Saturday, May 1, 2010

HINDRAF – 1st NATIONAL LEVEL CONVENTION IN 2010

Hindraf in its pursuit of human rights in Malaysia shall hold its 1st National level convention on August 8, 2010.

HINDRAF in its position has grown in strength since Nov 25, 2007 in quality of conscious and right thinking participants for a humanity cause for the poor and poverty stricken amongst Malaysians along with various international watchdogs who have taken an interest in the prevailing abuses of human rights in Malaysia after 53 years of independence of a purported multi racial society

A delegate of 100 participants who are actively involved in HINDRAF’s struggle in Malaysia along with about 200 observers including several international human rights watchdogs will be attending our inauguration of a national level convention.

Amongst the objective of this convention is to address and highlight numerous issues relating to continued suppression of human rights issues in Malaysia. Along with this, there will be resolutions passed on the future direction of HINDRAF and their plans to mobilise human rights issues in Malaysia starting in the back water of the poor, deprived, discriminated and marginalized society.

There will be a direct live video conference with P. Waythamoorthy who is in exile in London where the delegates and observers can exchange their views in the direction of HINDRAF for the betterment of human rights in Malaysia.   

Amongst the other issues that will be highlighted during this convention is the new line up of the HINDRAF national and international coordinators who will spearhead the struggle of HINDRAF for its objective in Malaysia and abroad.

The direction of HINDRAF has always been without prejudice to another but to ensure that the voices of the voiceless are a constant reminder for a humanity cause in Malaysia.  

Thank you.
P. Waythamoorthy
HINDRAF- CHAIRMAN

'PR lost touch with grassroot Indians'

By Athi Shankar - Free Malaysia Today

GEORGET TOWN: In the aftermath of the Hulu Selangor by-election and the many views expressed, Hindraf campaigners see the single most pertinent fact in that Pakatan Rakyat has lost its highly underestimated baseline support – the Indians.

Lacking the influence of Hindu Rights Action Force and Human Rights Party campaigners is seen by them as the main reason for PKR candidate Zaid Ibrahim’s defeat in Hulu Selangor.

HRP adviser N Ganesan contrasts this to the wave of Hindraf support in four states two years ago that he believes led to Pakatan general election success, placing the largest collection of Indian MPs in Parliament.

Ganesan said the results of last two by-elections – Bagan Pinang state seat in Negeri Sembilan and Hulu Selangor – clearly showed that Pakatan was rapidly losing the Indian vote bank without the Hindraf/HRP backing.

“Both seats have sizeable and decisive number of Indian votes. Pakatan failed to capture the majority of the Indian votes and lost both,” he told FMT.

He recalled that Hindraf-inspired Indians strongly backed Pakatan en bloc in the general election of 2008 resulting in Pakatan having a third of parliamentarians and more Indian elected representatives than Barisan Nasional.

“Indian frustration has boiled over to the ballot boxes,” said Ganesan, who is also a political analyst for HRP, alluding to the recent Hulu Selangor by-election.

Two conditions

BN’s P Kamalanathan from MIC won the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat by a 1,725-vote majority on Sunday, polling 24,997 votes against PKR supreme council member Zaid’s 23,272 votes. Indian voters form 19.3% of the constituency voters or 12,453.

Similarly in the Bagan Pinang by-election last October, BN’s Mohd Isa Samad won with a landslide 5,435 majority, garnering 8,013 votes against PAS Negeri Sembilan commissioner Zulkefly Mohamad Omar’s 2,578. There, Indian voters comprised 20.7% of the constituency’s 13,664 eligible voters.

Unlike in the last general election, activists from Hindraf /HRP did not campaign for Pakatan in Hulu Selangor this time.

Hindraf/HRP held firmly to their demand that Pakatan fulfil two conditions in return for their supporting Zaid: that the PKR-led Selangor government allot freehold land to all 98 Tamil schools in the state within next two months, and that Pakatan to stop the practice of Umno and MIC "mandore politics" in the coalition.

