ISA been misuse by Home Minister - Parliament heat again

Anis NazriWed Jul 09, 08 10:13:34 am

MYT KUALA LUMPUR, 9 Julai (Hrkh) -

Sesi penggulungan perbahasan KajianSeparuh Penggal bagi Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) semalam mencuritumpuan ahli Parlimen Pakatan Rakyat.Ia bermula apabila Timbalan Menteri Dalam Negeri, Dato'Chor Chee Heung menyentuh berkenaan isu ISA, yang dianggap masih perlu digunapakai diMalaysia.Dr Lo'Lo' Mohd Ghazali (PAS-Titiwangsa) bangkit membantah penggunaan ISA di negara ini dengan menyatakan bahawa ianya disalahgunakan Menteri Dalam Negeri.

"ISA ini telah disalahgunakan menteri terbabit dengan menahan atau melanjutkan tahanan seseorang itu tanpa sebarang alasan kukuh mengapa ditahan. Sebagai contoh, dua tahanan ISA iaitu Mat Sah Satray dan Shamsuddin Osman telah disambung penahanannya selama dua tahun lagi menjadikan lapan tahun. Tak cukupkah tempoh enam tahun untuk menyiasatdan mengumpul bukti?" soal beliau di Dewan Rakyat, semalam.

Beliau bangkit membantah cadangan Dato' Paduka Ibrahim Ali(Bebas-Pasir Mas) untuk menggunakan ISA terhadap mereka yang terlibatdengan 'sabotaj ekonomi'. Bagaimanapun, Speaker Dewan Rakyat, Dato' Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia bertindak menegur Lo' Lo' agar tidak membawa isu lain yang boleh dijadi bahan perbahasan.

Sementara itu, Chee Heung dalam jawapannya menyatakan bahawa ISA adalah satu akta pencegahan dan masih diperlukan serta akan digunakansecara adil.Beliau juga menafikan dakwaan yang mengatakan menteri menyalahgunakankuasa berkaitan ISA ini.

Ketika ini M Manogaran (DAP-Telok Intan) bangun meminta penjelasan Chee berkenaaan seorang tahanan Hindraf, P Uthayakumar yang dinafikan haknya untuk mendapatkan rawatan. Chee, kemudiannya menyatakan bahawa Uthaya telah diberikan haknya untuk mendapatkan rawatan sambil menegaskan bahawa mereka yang ditahan di bawah ISA tidak dianiaya."Mereka yang ditahan di bawah ISA akan disiasat berkenaan dakwaan yang dikenakan terhadap mereka. Jika mereka sudah pulih dalam tempoh empat tahun, contohnya mereka akan dibebaskan. Jika belum, ia akan disambunglagi dua tahun. Bukannya sampai mati," tegas beliau.

Ketika ini beberapa ahli parlimen Pakatan Rakyat bangkit bagi memohon penjelasan, bagaimanapun tidak diberi laluan oleh Chee. Sementara itu, Ir Khalid Samad (PAS-Shah Alam) ketika bangun memohon penjelasan menyatakan bahawa semua tahanan ISA yang disiasat perlu dibawa ke mahkamah untuk dibicarakan."Saya rasa tak betul, tak tepat bahawa apabila ditahan di bawah ISA itu tidak zalim dan dilayani secara adil. Itu satu pembohongan. Jika dah siasat, ada bukti, bawa ke mahkamah. 'That's is justice'," kata beliau dan mendapat tepukan daripada Pakatan Rakyat. - mks._

Letter from WMP to Mr Thanethiran (Hindraf National Coordinator)

HINDRAF
135-3 Jalan Toman 7
Kemayan Square 70200
Seremban

7TH July 2008.

Dear Tanendran

I have been monitoring the Tamil press for the last few days and am sorry for the predicament you are involved in.

I note with concern that suddenly there appear many groups who claim to be representing HINDRAF and founders of HINDRAF and have thrown various allegations against you. Many of the allegations are unfounded, unwarranted , trivial in nature and are calculated to break HINDRAF and portray that HINDRAF is a disorganised organisation.

There is no doubt that HINDRAF is a young organisation which has been deliberately refused registration by the Government so that they could continuously accuse us of running an illegal organisation.

It is also clear that the Police Special branch which have been working hard to break this powerful organisation is gaining limited success with the help of irresponsible individuals and Media.

In the current circumstances I urge you to remain calm and refrain from issuing any statements for the next few days at least. Let us give our detractors an opportunity to fulfil their Karma. In this way we would also know for certain who is with us genuinely and who are the opportunists who reaps at our cause and at the cause of our struggle.

I also take note of individuals who mislead the community by pretending to be championing our cause. There also appear to be people who are only interested in monetary factor and do not see the larger community interest.

I once again urge you to remain calm and apologize for putting you in a difficult position to face such criticisms.

P.Waytha Moorthy
CHAIRMAN

..

