Latest! Latest! Latest! Car Convoy – updates

Perak Car Convoy: End Umno racism and withdraw Interlok.

The Hindraf convoy left from the HRP office in Buntong at 9.40 am, toured the Buntong area and encountered many police road blocks. After taking the Jelapang Road Highway exit after Jelapang police station, the convoy was detained by police, who started demanding to inspect identity cards.

Hindraf members demanded the reason for the detention and the police quoted in accordance with Section 27. After some arguments the police started arresting Hindraf Perak chief Ramesh and Taiping Siva, Jayakumar, Mogan, Subramaniam and VijayaLingam. Those detained by the police were taken to Jelapang Police Station lockup!

5 Hindraf Leaders and supporters arrested by Gombak Police at 12.50 p.m

Latest update 12.50 p.m. At 12.09 p.m Hindraf Selangor chief K.Selvam, S.Jayathas, Samy, Nava and loshana arrested by police and taken from Rawang to IPD Gombak. At 12.40 p.m (13/2/2011) all five were thrown into the Gombak police station lock-up for merely standing up and challenging 53 years of UMNO racism against the Indian poor in Malay-sia. At 12.45 p.m S.Thiagarajan reported that the police special branch had diverted some seven more cars to the Gombak police station. Some ten over cars are now at ing Batu Caves campaigning and distributing leaflets for the peoples rally at KLCC on 27/2/11 ( sunday) at 9 a.m against UMNO racism. More news to follow

Negeri Sembilan Car Convoy
Negeri Sembilan Police escorting the car convoy.

Johore Baharu Car Convoy
After the Interlok forum in the morning, The car convoy is going smoothly. They have police escorts.

Kedah Car Convoy
According to the Hindraf Kedah leader, they started with 14 cars with 40 persons and ended peacefully. Finally they made a police report.

News Flash “Arrest” at Seremban HINDRAF forum “End UMNO racism & Revoke INTERLOK” tonight 12/2/11

Perkasa lodges police report against HINDRAF Negeri Sembilan on protest against UMNO racism.

A police report was lodge at 4.30pm 11/2/2011 at IPD Seremban. ( See UM 12/2/11 page 24)

Against:-

HINDRAF Forum End UMNO racism & Revoke INTERLOK today 12/2/11 @ 7.15pm at Kuil Sri Subramaniar Balathadayuthapani, Lobak, Seremban.

100 over car convoy “End UMNO racism & Revoke INTERLOK” from Kemayan Curry House at 2.00pm on 13/2/2011

Negeri Sembilan Chairman Mr.S.Sivakumar said despite police report made by Perkasa all program will continue as planned. For more information please contact:- 0196944693, 0166909874, 0176616114

“Rights not Mercy”

S.JAYATHAS

HINDRAF

Information Cheif

HRP fears crackdown before anti-Umno's racism march

(Malaysiakini) The Human Rights Party (HRP), which is organising the 'People's March in Solidarity Against Umno's Racism' on Feb 27, claims they have been subjected to intimidation in a move to thwart its efforts. 

The demonstration is to protest against Interlok, the controversial novel that Form Five students use as a literature text.

HRP information chief S Jayathas told Malaysiakini when contacted that the police had called their branch in Perak and told its chief to cancel a car convoy planned for tomorrow to rally support before the big march on Feb 27. 

The party had previously organised a similar convoy in Penang to publicise their upcoming protest in Kuala Lumpur. 

However, the alleged phone call to their office in Perak was made after cops had attempted to “raid” HRP's branch in Johor. 

“About half a dozen police officers had enquired from the neighbouring shops on the ground floor on the anti-Interlok and anti-Umno banners hanging outside the headquarters as the office was closed (yesterday),” he said. 

The police also allegedly asked about the leaflets that are being circulated in Johor Baru regarding an anti-Interlokforum being organised at the HRP Johor office at 10.30am tomorrow. 

Jayathas (left) added that they expect raids at their offices in Bangsar, Lunas, Prai, Buntong and Port Dickson until the march, which is in two weeks time. 

“Irrespective of this police harassment, HRP will proceed with its peaceful Interlok march against Umno's racism at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC),” he said. 

The issue first surfaced at the end of last year when Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department T Murugiah registered his protest against Interlok after his ministry discussed the novel with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP).

MIC has also called for changes to be made to the novel before it is used as a literature textbook, as it contained a chapter that was offensive to Indians.

Indian NGOs decry the book's description of Indians in Malaysia as being from the lower caste, among other racial stereotypes.

Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had announced on Jan 27 that the novel will remain as the textbook for the literature component of the Bahasa Malaysia subject for Form Five, but with amendments to those parts deemed offensive by the Indian community.