“Pakatan refused to budge. As a result, Zaid lost,” claimed Ganesan.

He said Indian frustration against Pakatan was triggered by last year’s demolition of Indian traditional village, Kampung Buah Pala, in Penang, which is governed by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of DAP.

Marginalised Indians

Ganesan warned that the demolition of the village, once popularly known as High Chaparral, would have a trigger-effect nationwide in the next general election unless Pakatan acted swiftly to stop the rot.

It was time that Pakatan state governments acknowledged their shortcomings and failures to safeguard the rights, interests and benefits of the marginalised Indian community in the respective states, he said.

Pakatan governments in Penang, Kedah and Selangor must implement pro-active, long-term policies to upgrade living standards of the working class Indians, who form the bulk of the Indian community and are largely in the lower income bracket.

Ganesan claims that the outcome of the Hulu Selangor contest would have been different if Pakatan governments have heeded Hindraf/HRP's numerous calls to safeguard Indian interests in their states.

The last two by-election results, he said, revealed that Pakatan secured 70% to 80% each of Indian and Chinese votes, and at least 30% to 40% Malay support to win mixed constituencies. “Even 50% of Indian votes would not be enough,” he said.

He said the only way for Pakatan to win back Indian votes was by forging a political alliance with Hindraf/HRP.

He has ruled out any cooperation with Umno-led BN. “But we would only work with Pakatan if the coalition can assure us of a better future for Indians in the country,” said Ganesan.

Kg Buah Pala DAP & UMNO axis “blood letting” of poor and landless Indian and cattle farmers continues. Vengeful and Revengeful Lim Guan Eng who himself had once been a victim of injustices.


4Kg Buah Pala DAP & UMNO axis “blood letting” of poor and landless Indian and cattle farmers continues. Vengeful and Revengeful Lim Guan Eng who himself had once been a victim of injustices.
Having ruthlessly demolished the last traditional Kg Buah Pala Indian village in Penang, the DAP and UMNO axis continues with their “blood letting” of the poor, underprivileged and landless Indians in Penang by now demolishing their cow sheds which in any event is outside the developer’s land and which is not the subject of the Developer’s Court Order in their favour.
Towkay Kapitan Lim Guan Eng’s promised Court application to set aside the Court Order favouring the Developer was a mere wayang kulit theatrics and never intended to take off. The very much publicised propaganda of the RM600,000.00 double storey house, a hindu temple and an Indian community hall repeatedly promised by the DCM II Penang Indian mandore on his towkay’s instructions is again another wayang kulit and which is yet to be given to the Kg Buah Pala settlers and neither has the offer been in black and white or at least a guarantee of the same by the DAP Penang state government in the event that the developer does not complete and hand over these double storey houses. 2
And now to add insult to injury, these poor Indians 100 years old traditional cow sheds are being demolished by using armed DAP Chinese gangsters. 100 cows and 15 calves have now been left roaming around the area with no where to go. K.Sivananthan’s RM200.00 income per day from daily milk has been thrown sand into by the DAP. It is coming to almost one year now but the DAP Penang Towkay Kapitan Lim Guan Eng has refused to at the very least grant alternative land to these Kg Buah Pala cattle farmers.
And after the “show” the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) enforcement team and the UMNO police arrive at the scene.
Lim Guan Eng rightfully should be more blameworthy then UMNO, as he himself had not long ago been a victim of gross injustices and fully knows the pain of being a victim of injustices. But now that he has become the YAB of Penang he may have conveniently forgotten this pain and heartache. (TN 30/4/10 at page 3).
This kapitan towkay and the UMNO axis even caused the death of cattle farmer Murugan a few months ago. Murugan had gone to the Unesco office in Geneva in July 2009 to protest the demolishment of Kg Buah Pala and to have Penang’s Heritage status revoked. Murugan had prematurely passed away at 47 years of age a few months ago immediately after his cattle farm was demolished as he could no longer bear DAP’s injustices, the pain and heartache. This Kapitan towkay Lim Guan Eng’s vengeance and revengeful act is abundantly clear and aggravated and done with impunity.
1Penang has a vast land area of 1,033sq kilometers. We now call upon the Penang Chief Minister to grant an alternative ten acre Felda like land scheme with no interest and offering ownership after the offered Penang State government loan is paid up back in full in 15 years times. This offer should be made to all these Kg Buah Pala cattle farmers and all other settlers to at least undo the injustices meted out by this towkay on the poor Indians.
Note: Mr Maran of the Penang HRP was at the site to lend support to this cattle farmer. To make matters worse as at press time today (30/4/2010) we have been told that another cow shed belonging to another Kg Buah Pala settler has also been demolished and the area now cordoned off to them.
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice
5  7  683