Photos taken during protest against IGP and AG

Pls view the below sites for more photos taken during the protest.

http://hindraf.ning.com/photo/photo/listForContributor?screenName=354exg23k9s08

Thx

Kannan R

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Uthayakumar refuses to 'beg for freedom'

Our courageous Mahatma-ji Uthayakumar is an example to us all.

Uthayakumar refuses to 'beg for freedom'

Mkini- Jul 7, 08 1:03pm

Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P Uthayakumar did not meet with Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar because he was not prepared to beg for an early release.

The minister had visited the Kamunting detention centre on Saturday to meet with the five Hindraf leaders who are being held without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
However, Uthayakumar had refused to meet Syed Hamid. The former's brother and Hindraf chairperson Waythamoorthy has today issued a statement explaining why.

He said Uthayakumar had asked family members who visited him over the weekend to inform the public that he deliberately refused to meet the home minister for the following reasons:

1) The intentions of the minister was clear. The minister had expected the detainees to plead their predicament and their jail conditions and beg for an early release.

2) He (Uthayakumar) believes in the Hindraf struggle and has no regrets for the incarceration he faces.

3) The minister had on previous occasions lied and mislead the Malaysian public that Hindraf was a threat to national security.

4) He (Uthayakumar) maintains that his is a just struggle for the freedom of Indian Malaysians from permanent colonisation of the neo-colonialist Umno government which has suppressed, oppressed and marginalised the Indian community for the last 51 years.
Feels proud

"Uthayakumar urges all Hindraf supporters to remain focussed in the struggle and feels proud to be able to 'serve Indian Malaysians' by taking their plight to prison.
"He feels the draconian ISA law that is used against him and his incarceration should be used to expose the atrocities, marginalisation and oppression of the Malaysian government against the Indians here," read the statement.

Uthayakumar and four other Hindraf leaders were detained shortly after organising a mammoth rally last November which saw tens of thousands taking to the streets.
The government later accused the movement of being an extremist outfit and labelled its leaders a threat to national security.

The other four in detention together with Uthayakumar are M Manoharan, T Vasantha Kumar, V Ganabatirau and R Kenghadharan.

Letter to Mrs Vasantha on her recent remark in Star

by G. Kanchana

I would like to refer to Mrs. Vasantha Kumar's (Mrs Vicneswary) statement in the STAR (02/07/08)
The wife of ISA detainee and Hindu Rights Action Force coordinator K. Vasantha Kumar seems oblivious to the fact that all the Hindraf wives and families are very much in the same shoes as her, some even worse with their elderly parents seriously ill and others having to close down their legal firms.
Mrs. Vickneswary doesn't seem to understand that all the families were left in a lurch and suffering just like her. This applies to the Hindraf 6 and all ISA detainees. This is the cruelty of ISA. Every wife travels the six hundred kilometers on their own, to their husbands. I wouldn't at all like to sound childish and attack her on what support she has given to the other families. After all Uthaya did suffer serious medical issues in detention and Waytha's daughter underwent surgery, did Vickneswary help or morally support any of these families let alone visit them. What is this attitude of some of the wives waiting for those in the front-line of Hindraf to visit them and keep them informed. There is a lack of communication between some of the wives and Hindraf, however it must be remembered the circumstances and events that contributed to this division. Was it Mr. Vasantha Kumar's false police report or some of these wives preference to make their own and secret dealings with Government officials and politicians for the release of their husbands. Why was Hindraf or its coordinators never informed or what was was the purpose of the so called "secret" meetings and appeals. Many thought this as betrayal as it involved persons that Hindraf accused as the reasons behind the downfall of the Indians.Despite this Hindraf made no comments and preferred to be of the opinion that it was the individuals right to pursue the matter in which ever manner they chose. However ties were severed. Hindraf has and is still openly fighting for the release of ALL the ISA detainees. Further, Hindraf as it had before Nov 25th is still continuously fighting for the rights of the Indians. Day after day its chairman Waythamoorthy the coordinators and supporters are constantly fighting for the Indians. Everyone knows, it is Hindraf that brought about the changes in this country today. You only have to flip through the papers and the internet to see the amount of works still being done. What may I ask is Mrs. Vickneswari's contribution or infact some of the other ISA wives participation in this continuous struggle for the Indians. Infact there is a particular wife who has come into a lot more power since the General Election 2008 but has yet to bring out any issues concerning the Indians that would complement her husband's struggle.. As to the lack of financial assistance all the wives individually received some sort of financial aid directly from the persons/individuals/groups giving it. Although the money's were given to the individual wives it was given in spirit because of Hindraf. So whatever money you received was from Hindraf. Please don not expect a cheque signed by Waythamoorthy at your door step, the HIndraf struggle is a struggle from the heart it has no monetary value. We know of all the financial assistance you received, right up from the Al-Jazeera collection, the donations from temples and well wishers up to K.P. Samy's contribution. It would be totally unappreciative for you to now say you did not receive any. Totally ungrateful ! Ask Mr. Raidu he would have more knowledge in this matter.We noticed soon after the Dec 13th arrest how Mr. Vasantha Kumar's mindset seemed to have drifted towards money alone. His involvement in Hindraf had only been three months (and under scrutiny as well ) and yet his expectations were very high and very monetary. While Mr. Uthayakumar behind bars is still very much active in HINDRAF and its future plans, Mr. Vasantha Kumar, your husband was busy asking for Hindraf money. And now it you! Utter humiliation. My serious advice to you would be to stop listening to the ill advices of some who are keen to cause a division in Hindraf. The struggle for the Indians by Hindraf will carry on regardless of those who betray it.Some Hindraf wives, their children, mothers, siblings, families, friends, coordinators, supporters and many others are still in the front-line of this struggle and continuously doing the job.Sitting back, depressed, complaining and blaming others is not going to do you any good. Making such remarks and statements to the press is not damaging to Hindraf but rather to yourself and your husband. You are a HINDRAF 6 wife, be proud of it……. but most of all ACT it !

