S. Bawani (32) a widow whose husband suddenly died of a heart attack and now left stranded and merely earning RM 200.00 per month as a cleaner and having to feed her five children (Tamil Nesan 2/2/2010 at page 2 )they could be helped out of hardcore poverty. On this quarter hectre of land they could rear high yielding goats and live on the same land. Based on this 526 hectres (526×4=) 2,104 poor and hardcore poor Indians in Selangor could be instaneously pulled out of poverty. But the multi – racial PKR, DAP and PAS will not do it as they fear losing the Malay votes.

How then is PKR, DAP and PAS any different from the previous UMNO regime at least in Selangor?