HINDRAF is a stampede for humanity



hindraf logo As social activists, Hindraf started fighting against police custodial deaths under PoliceWatch, then the conversion matter of Moorthy and against temple demolitions under the name of Hindraf, and now on a more broad-based human rights violations and marginalisation of minorities under the Human Rights Party. As it is rights based, naturally it is open to all races.
By Hang Tuah

Hindraf is fighting for the poor Indians, not the urban, educated, middle class or rich Indians and similar ones in other races but the bottom 30% who live in small towns, rural areas, those who do not have access to piped
water, education, sometimes electricity, who earn RM 13 a day when even the migrants earn RM 22 per day, those indiscriminately shot at and brutalised in police custody.
It is these Malaysians that Hindraf fight for when the other communities contemptuously shun them as the societal sore even when they are Malaysians!
As it grows and more resources are available, with more non-Indian participation in their effort, Hindraf will broaden its campaign to include all races in their fight against discrimination and marginalization of policies driven by political parties. As of now it restricts itself to only those Malays and Chinese who approaches Hindraf for assistance when they have been shunned by everyone else, including their own race.
Recently, this included a Malay alleged drug addict who died in police custody, and HINDRAF bought a coffin for him when his family could not afford it, as well as the more recent case of Norizan who was shot five times by the police.
Hindraf has given up on the urban English-educated Indians who yearn to be ‘whiteys’, with the typical know how attitude but continue to ignore and disassociate themselves from their poorer and marginalised Malaysian
Indians cousins. There are over 10,000 professional Indians but only a few care for the plight of the poor Indians. These English speaking ‘professional Indians’ prefer to be multi-racial in outlook and socialise with Chinese and Malays, groveling for inclusion and acceptance, not realising that in this racist-centric nation, their own Malay and Chinese ‘multi-racial’ friends have only contempt and disregard for all Indians! Just look at the comments in the cyber world; never an intelligent or a factual argument on the struggle but one that depicts and castigate them with sneers and sarcasm. 
Hindraf struggles for policy change in a macro aspect not on an individual micro sense, but which would eventually benefit all communities not just Indians. A policy change benefits all across the board, regardless of race or religion.
Hindraf initiated or shall I say opened the eyes of many, of the desperation of the Malaysian Indians, by action. Not some cyberworld and passive position that many take today. It wholeheartedly supported Pakatan during the GE12 and all it got back for the society it represented was broken promises. Not once since coming to power has PR conferred with Hindraf on policies. Except for the meetings between Waythamoorthy and Zaid outside Malaysia, until today there is no contact with Hindraf, all their letters and petitions have been spurned!
Hindraf does not trust UMNO or PR. Hindraf warns all Malaysians not to trust politicians on either side. These politicians have no intention to resolve the rakyats’ woes, but to ensure that they are in pole position for themselves but never for the poor or the poverty stricken. They just want your support, your votes.
Everyone wants Hindraf to join PR and fight for ‘The Cause’, but no one wants to hear Hindraf’s demands. They simply want Hindraf’s interests to be subsumed to Pakatan’s greater interests for the political front. HINDRAF can’t do that and will not bow to any force as it is only submissive for a humane cause. The reality today in the current state at least within the major three races, Malay, Chinese and Indian is so transparent, and if the Malays who are politically favoured and those Chinese who are economically well placed, or the elite Indians, cannot understand or fail to recognize the depleted state of the Malaysian Indians, then it is them that are a lesser
Malaysian.
Hindraf feels Anwar has done all that he can and there is not much more he can achieve. Perhaps just a few more seats. That’s about all. We need something more to change the government. Hindraf is also embarking on raising Dayak consciousness and Dayak nationalism, and forming a formidable front in East Malaysia.
Hindraf’s demands have to be placed upfront as this is the society that has deteriorated so far in every aspect as the rest Malaysians stood by and watched it happen. We have already seen that PR has no intention to resolve Hindraf’s demands even when they have the power to do so. PR has no idea on what to do in East Malaysia too, we are told; no stated policies, another ping pong game for their political needs.
What more if PR goes to Putrajaya. When they can’t do a simple thing in the states in West Malaysia that they already govern, how are they to address the poor and poverty concerns of the Malaysian Indians?
Hindraf is convinced that the Chinese and to a lesser extent the Malays, will not sway unless the Indians walk first and create the stampede! The Chinese will not be seen caught voting against the establishment as they have too much at stake as much as the Malay politically, but they will do it if the Indians starts this as the poor and
marginalized poor Indians have nothing to lose in their desperation and despair to seek a better future for themselves in a so-called multi-racial motherland Malaysia in namesake.