Why UTHAYAKUMAR REFUSES TO MEET HOME MINISTER SYED ALBAR

HINDRAF
135-3 Jalan Toman 7
Kemayan Square 70200
Seremban
Negeri Sembilan

PRESS STATEMENT 7 JULY 2008-07-07

RE: UTHAYAKUMAR REFUSES TO MEET HOME MINISTER SYED ALBAR

On the 5th July 2008 Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had visited Kamunting Detention camp where amongst others the 5 HINDRAF leaders are held.
He had requested to meet all 5 but Mr.P.Uthayakumar had refused to meet the said Minister and this was commented upon by the Minister.

Mr.Uthayakumar had asked members of family who visited him after that to inform the general public that he had deliberately refused to meet the Home Minister for the following reasons:

a) The intentions of the Minister was clear ie that the Minister had expected the detainees to plead their predicament and their jail conditions and beg for an early release.
b) He believes in the HINDRAF struggle and has no regrets for the incarceration he faces.
c) The Minister had on previous occasions lied and mislead the Malaysian public that HINDRAF was a threat to National Security.
d) He maintains that his is a just struggle for the freedom of the Malaysian Indians from permanent colonization of the neo colonialist UMNO Government which has suppressed, oppressed and marginalized the Malaysian Indian Community for the last 51 years.

Mr.Uthayakumar urges all HINDRAF supporters to remain focussed in the struggle and feels proud to be able to “serve the Malaysian Indians” by taking their plight to prison. He feels the draconian ISA law that is used against him and his incarceration should be used to expose the atrocities, marginalization and oppression of the Malaysian Government against the Malaysian Indians.

This was his parting words to his family members:
“VAALGA HINDRAF VAALGA NAMATHU PORATUM”

P.Waytha Moorthy
CHAIRMAN

HINDRAF calls for the resigning of Tan Sri Gani Patail & Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

PRESS STATEMENT

RE: HINDRAF calls for the resigning of Tan Sri Gani Patail & Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

Both top Government Officers have too much allegations pending against them.
Restore public confidence in Criminal Justice system.

The two top most Government Servants come into question for the Malaysian public and their impartiality with the recent fiasco involving Anwar Ibrahim. Anwars allegation that he has the evidence implicating IGP Musa Hassan and the AG Gani Patail in misconduct and abuse of power including fabrication of evidence in the cases launched against him in 1998-1999 is serious and undermines public confidence in the administration of criminal justice in the country.

Until recently the politicians were shackling the public with its use of force and fear against the public but today we are seeing the top Government officers entrusted to hold high offices are using the same chain of command to serve their own purpose against the interest of the general public.

Both these personalities have been under the radar for various allegations but today they are exercising their wide people mandated to suppress a quest for a free, fair and just country to serve their own purpose as well as their masters.

For one, the trumped up charges of attempted murder of 31 people with attempted murder of a single policeman defies all logic and common sense in a public rally that HINDRAF had carried out. Thereafter, Uthaya Kumar being charged with sedition and bailed out with an amount of RM50,000 when the maximum penalty is only RM5,000 if found guilty. Then you have all the unsubstantiated and unfounded alleging with terrorism.

What is transpiring in Malaysia today is somewhat a land of anarchic wholly orchestrated by the ruling government and its hand picked executives to suppress and suffocate the society today to their whim and fancy without any regard for the well being of the public and its future generations.

The recent event of Anwar Ibrahim, would show that it is not race, religion, color that makes the difference but how the ruling government and its top civil servants continue to exercise their mandate against the interest of fairness and justice for the public.
HINDRAF already had its calling and it will continue to pursue what is fair, just and truthful for the Malaysian Indian society but now calls upon all Malaysians to stand up and act to seek the resigning of Tan Sri Gani Patail and Tan Sri Musa Hassan as eventually it concerns Malaysia as a multicultural society that has always been tolerant and ever forgiving.

