Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Man who torched himself dies, MPSJ blamed

By B Nantha Kumar - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR : Puchong MIC diivision information chief M Gunasegaran, who set himself on fire in an attempt to stop the demolition of a Hindu temple, succumbed to his injuries this morning.

In an immediate reaction, MIC Youth chief T Mohan held the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) responsible for his death.

The 52-year-old father of six passed away at 9.30 am this morning at Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

On Nov 8, MPSJ workers had wanted to demolish two wooden structures belonging to the Sri Srinivasa Temple in Puchong. One structure housed the temple's chariot, and the other served as a store room.

The structures were located on a land belonging to the Castlefield Tamil School. The temple committee had been using the structures on the land for the past 10 years with permission from the school.

Gunasegaran had climbed onto the rooftop of the store room, doused himself with petrol and set himself on fire, suffering 80% burns on his body.

He was initially warded at the Serdang Hospital's intensive care unit before being transferred to HKL.

Meanwhile, Mohan said that MPSJ was the “root cause” behind Gunasegaran's death.

“The council and its workers are supposed to be careful in dealing with such matters, especially when there is someone threatening to kill himself,” he added.

However, he said that MIC Youth would not take legal action against MPSJ but would assist the victim's family, should they decide to do so.

FMT could not reach Gunasegaran's family members for comments.

HRP ready to fight in heavyweight category to meet Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan National in next general.

Hindraf has become a legend for what it has been able to achieve – to show up the false rules and to take courageous action to hit at the ruling Government. Why has this happened? After 53 years the UMNO government keeps telling us that they are doing the best for all the communities on the one hand, yet we have this process of marginalization of Indians continuing unabated.

Indian lives are surrounded and smothered by UMNO and their Mandores. Hindraf started the brave action and started to educate the poor and marginalized about their rights. People start to think and agree. For this the leaders of Hindraf were detained under the draconic ISA law for 514 days. And exiled from the country.

The Indians then decided enough is enough and decided to throw out UMNO. Now the Indian poor and marginalized are very strong in mind and heart, and are not going to cooperate with UMNO anymore and are surely going to push them out from Putrajaya.

In the 2008 General Election Hindraf give life to a weak Malaysian opposition coalition, the PAKATAN RAKYAT. Pakatan leaders however, after getting all the Indian votes now do not want to solve the Indian problems permanently but keep busy creating new Mandores to prevent the poor Indians from asking about their rights. We are cheated again by Pakatan Rakyat.

Our leader released from ISA announces a new Indian party to keep fighting against UMNO. Pakatan Rakyat is not ready to accept our new political party in their march to Putrajaya. They want our leader to join their party and perform a Mandores’s job and they forgot that they are talking to a totally new kind of leader.

Pakatan Rakyat has 3 leaders Anwar Ibrahim and Hadi Awang for Malays and Lim kit Siang for Chinese, Where is the Indian leader for Indians…..? What is the so difficult for Pakatan Rakyat to accept our leader to talk on behalf of Indians. There are few question frequently asked by some from the Pakatan Rakyat stable.

1. Why does HRP always hit PR not BN?

We have already decided we are not going back to BN again, so why do we have to worry about their policies and positions and waste our energy with BN, I voted for PR to correct all the nonsense. I have all the right to correct PR. I hit to correct PR, if PR does not realize then they will not go any further than where they are now.

2. Why is HRP going to create three corner election fights – that will split the vote and give BN to win.

So if PR is worried about this, then don’t waste time. Let’s work together as a team and please do not expect us to come in as underlings, worse as Mandores. Let the 4 leaders sit together at one table ( DSAI, Hadi, Kit Siang and Uthaya ) and discuss to make a decision for every development issue.

3. I think Uthaya is planted by BN and sponsored by BN?

This is a every easy and self serving argument that you can use on anybody – including on Anwar Ibrahim. Uthaya is planted by Hindraf Makkal Sakti. Pakatan tries to create this nonsensical picture to bring HRP down. Sorry lah Pakatan, this is a Year 2010 not year 1974 ( Mahathir + Mandore politic ).

4. Malaysia only have 7% Indians, how they can win anything?

Win or lose is doesn’t matter to HRP. We can show the path for change and we will make people think and engage in the process of real change. We may be 7 % in numbers and a minority but we are a very vocal minority and in electoral politics that can make for a lot of difference.

5. Why is Pakatan Rakyat worried about HRP?

We can shake the 53 years old BN government. Pakatan Rakyat is just 3 years old, so is nothing for HRP. They know well, even if HRP cannot win any seats in the coming general election they can still destroy PKR Anwar Ibrahim’s desire to become the next Prime minister.

6. HRP is a racist party?

Please do not condition your mind with your suggestion in the question. The answer is that most of the victims of basic human rights are Indians. Nobody really lifts a finger to help them. So who is going to help them? You think people from Thailand or Singapore. So we form a party to take care of our rights – you see anything wrong with that.

7. Why Indians have so many political parties?

This is a picture that BN and PR want to create to throw up a picture of disarray among the Indians. The fact of the matter is that most of those parties are nothing more than a bunch of greedy Mandores and few of their cronies. Useful for propaganda.

Pakatan Rakyat, start to think about your political position. Do not underestimate the influence of HRP and other minority groups? What you have to do is to accommodate the minority groups’ aspirations. Do not be penny wise and pound foolish!

Kalayselvam

Penang State

HRP Chairman