HELLO Pakatan, it was also bribery & corruption in GE12

US flag Of course the commentors now run down the Malaysian Indians ie the poor and poverty stricken how they were bought over as they could have created the swing for a Pakatan victory. Looking at some of the comments, it really makes me wonder what kind and how politically immature these people are and can only blow their hot air without any actual analysis.

By R. Shan (Human Being)

It is rather surprising that Pakatan is sounding like an old record that bribery and corruption paved the way for an unknown Mr Kamalanathan further being an Indian to wrestle and defeat the infamous Datuk Zaid Ibrahim in the recent election when the bulk of the Chinese votes more or less voted for Pakatan?
Isn’t bribery and corruption part and parcel of the UMNO machinery? Who are you trying to fool?    
Of course the commentors now run down the Malaysian Indians ie the poor and poverty stricken how they were bought over as they could have created the swing for a Pakatan victory. Looking at some of the comments, it really makes me wonder what kind and how politically immature these people are and can only blow their hot air without any actual analysis. Memories do serve us all short to understand the mechanism of politics.
The same bribery and corruption was there in GE12, but the Malaysian Indians created the swing through the involvement of HINDRAF as an impetus on the marginalization & discrimination state of the Indians with humnaity as the concern, where the bribe and corruption did not stop them to vote for the opposition. Don’t these people see this or is it the type of people that are inbred for the politics of Pakatan.    
Pakatan, if you win, you claim it is multiracial, if you lose you blame the Indians who were bribed and corrupted like in Bagan Pinang. If such is the case, then you do accept that the Malaysian Indians are the kingmakers how the election goes.
Now, your ardent commentors & followers in their armchair position throw all kind of accusations against the Malaysian Indians for the loss in Hulu Selangor. But let me ask you this. What have they fought for? Are they asking for preference? Are they asking to be treated differently from the rest of the Malaysians? No, they are asking what you can do that is different from UMNO with their lackey MIC.
Pakatan had their chances and choices, but they would rather label the very cause that started the uprise HINDRAF as racist and play politics as opposed to BN who sat silently and watched how Pakatan was burning their own bridges with HINDRAF.
To date, with all the criticism that HINDRAF lays at the path of UMNO after the election, have you seen them chastize HINDRAF as much as Pakatan has or it’s ardent commentors and bloggers? The self destruction of PAKATAN is obvious when they are not able to engage HINDRAF. And this UMNO has learnt that as long as there is a battle between PAKATAN and HINDRAF, UMNO can make it’s own route for the Indians as seen in how quickly MMSP was formed against the will of MIC. Of course, MMSP is nothing but an instrument of UMNO.  
Kamalanathan did not win because UMNO is strong, but because PAKATAN is playing politics with the people like what BN has been doing for the last 52 years before their realization after the last election. The realization was created by HINDRAF without bribery and corruption and solely on a humanity pursuit, and BN had taken steps to address these problems and that is why they are by-passing MIC to approach the people directly.
With Pakatan, they seem to be folded in a battle with HINDRAF who can be a formidable ally as they need to realize that HINDRAF has stood aloof beyond politics on the stand that they have taken whether it is UMNO or PAKATAN.  
The aloofness of HINDRAF is somewhat misintepreted or manipulated. Before GE12, UMNO with various accusations. Then after GE12, and in particular after the Kg Buah Pala issue, it was the turn of PAKATAN. UMNO has died down, but PAKATAN keeps harping on the racism of HINDRAF.
It is funny. With all the racial criticism of HINDRAF, the PAKATAN fans blame the Malaysian Indians for the loss in Hulu Selangor. What they fail to realize is that the humanity aspect that HINDRAF pursues is not the summer soldiers and sunshine patriots that they seek but a permanent solution that PAKATAN can offer for a humane will for this society that has been sidelined and kicked around for everyone’s personal political will.
Sure, bludgeon me. But I alone cannot make the difference, but we need a community to seek what is the truth and reality on the ground for the humanity that we seek without any political interference or influence for the betterment of the future generation.