Malaysian ruling administration and their hen pecked executives with their antics have definitely tainted their image domestically and internationally on the desecrated state it is heading towards for the glory of the few at the expense of its society.

Malaysians had enough of the antics of the AG and IGP colluding on many occasions. HINDRAF calls upon their resignation to restore public confidence in the administration of criminal justice in the country.

Waytha Moorthy

Hindraf
Chairman

Letter from WMP to PM on RMK9 Mid Term Review for Indians

HINDRAF ( Hindu Rights Action Force)
No. 135-3-A, Jalan Toman 7,
Kemayan Square,
70200 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
Malaysia.

Tel : +606-7672995/6
Fax: +6-06-7672997
Email waytha@hotmail.com

Y.A.B. DATO’ SERI ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Block Utama,
Bangunan Perdana Putra,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan,
62502 Putrajaya
Email: reduceredtape@pmo.gov.my

Tel: 03 8888 8000
Fax: 03 8888 3444 29/06/2008


Y.A.B,

Re: 1) RM 230 Billion mid term review of ninth Malaysian Plan by Prime Minister in Parliament on 26/06/2008 but zero allocation for Indians.

2) No specific allocation for the marginalised Indians unlike marginalised orang Asli and natives in Sabah & Sarawak. (RM 20Billion for Sabah alone)

3) This mid term review is “50 year old wine in a new bottle” for the Malaysian Indians.

4) Urgent formation of Royal Commission into the critical Indian issues as per Hindraf’s 18 point demands to the Prime Minister dated 12/08/2007

5) Urgent implementation of Race Relations Commission (to eliminate all forms of racism in Malaysia) and Equal Opportunities Commission to give effect to Article 8 of the Federal Constitution.

6) RM 5 Billion annual allocation (and to be fully utilised) to address the critical Indian issues.

7) Indians should not be put/lumped with the far economically superior Chinese in all government projects and policies.

8) UMNO should stop all forms of shadow play “wayang kulit” in this mid term review and all government policies and should get real in dealing with especially the critical Indian issues as UMNO is no longer dealing with our grandfathers and great grandfathers but the current, third and fourth generation Malaysian Indians.

9) In interim urgently setup a special Indian Focus Group to address the critical Indian issues to be headed by Chief Secretary to the Government.

10) Indian house hold income at RM 3,799.00 per month, yet again another intellectual dishonesty as at least 90% of the Indians don’t earn that kind of money.

We refer to the above matter and regret to point out once again the UMNO controlled Malaysian government’s deliberate refusal to address the critical Indian issues faced by the Malaysian Indian Community especially as per our 18 point demands to the Prime Minister dated 12/08/2007 and hand delivered to your goodselves’ Senior Private Secretary on the same day. The Malaysian Indian Community is greatly disturbed by your goodselves announcement of the UMNO government’s Mid Term Review of the Ninth Malaysian Plan (9MP) on 26/06/2008 which we deem as being vindictive as 90% of the Indians did not vote for the BN in the March 8th 2008 general elections.

By your own admission you have admitted that the Indian equity has further dropped to 1.1% in this mid term review of the 9MP from 1.5% in 1999. (NST 27/06/2008 Pg 8). We no longer accept (the failure to address the critical Indian issues ) the yearly repeat at the beginning of every new Malaysian Plan and mid term review that the policies of the UMNO government was good but it was the implementation that went wrong.

To start off with there has been zero allocation in the RM 230 Billion 9MP Budget to specifically address the aforesaid critical Indian issues as opposed to the RM 20.5 Billion allocated for the poor in Sabah under the 9MP (NST 20/06/2008/ pg 4).

Over the last 50 years the UMNO controlled government has unfairly lumped the Indians together with the economically powerful Chinese community as being the non bumi putera category in almost all government policies, allocation, economy and affirmative action plans. The latest and most evident is the replies given in Parliament on the bumi putera and non bumiputera participation in the economic sector, education, small and medium sized industries etc.

We also wish to register the intellectual dishonesty of your government in stating as a fact knowing the same not to be true that an average Indian actually earns RM 3,799.00 per month. Our estimate is that 90% of Indians do not earn this kind of money with at least 70% of the Indian population in the poor (earning below RM 1,500.00 per house hold) (NST 11/06/2008 Pg 2) and hardcore poor (earning below RM 698.00 NST 18/5/2008 Pg 26). Therefore the UMNO government’s target in this mid term review of eradicating poverty by 2010 (in 2 years time) is a near impossibility in so far as the Indian community is concerned.

Further there has been specifically zero allocation for Tamil schools and the UMNO’s controlled government skirted away from the issue by merely mentioning as usual “Tamil schools will continue to be given aid and upgraded”. The usual general and non committal game!