News Flash (11/02/2011): Interlok; Police “raid” HRP & Hindraf JB office on march against UMNO racism.

No.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 
Tel: 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245 
Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com Email: info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com


Your Reference : 

In Reply : 

Date : 11/02/2011


News Flash (11/02/2011): Interlok; Police “raid” HRP & Hindraf JB office on march against UMNO racism. 
This morning at about 11.30 a.m Johor HRP and Hindraf Chief Mr. Y. Mohan called and informed us that a police Inspector and about half a dozen policemen including undercover cops came over to the Johor Bahru HRP and Hindraf Johor HQ at DUN Puteri Wangsa.
As the office was closed, they made enquiries from the neighboring shop on the ground floor on the Anti Interlok and anti UMNO racism banner hanging outside the Johor H.Q and posters and leaflets also around the J.B town centre the leaflets circulating and anti about the J.B Interlok and UMNO racism forum on 13/12/2011 at 10.30 a.m also at the J.B HQ.
We anticipate police raids at our Bangsar HRP and Hindraf HQ, State HRP & Hindraf offices in DUN Lunas, DUN Prai, DUN Buntong, DUN Port Dickson and DUN Puteri Wagsa (Johor) from now onwards a la 25^th November 2007 Hindraf Rally. .
Irrespective of this police harassment Hindraf & HRP will proceed with its peaceful Interlok March and against UMNO racism at KLCC on 27/02/2011 at 9.00 a.m.
Thank You.
Your faithfully,
____________
S. Jayathas
Information Chief

Innocent Mugelan (14) released on bail from racist UMNO jail after serving over 3 months jail without being found guilty in a Court of law.

This morning we received a call on Mugelan’s grandfather’s death. Hindraf key supporter Sivalingam of Setapak and Rishishankar was assigned to urgently bail out Mugelan. P. Uthayakumar wrote an urgent letter to the High Court Judge and Magistret . He than spoke to Senior Assistant Registrar to immediately release Mugelan. Upon being released at about 4.45 p.m today (11/02/2011) and upon seeing Siva he burst out in tears and said I did not commit the offence and why he had to suffer in jail for over 3 months.

Upon arriving at the HRP HQ at Bangsar Mugelan told us that warden Zakri used a cable and hit him on the buttocks and thighs continuously for about 24 hours. His was also bullied by the other big sized Malay boys. He was forced to mop the floor, wash the dishes , clean the lockup area etc.

At our office Mugelan appeared stressed out and was on the verge of tears when relating his nightmare to us which we have recorded and would be posting in our website tomorrow or so.

Siva and Rishi then send Mugelan to his aunty’s house to attend his grandfather’s funeral.

From the word go the investigating Sargent to the jail warden the Court police and the Court officers told Mugelan to pled guilty “and go to jail” .

In all of this Mugelan never got protection or justice from the Malay Muslim dominated UMNO Magistrets and High Court at Kuala Lumpur.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Every day scores of such young Indian juveniles ,and hundreds of Indians are falsely and maliciously just because they are the poor and defenceless Indians they are forced to pled guilty especially when they cannot afford the bail money and lawyers fees. So they end up in jail for many many years even though they may not be guilty.

(See photos below).

S. Thiagarajan.



    

Mammoth rally against ‘Umno’s racism’

Come Feb 27, HRP will organise a march from the twin towers to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Rights Party (HRP) will hold a massive rally to urge the government to ban the controversial Interlok novel.

According to HRP coordinator V Sambulingam, the Feb 27 march from the Petronas Twin Towers to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters is themed “Solidarity against Umno’s racism.”

Following the march, a police report would be lodged to compel the government to withdraw the book from classrooms.

Sambulingam said the issue was not only confined to the novel, but also standing up against the “Umno regime’s racism towards the Indians and others”.

“The march is not against the Malays or Muslims. Our focus is Umno and its policies,” he said during a press conference at the HRP office in Bangsar here.

The Interlok novel which had been introduced as a component for the Malay literature subject for Form Five students had courted controversy when Indian groups noted that it contained inaccurate and disparaging information about the community.

After a series of protests, including by MIC, the government agreed to amend the disputed portions of the book but insisted on using it in schools.

While MIC agreed with this decision, several other groups are demanding that the book be completely withdrawn.

Cops visit Johor HRP office

Meanwhile, Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan, who was also present, said an application for a police permit for the march was submitted this morning.

“We would like to remind the police that it is their duty to provide appropriate security for those participating in the march,” he said, adding that it would be a peaceful event.

HRP’s Selangor coordinator K Selvam said the party would hold a roadshow to promote the event.