PAMERAN RANG DAFTAR PEMILIH TAMBAHAN

spr logo PAMERAN RANG DAFTAR PEMILIH TAMBAHAN
Pameran Rang Daftar Pemilih Tambahan bagi SUKU PERTAMA TAHUN 2010 mengikut setiap negeri. Tarikh pameran bermula dari 26 April 2010 hingga 2 Mei 2010. Segala tuntutan dan bantahan yang ingin dibuat perlu mengikut Prosedur Membuat Tuntutan Dan Bantahan yang ditetapkan.

SEMAKAN RANG DPT SUKU KE-1 2010
(MENGGUNAKAN NO : KP / TENTERA / POLIS)
1. Kenapa Perlu Dipamerkan Rang Daftar Pemilih?
Rang daftar pemilih mengandungi nama-nama pemilih yang dicadangkan untuk dimasukkan ke dalam daftar pemilih dan nama-nama yang dicadangkan untuk dikeluarkan dari dalam daftar pemilih.
SPR memberi peluang kepada orang ramai terutamanya kepada individu yang memohon untuk bukan sahaja memastikan namanya didaftarkan dalam daftar pemilih tetapi juga maklumat yang diberikan itu adalah betul dan tepat. Selain kepada individu yang terlibat, SPR turut memberi ruang dan peluang kepada masyarakat pengundi untuk menyemak dan memastikan bahawa semua senarai yang dicadangkan untuk dimasukkan atau dikeluarkan adalah benar dan tidak perlu dibantahi.
2. Apa Yang Dipamerkan Dalam Rang Daftar Pemilih?
Maklumat-maklumat yang dipamerkan adalah seperti yang berikut:
(a)
Nombor kad pengenalan pemilih;
(b)
Nama pemilih;
(c)
Alamat pemilih; dan
(d)
Lokaliti pemilih.
3. Di Mana Rang Daftar Pemilih Dipamerkan?
Rang daftar pemilih tambahan dipamerkan di tempat-tempat yang telah diwartakan oleh SPR di setiap negeri seperti yang berikut:
(a)
Perlis
(b)
Kedah
(c)
Pulau Pinang
(d)
Kelantan
(e)
Terengganu
(f)
Perak
(g)
Pahang
(h)
Selangor
(i)
Wilayah Persekutuan
(j)
N. Sembilan
(k)
Melaka
(l)
Johor
(m)
Sabah
(n)
Sarawak
Rang daftar pemilih juga dipamerkan dalam laman web SPR.
4. Apa Perlu Dilakukan Semasa Tempoh Pameran?
Semasa rang daftar pemilih tambahan dipamerkan, orang ramai terutamanya yang telah mendaftar dalam suku tahun tersebut perlu menyemak rang daftar pemilih tambahan yang dipamerkan bagi membuat tuntutan atau bantahan di mana perlu.
5. Tuntutan
Seseorang yang telah memohon supaya didaftarkan dalam daftar pemilih tambahan bagi kawasan pendaftaran ia berkelayakan mendapati namanya telah tertinggal daripada daftar pemilih tambahan yang dipamerkan boleh mengemukakan tuntutan kepada Pendaftar dalam masa 7 hari dari tarikh daftar pemilih tambahan dibuka untuk dipamerkan. Tuntutan dibuat dengan menggunakan Borang B dan disertakan salinan Borang A. Sekiranya tuntutan diterima, nama pemilih akan dipamerkan di pejabat pilihan raya negeri yang berkenaan selama 7 hari. Borang Tuntutan (Borang B) boleh dimuat turun.
6. Bantahan
Bantahan adalah permohonan kepada Pendaftar dalam tempoh pameran oleh pemilih berdaftar dalam kawasan pendaftaran berkenaan untuk membantah kemasukan nama atau pengeluaran nama pemilih dalam daftar pemilih tambahan bagi kawasan pendaftaran berkenaan yang sedang dipamerkan.
Pembantah perlu mengemukakan bayaran RM 10.00 bagi setiap orang yang dibantahkannya dan hanya dibenarkan membantah sebanyak 10 nama sahaja. Sekiranya permohonan diterima, Pendaftar akan terus membuat keputusan sekiranya terdapat bukti yang mencukupi atau menjalankan siasatan awam bagi menyiasat kebenaran bantahan tersebut. Borang Bantahan (Borang C) boleh dimuat turun.