We suggest that UMNO stops playing “wayang kulit” shadow play and get real with the critical Indian issues as UMNO is no longer dealing with our grandfathers and great grandfathers but the current generation, third and fourth generation Malaysian Indians. In short this Mid term review of the 9MP is actually “50 year old wine but in a new bottle called the 9MP”. In the circumstances we demand for the following as we believe we have exhausted all our appeals:-

1) This mid term review of the 9MP is re-reviewed to include a : RM five (5) Billion is allocated annually and specifically to address the critical Indian issues especially as per our 18 point demands dated 12/08/2007.

2) Stop lumping the Indians together with the economically powerful Chinese as being in the non bumiputera group in all government policies, this mid term review of the 9MP and all affirmative action plans.

3) A Special Focus Group specifically for the Indians and to be headed by the Chief Secretary to the Government and to also be included in this group the Director General of the Economic planning unit, Implementation and coordinating unit, Central coordinating Unit, Secretary General of the Finance Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Senior Private Secretary to ensure the following:-

a) The 70% poverty level among the Indians is reduced to the national average of 3.6% as per the 9MP within one year.

b) To this effect RM Ten (10) Billion special allocation is made and fully utilised within the one year time period to provide RM 50,000.00 loans to the Indian poor without surety and especially for those Indians earning less than RM 3,500.00 per month providing especially small, micro and medium sized industries and creating 100,000 entrepreneurs and Indian human capital development.

c) With this RM Ten (10) Billion to help Indians purchase commercial buildings as done along the lines of UDA, Mara and Yayasan Amanah Hartanah Bumiputera etc.

d) Grant 10,000 affordable homes to the Indians within the next one year.

4) Urgently set up/form a Race Relations Commission with the view to end all forms of racism and religious extremism (along the lines of the British Race Relations Act) for a genuine and not name sake harmonious and united Malaysian society.

5) Urgently set up/form an Equal Opportunities Commission to give effect to Article 8 of the Federal Constitution and to specifically undo all the lost equal opportunities for the Indians over the last 50 years.

6) Establish/form a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the critical Indian issues especially as per Hindraf’s 18 point demands to the Prime Minister dated 12/8/2007.


Your kind indulgence in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,


Yours faithfully,



…………………………….
P.Waytha Moorthy
(Chairman)

Malaysian Hindu family in court to reclaim relative's body set to be buried as Muslim

Malaysian Hindu family in court to reclaim relative's body set to be buried as Muslim

The Associated Press
Published: June 26, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia:

Islamic authorities in a Malaysian state are seeking custody of a man's body for burial, saying he was a Muslim convert, but his Hindu family disputes the claim, their lawyer said Thursday.
It is the latest in a series of religious conversion disputes that erupt regularly in this Muslim-majority country, straining ethnic and racial tensions. The case puts renewed pressure on the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who had recently pledged that the rights of Chinese and Indian minorities would not be comprised in disputes with the majority Malays.

B. Elangesvaran, 34, committed suicide by hanging on Sunday, family lawyer R. Nethaji Rayer told The Associated Press.
After the autopsy, hospital authorities refused to release the body, saying they had been informed by the local Islamic Religious Department that Elangesvaran had converted to Islam.

The department wants to give him a Muslim burial. His family has filed a case in a high court in the northern state of Penang, seeking a declaration that he is a Hindu and that his body should be handed over to them, Rayer said.

The Star daily newspaper quoted Elangesvaran's brother, Selvan, as saying that Islamic authorities had failed to give him proof of conversion.
"I was only served with a police report alleging that my brother had embraced Islam at the Penang Islamic Religious Department ... and a letter with some scribbling allegedly done by Elangesvaran that he had converted," Selvan was quoted as saying.

About 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people are Malay Muslims, and Islam is the official religion. Non-Muslims — mostly ethnic Chinese and Indians — make up 40 percent of the population. They generally practice their religions freely, but often complain that Islamic authorities refuse to look compassionately at interfaith disputes and flaunt their powers over minorities.

In a bid to appease minority fears, Abdullah announced earlier this year that non-Muslims would soon be required to inform their family before converting to Islam to avoid post-death disputes.
But Elangesvaran's case showed that Abdullah's announcement had amounted to nothing, said A. Vaithilingam, who heads a prominent interfaith group.

"It's again coming back to fighting for the dead body. People who never knew him want to bury him, and his family has no chance to get involved," said Vaithilingam, president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism.
"It's the same old story. ... Every time there is a problem, the government makes a statement to ease tension and then forgets all about it," he told The Associated Press.

Malaysia has a dual court system with civil courts for non-Muslims and Shariah courts for Muslims. In interfaith disputes involving Islam, the Shariah courts typically get the last word, leading to fears that minority rights are being compromised.

-->source - http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/26/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Conversion-Dispute.php

Related news can be found at these links : -
1. http://www.tajikistannews.net/story/375294
2. http://the-malaysian.blogspot.com/2008/06/oh-no-not-again-msian-hindu-family-in.html



..

FrontLine - Human Right Organization urge immediate release of Hindraf leaders from ISA

Mizan Zainal Abidin ibni al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud
Supreme Head of State (Yang di-Pertuan Agong)
Office of the Head of State
Istana Negara
50500 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
24 June 2008

Re: Malaysia – Human rights lawyer P. Uthayakumar denied medical
treatment in detention

Your Excellency,

Front Line is deeply concerned following reports that detained human rights defender and lawyer, Mr P. Uthayakumar, is being deprived of his required prescription medication for diabetes and is suffering from a number of diabetes related illnesses. Mr P. Uthayakumar is a human rights lawyer working to defend the rights of the ethnic minority Indians and an active Legal Advisor of Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF). He was arrested on 13 December 2007 for organising a peaceful demonstration.

Mr P. Uthayakumar has been a diabetic patient since 1996. His condition required that he take
medication, 500 mg of Glucophage three times a day and 80mg of Diamicron twice a day, which
would control his blood sugar levels and maintain a level of between 5 and 7 mmol/L. Following
his arrest on 13 December 2007, the prison authorities at first allowed his family to supply his
medication. In February 2008 the prison authorities refused to accept the medication and
furthermore did not provide Mr P. Uthayakumar with any alternative medication despite repeated formal requests that it be supplied or accepted from family members.

Mr P. Uthayakumar believes that the prison authorities have been intentionally providing him with a diet of rice and curry made in a 'Malay' style that is very sweet, in a deliberate attempt to affect his health. On 7 April 2008 he was admitted to the Taiping General Hospital, suffering from frequent thirst, urination, tiredness, headaches, dizziness, weakness, high blood pressure, skin disease and problems with his vision.

He had a blood sugar level reading of 18,8 mmol/L. An application has been filed at the Kuala
Lumpur High Court for a release order on the grounds of medical deprivation and treatment. It will be heard on 25 June 2008.

Mr P. Uthayakumar was arrested on 13 December 2007 together with Messrs M. Manoharan, V. Ganapathy Rao, Mr T.Vasanthakumar and R. Kengatharan, under the Internal Security Act (ISA) of Malaysia on the grounds of threatening national security by organising a peaceful demonstration.

All five human rights lawyers had taken up, on a pro bono basis, many cases of death in police
custody and police violence. They had filed many cases against the Malaysian Government and
authorities.

Front Line believes that Messrs P. Uthayakumar, M. Manoharan, V. Ganapathy Rao, Mr
T.Vasanthakumar and R. Kengatharan have been targeted as a result of their legitimate work in the defence of human rights, in particular their work defending the rights of the ethnic minority Indians in Malaysia. Front Line is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the
aforementioned human rights defenders, in particular Mr P. Uthayakumar who is suffering from
diabetes and is not receiving the required medication.

Front Line urges the Malaysian authorities to:

1. Immediately release Messrs P. Uthayakumar, M. Manoharan, V. Ganapathy Rao, Mr
T.Vasanthakumar and R. Kengatharan as it is believed that they are being detained solely
on account of their legitimate human rights activities;

2. Ensure that Mr P. Uthayakumar is supplied with all required medication for his condition and
medical attention as needed;

3. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological security and integrity of the aforementioned human rights defenders;

4. Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in Malaysia are able to carry
out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals, and free of all
restrictions including judicial harassment.

Front Line respectfully reminds you that the United Nations Declaration on the Right and
Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally
Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by consensus by the UN
General Assembly on 9 December 1998, recognises the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders, their right to freedom of association and to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals.

We would particularly draw attention to Article 6 (c): “Everyone has the right, individually
and in association with others: (c) To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters”, and to Article 12 (2): “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present declaration.”


Yours sincerely,

Mary Lawlor
Director

Msian Parliament House Secretary rejected written question about Hindraf Waythamoorthy's return

Dewan Rakyat rejects 'hypothetical' question
Mikini- Fauwaz Abdul Aziz Jun 25, 08 3:53pm



An attempt to seek clarification on the status of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairperson P Waytha Moorthy has not even made it into the Dewan Rakyat Order Sheet.


Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) said the House secretary told him in a letter yesterday that the question had been rejected under Standing Order 23(1)(h) - on grounds that it is ‘hypothetical’.The provision states that ‘a question shall not be asked for the purpose of obtaining an expression of opinion or settlement of an abstract legal case or an answer to a hypothetical proposition’.

Disclosing this today, Chua (left) said he had submitted a question for Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar as to whether Waytha Moorthy - currently in self-imposed exile in the UK - would be arrested upon returning home and, if so, under which provision of law.Chua said that, as a citizen, Waytha Moorthy (left) has the right to know whether he will be allowed to return to his country without facing arrest.“His fellow Hindraf leaders have been detained under the (Internal Security Act) ISA and have not been released despite there being no evidence to show that they pose a threat to national security,” Chua told reporters in the Parliament lobby.