7. Siasatan Awam
Siasatan awam akan dijalankan bagi menyiasat kebenaran bantahan. Dalam siasatan awam Pendaftar boleh memanggil pembantah, orang yang kena bantah atau saksi-saksi lain bagi membantu beliau membuat keputusan. Daftar pemilih tambahan bagi kawasan pendaftaran ini hanya boleh diperakukan setelah selesainya urusan siasatan awam ini.
8. Rayuan
Sekiranya mana-mana pihak (pembantah atau orang yang kena bantah) tidak berpuas hati dengan keputusan Pendaftar dalam siasatan awam, maka mereka boleh membuat rayuan kepada Pegawai Pengadil.
RANG UNDANG UNDANG

200 Indians denied Tekun Micro business loans only (13) 6.5% get peanuts of RM2K to RM3K- Kacang putih business?


Tekun logo 200 Indians denied Tekun Micro business loans only (13) 6.5% get peanuts of RM2K to RM3K- Kacang putih business?
The 2010 National budget is RM191.5 Billion.
RM200 Million was allocated to Tabung Kumpulan Usaha Niaga (TEKUN). This includes RM20 Million for small scale Indian Malaysian entrepreneurs which is in addition to the existing RM50 Million. But we estimate that about 95% of this RM35 Million did not go down to the Indian entrepreneurs on the ground, just like how the RM100 Million allocation for Tamil schools under the first and second economic stimulus packages (2009 Budget) but not a single cent went to any Tamil school. (NST 24/10/2009 at page B4).
But when it comes to granting these Tekun business loans even up to 100% of the Indian applicants have been denied the same. RM2.5 Billion AIM loans were given to 190,900 poor households earning below RM2,000 per month. But the Malaysian Indian Business Association President, Mr.P.Sivakumar was reported to have said in 2008 that the government’s AIM loans did not provide micro credit loans to all the 200 Indians it had recommended. 
Out of the 200 applicants for this Tekun loans, only 13 were granted RM2,000.00 to RM3000.00 loans. What! to do Kacang Putih business? And only one Indian was granted RM10,000.00 (SH 30/4/10 at page S21).
The Indians do not want any special allocation of RM35 Million or so, as the UMNO led Malay-sian government’s racist game plan is that an estimated 95% or so of these allocations do not reach the targeted 70% of the Indians who are poor and in the lower income group anyway! This UMNO’s game plan is just the tip of the iceberg and it applies to all other areas of the national mainstream development of Malaysia which excludes the Indians. 
The Indians want to be part of the RM200 Million Tekun loans which should be on a needs basis in accordance with Article 8 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees equality for all Malaysian citizens before the law but which the racist, religious extremist and supremacist UMNO does not follow. In fact UMNO violates this Article 8 with impunity.
And on top of this we want the UMNO One Malay-sia Prime Minister to publish, in a transparent, accountable manner and with good governance, in the Prime Minister’s website the full list of recipients, the amount of loans they had received and the criteria of selection.
Then and only then will there be One Malaysia as opposed to One Malay-sia.
P.Uthayakumar