Chua was referring to the arrest of five Hindraf leaders last December after a mammoth rally in Kuala Lumpur that saw about 30,000 Indian Malaysians protesting social, economic and religious discrimination and marginalisation.

He cited the release of Sri Lankan national BSA Tahir last week after a four-year detention under ISA despite having been tagged as being involved in “international terrorism”.Chua said the situation of Waytha Moorthy similarly reflects the government’s lack of transparency and accountability.“I think this is not fair and casts a dark shadow over citizens,” he said.“I call on the home minister to give a clear answer as to whether Waytha Moorthy is regarded as a criminal or not.

Citizens have no guarantee that they are able to return to Malaysia. This is a violation of human rights.” Also present was S Manikavasagam (PKR-Kapar), who said the government’s charge that the Hindraf 5 were connected to the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Elam separatists had yet to be backed by any evidence.


Also view the full interview by PB Tian Chua and YB Manikavasagam at Parliament lobby on the above issue at http://youtube.com/watch?v=C6MZ1YtnX4Y

Source of report - http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85030


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Setapak temple in fear of demolition

Setapak temple in fear of demolition
Mikini- K Kabilan Jun 25, 08 5:42pm

Residents in Air Panas, Setapak in Kuala Lumpur are worried that their 40-year-old Hindu temple would be demolished by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to make way for development project.

The deadline given by the DBKL for the temple to relocate expired today and despite their appeals to be allowed to remain there, the residents now fear that they are going to lose the temple.This morning about 50 residents, with several well-wishers, had gathered at the temple to ward off any attempts by the DBKL to demolish the Kuil Sri Manival Periaana Periasamy Alayam.

However in place of DBKL workers and bulldozers, they were visited by Deputy Federal Territories Minister M Saravanan who gave them his assurance that the temple would not be demolished."But what I want to know is can we trust him," asked temple owner S Muthuraman .

He added that he was shocked to receive a letter from DBKL on June 18, asking him to relocate the temple by today.He said that the letter merely said that the temple was obstructing a neighbourhood development project earmarked for the area and thus should be relocated."They said that this temple was an illegal structure and should be torn down. They did not offer an alternate place or any other options to me," he told Malaysiakini.

Want written assurance

Lawyer Vinod Kumar Sharma, who is representing the residents and devotees, said that while they were happy with Saravanan's assurance, they nevertheless would want some written guarantee."We want it in black and white that the temple will not be demolished. It can come from the DBKL or the government or anyone else in authority," he said.He added that the wanted a written guarantee so that "the person who eventually replaces Saravanan need not have the burden of carrying present deputy minister's assurances".He also pointed out that the decision by the DBKL to tear down temples ran contrary to promises given by the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi before the March 8 general election."He had said that no more Hindu temples will be demolished in this country. But now, in the past two weeks alone, about two to three temples have been torn down in Kuala Lumpur alone," he said.Ad-hoc committee

Meanwhile Ramachandran Ramaji, representing Hindu Rights Action Force, questioned as to what had happened to a special committee set up by DBKL on Hindu temples."This committee consisted of DBKL officers, the Malaysia Hindu Sangam and several temple committees and was tasked to look into temples in KL," he said."DBKL would approach this committee when it wants to tear down a temple and the committee is tasked in making the process smooth."However since the general election, the committee has not met. I am wondering if it is still in existence," added Ramachandran.He said that he was forming an ad-hoc committee for all KL temples and temples facing demolition threats should be in touch with him.

Also view the full video clip on the interview at http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/15991.html

Source of report - http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85047

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Dublin group wants Hindraf 5 released

Dublin group wants Hindraf 5 released

Mkini - Jun 25, 08 2:58pm

A Dublin-based human right organisation today pressured the government to immediately release the five Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders from their Internal Security Act detention. The movement, Front Line, believed that the five were being detained without any trial "solely on account of their legitimate human rights activities".

The five - P Uthayakumar, M Manoharan, V Ganapathy Rao, T Vasanthakumar and R Kengatharan - were detained on Dec 13 over their involvement in Hindraf in raising issues affecting the Indian community.They were immediately sent to the Kamunting detention centre in Taiping to undergo a two-year detention."We believe the five have been targeted as a result of their legitimate work in the defence of human rights, in particular their work defending the rights of the ethnic minority Indians in Malaysia," added the organisation.

Front Line raised these concerns in a letter written yesterday by its director Mary Lawlor to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizam Zainal Abidin. Lawlor also said that the king should urge the government to accord immediate treatment to Uthayakumar who is a diabetic patient."His condition required that he take medication daily to control his blood sugar levels," she said.

Give Uthayakumar his treatment

Lawlor added that although Uthayakumar's family members were first allowed to supply his medication, this practice however ended since February this year with the prison authorities refusing to accept the medication."Furthermore the authorities did not provide Uthayakumar with any alternative medicine despite repeated formal requests," she said."Front Line is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the five, in particular Uthayakumar," added Lawlor.