New 
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Lim Guan Eng – Stop Colluding with the Developer and Stop the Continuing Bullying of the Remaining Kampung Buah Pala Ranch.


P8030071 High Chaparral cows and goats were left strayed on the streets when a developer’s demolition team flattened one of the two livestock ranches in the former Kampung Buah Pala here on Wednesday morning. The remaining ranch could be demolished tomorrow Friday, its owner had been warned.
According the affected cowherd K Sivanandam, a group of Malay and Bangladesh gangsters ran riot and demolished his ranch about 11.30am using an excavator and sledgehammers.
He even named several trespassers as Johan, Izad, Noordin and Helmi in his police report lodged at Jelutong police station last night.
The four were allegedly were part of the developer’s demolition team that demolished homes and annihilated the Indian traditional village in September last year.
Sivanandam claimed that the gangsters stormed into his ranch and wrecked it without even producing any notice of evacuation from relevant authorities.
The frightened cows and goats fled all over the places fearing the rampage.
“When I asked who they are, they acted aggressively against me and said that they have power to demolish my ranch.“I was all alone and could not fight back,” Sivanandam told newsmen at the site today.
He estimated his losses at RM30,000.
The demolition team was accompanied several uniformed and plain clothed policemen. According to police sources, they were merely acting on the ‘directives’ of several higher ups in the Pakatan Rakyat state government .

However, at a separate press conference, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as expected was non-committal and claimed that he was unaware about the demolition.He said that the state government wouldn’t interfere in the issue and would leave it to the developer Nusmetro Venture (P) Sdn Bhd and cowherds to resolve the dispute. Ironically, Lim’s statement indirectly confirmed that the developer carried out the unauthorised demolition.
At another press conference, Penang Island Municipal Council president Patahiyah Ismail said the council had not issued any notice of evacuation to the ranches and its enforcement unit was not involved in the demolition.Northeast district land office officials also confirmed it and re-affirmed that the cow ranches were sitting on a state land, not the developer’s land.
Kampung Buah Pala was once known as Penang Tamil High Chaparral for its population of cowherds, cattle, goats and other livestock, unique Indian cultural features and festivities.The 200-year-old Indian traditional village was demolished last September by Nusmetro, while families were still in their homes, to pave the way for a posh condominium project called the Oasis.
Consumer Association of Penang officer NV Subarrow said the developer has no authority to demolish a cow ranch outside his land.
“The authorities must explain this injustice,” he told newsmen.He said the state authorities should resolve the problem by identifying a suitable alternate site for the cowherds to breed their livestock.“It’s their livelihood being affected and the state authorities must help them,” insisted Subarrow.
The other cowherd R Subramanian, who rears some 200 cows and goats, said he was warned by the same developer’s gangsters that his nearby ranch would be demolished tomorrow.Sivanandam and Subramanian are in dilemma now on where to relocate their cattle and livestock.
Producing notice of a meeting with the land district office last month, they said they had been in discussion with the land officers to find an alternate site to relocate and rear their livestock.
“We are not saying we wanted to stay put here.
“We want an alternate site and authorities should help us here,” said Sivanandam and Subramanian, whose family have had been breeding cattle and livestock in the village for more than 100 years.