She urged the authorities to ensure that Uthayakumar was supplied with all required medication for his condition and medical attention as needed. Front Line also wanted the government to guarantee that in all circumstance all human rights defenders in Malaysia would be allowed to carry their activities without fear of reprisals.

Source - http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85017

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Hindraf 5 Hebeas Corpus Hearing set on 21 July

Hindraf 5 hearing in July
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/National/2275790/Article/index_html


IPOH: The High Court here fixed July 21 to hear the habeas corpus
application filed by Karpal Singh for the release of five Hindu Rights
Action Force (Hindraf) leaders.
The application, filed on May 30, will be heard before judicial
commissioner Ridwan Ibrahim. The date was fixed in his chambers yesterday
afternoon.

The five detainees are lawyers R. Kengadharan, 41, M. Manoharan, 47, V.
Ganabatirau, 35, P. Uthayakumar, 47, and Hindraf co-ordinator K. Vasantha
Kumar, 35.

They are being detained under the Internal Security Act at the Kamunting
detention centre.

Karpal is challenging the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's decision to extend their
detention on the ground that it was "procedurally fatally flawed".

Mahathir under fire from exiled Hindraf leader

Mahathir under fire from exiled Hindraf leader

Mkini- Ahti Veeranggan Jun 21, 08 7:12pm

Dr Mahathir Mohamad came under fire today for suggesting that the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) was made up of Tamil racists.

Exiled Hindraf leader P Waytha Moorthy slammed the former premier’s racist attack as “typical of Mahathir trying to erase all his wrongdoings during his 22-year dictactor-like rule as the country’s fourth prime minister.”All Malaysians, he said, know that Mahathir was single handedly responsible for wiping out the impartiality of the legislative, judiciary and executive powers through widespread abuse or power, corruption, nepotism and cronyism as well as destroying racial harmony in multi racial Malaysia.“We are disappointed but not surprised by Mahathir’s remarks. He is bent to safeguard his personal agenda rather than Malaysian interests”, Waytha Moorthy added.

In a blog post this week, Mahathir chided MIC president Samy Vellu for campaigning alongside DAP chairperson Karpal Singh and former UN special rapporteur Param Cumaraswamy in calling him (Mahathir) a racist.He criticised Samy Vellu for requesting the government to release the five Hindraf leaders detained under the Internal Security Act despite the fact that Hindraf represented Tamil racists, whose motives were akin to Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka and were seeking their former British colonial masters to protect them and did not believe in Malaysian institutions.

“Hindraf speaks not just of Indians but of Tamils as a separate race. Hindraf and its apologists are racist to the core,” Mahathir wrote.“His racial sling shots hurled at others will not undo the damage he had done to the country, nor will it address his failures as premier to provide equal and fair education, business, economic and religious opportunities to all, especially Malaysian Indians,” said Waytha Moorthy in his online posting to his Makkal Sakti supporters, as Hindraf is popularly known now.

Indians conveniently ignored

Pointing out that Hindraf represents the oppressed and suppressed Malaysians of Indian origin, so systematically marginalised over the years, he stressed that the struggle for equality and fairness goes beyond race, religion, creed and skin colour.The administrations under both Mahathir and current Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Waytha Moorthy said, have conveniently ignored and swept under the carpet the plight and grievances of Indian Malaysians raised by Hindraf over the years.“However, Mahathir will continue with his usual antics to divert attention from his wrongdoings which are all being uncovered now,” said the exiled Hindraf chairperson.

Waytha Moothy’s brother Uthayakumar, Kota Alam Shah state rep M Manoharan, R Kenghadharan, V Ganabatirau and T Vasantha Kumar are being detained in Kamunting Detention Centre, Taiping since last Dec13 last after organising a mammoth rally in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25 against perceived marginalisation and discrimination of Malaysians of Indian origin.

MIC deputy president G Palanivel has rebuked Mahathir’s wrong perception on Hindraf and reminded the former premier “to remember his own roots” before making such statements, obviously referring to the former premier's forefathers, who are from South India.It is an open secret that Mahathir's father, a school teacher, migrated to Malaysia from the southern Indian state of Kerala and subsequently married a Malay woman.

Waytha Moorthy likened Mahathir’s continuous political and racial bickering as ‘a broken record’ failing to seek solutions on the grievances of the oppressed and suppressed Indian Malaysians.Hindraf’s goal, he pointed out, was to defend and protect Indian Malaysians in their quest for equal and fair participation in the educational, religious and economic spheres, and to set themselves free from the current oppressive system practiced by the ruling administration that clearly defied basic human right and freedom.

source - http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/84848

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For more comments and opinion from various blogs about Tun Mahathir's remarks, plaese browse our http://www.hindraf.co.uk/ at Thgts/Opinions section link to http://karna2511.blogspot.com/

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