Nadodi Mannan

Hulu Selangor inspires MIC but Samy’s exit date still unknown

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), which took a severe knock in the 2008 general election, appears to have endeared itself with more Indian voters this time around if the results of the recent Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election are anything to go by.

In the 2008 general election, the country’s largest Indian-based party managed to win only three of nine parliamentary seats and six out of 19 state seats it contested.

Hulu Selangor’s victor, P. Kamalanathan, said after his win that the Indians are back with MIC following support for the party sinking to an all-time low of about 40 per cent two years ago.

But he was level-headed enough to add that his win “doesn’t mean the work is over” and that “we still have a lot more to do.”

That Kamalanathan managed to pull off a victory is a huge credit to him as he started off as the underdog. And he proved that he was no ordinary MP when he got to work right away on Monday after his victory on Sunday by visiting his constituents and pledging to improve things for them, encompassing all ethnic groups along the way.

Kamalanathan’s name was not on the radar initially. Party supremo Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had already announced that his deputy, Datuk G. Palanivel, was to contest although it had been customary to allow such announcements to be made by Barisan Nasional chairman and Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Samy Vellu’s announcement opened a pandora’s box of confusion as Palanivel was not seen as a strong candidate by the BN leadership after his loss to a then ailing Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad of PKR in 2008.

Then the name of Hulu Selangor’s MIC youth chief V. Mugilan surfaced. But this candidate was not favoured by the MIC top brass and they even wanted to expel the young man “for working against the interests of the party” initially.

A compromise was reached when both MIC and UMNO decided on Kamalanathan, the MIC information chief.

From the word “go”, Kamalanathan, a public relations manager, was joined by Palanivel and Mugilan to canvass for votes. Their united front also put to end speculation that their (Palanivel and Mugilan’s) supporters would not support the BN in the by-election.

Kamalanathan coasted to victory with a 1,725 vote majority. His win, despite the shaky start, saw the MIC not only recapturing the seat but also increasing Indian support for the ruling coalition.

“The (winning) majority is fine. From now on this is the kind of majority you would be able to see in the future. Gone are the days when you have 10,000 and 20,000 vote majority. A win is a win, no matter what the majority,” said Palanivel.

While there were other factors which led to the increase in Indian support like the inclusive approach adopted by Najib and the entire BN election machinery going all out for victory, the MIC’s efforts in helping BN win the by-election should not be downplayed.

MIC members immediately “attacked the ground”, especially in areas with large concentrations of Indians and managed to grab nearly 65 per cent of Indian support for BN.

But support from the Malaysian Makkal Sakthi Party and the Indian Progressive Front, two other Indian-based parties, also helped. Makkal Sakthi, whose members are noted for their bright orange t-shirts, was aligned with the Opposition in 2008, but it has since thrown its support behind BN.

Samy Vellu, in acknowledging the increase in Indian support, said the MIC needed to redouble its efforts to raise this to 80 per cent again.

That aside, MIC watchers are also wondering when Samy Vellu will pass on the leadership baton to Palanivel, who will be made a senator soon.

The MIC boss recently said that he would leave the top job once some “outstanding party matters had been settled.”

But his current term as MIC president only ends in 2012 and he has been at the helm for 31 years.

When asked about this, Palanivel, who had always been deferential and diplomatic on this touchy subject, said that he would leave it to Samy Vellu to decide on the time frame and transition although he was already ready to take over the MIC top post.

He said he would wait for Samy Vellu “to be ready to leave” before taking over.

“The question of whether if I am ready does not arise. I have been his deputy since 2006. I have been trained. When he (Samy Vellu) is ready to give up the post, I am ready to take it.

“It is a question of when the president is ready to handover. That only he will know. Only he can decide on the date and so on,” he told Bernama.

Palanivel’s latest statement is his strongest indication yet that he is willing to take over the helm of the party which has 630,000 members.

“Only he (Samy Vellu) can decide on this. He has always been saying that and I have always told (him) that I am ready. The question of readiness does not arise anymore,” said the former journalist. — Bernama