In another development, the police visited the Johor HRP office this morning

Contacted later, HRP state youth chief Y Mohan said an inspector and some half a dozen policemen had come to the office.

“Since our office was still closed, the police had questioned our neighbours about the Anti-Interlok and Anti-Umno banners hanging outside our office,” he said, adding that similar “raids” are expected in other states.

Meanwhile, a Johor-based reader complained to FMT about an English literature novel being used in schools which also contained the word “pariah”.

G Tamil Selvam said the novel, called “The Curse”, was penned by a Chinese author and the plot revolved around the struggle of a Malay family.

“The author should have been more considerate about the feelings of other communities and not use such words,” he said, urging the government to withdraw such books from the school syllabus.

Malay force to say Keling babi

Hindraf’s support for Anwar Ibrahim, PKR & PR only when Hindraf 18 point demands fulfilled in Kedah, Penang and Selangor. Indian mandore role rejected. HRP to go solo with Project 15/38 irrespective – P.Uthayakumar.

(Media Statement 10/2/2011)

Online newsreports and the Tamil media have in the last three days reported on whether Anwar Ibrahim will engage Hindraf in the next general elections.

For 50 long years an Indian mandore political party for personal gains sold out the Indian community to UMNO and gave on a silver platter for “free” some 90% of the Indian votes to UMNO/ B.N of which Anwar Ibrahim had once upon a time served as the No 2.

In the aftermath of the 25th November 2007 100,000 people Hindraf Rally, believing that PKR, DAP and PAS would “save” the Indian poor, Hindraf gave unconditional political directions and some 90% of the Malaysian Indians broke the 50 year pro B.N loyalist mindset, “turned turtle” and voted for PKR, DAP and PAS when P.R unprecedentedly won in five West Coast states (including Wilayah Persekutuan of Kuala Lumpur where P.R. won ten out of the 11 Parliamentary seats) and broke UMNO/BNs’ 50 year monopoly on their two thirds majority in Parliament.

But alas P.R was very little different from UMNO in particular in the three P.R. states of Kedah, Penang and Selangor and in their role vis a vis the Opposition benches at the Federal level.

Having come to power, P.R. refused to even address the land for all Hindu temples and cemeteries, all 58, 28 and 98 Tamil schools in Kedah, Penang and Selangor and Indian villages/settlements deemed squatters problem all in one go which they have 100% powers to deliver. This would in effect have solved half the Indian poor problems in at least Kedah, Penang and Selangor.

In a blatant act of betrayal, within months of coming to power the DAP Penang state government “ethnically cleansed” the defenseless Kg Buah Pala Indian poor, the last Indian traditional village in Penang.

What we regretfully saw in the post March 8th 2008 General Elections was in effect a continuation of the UMNO agenda of especially using the P.R. Indian mandores to circumvent addressing even the most pressing Indian poor problems. Thus HRP’s Project 15/38 as per P.Uthayakumar’s book “Indian Political Empowerment strategy – the way forward” which was launched on 19/7/2009.

For the records Hindraf and HRP had from the word go never asked from P.R. and neither were we offered any appointed positions like Senators, Directors of state G.LCs’, Councillors, Village Heads etc. Because our struggle ab initio was in the public interest Hindrafs’ 18 point demands and never the aforesaid showcase and showpiece Indian mandore positions or anything for personal gain.

And when P.R refuses to fulfill at least even one of Hindrafs’ 18 point demands in at least the three P.R ruled states are they going to do so when they get to Putrajaya? ….. is plain and obvious!

It is our unwavering political agenda to end UMNOs’ racist and supremacist 54 year old continuous grip of power. In the present circumstances we would very much like to support P.R. taking over the seat of power at Putrajaya and for Anwar Ibrahim to be the next Prime Minister. But we are not prepared to trust Anwar Ibrahim, PKR, DAP, PAS or PR with a “blank cheque” or a “rain cheque” for that matter to Putrajaya.

Neither will we take up the Indian mandores role in P.R a la MIC vis a vis UMNO/B.N. We want to be an empowered part of the decision making process at Putrajaya with the view to spearhead policy changes at the highest political level and to do so without fear or favour to at the very least undo the injustices having been inflicted on especially the Indian poor in over the last 54 years.

If Anwar Ibrahim rejects this our political agenda, we will be left with no alternative but to go solo with HRP’s Project 15/38. The least we ask is for P.R. not to be spoilers in these 15/38 seats but to make way for HRP in our common political agenda to oust UMNO out of the seat of power at Putrajaya.

Rights not Mercy.

_______________

P.Uthayakumar

Secretary General (Pro tem)

No reason to keep temple closed

HRP files notice under the Freedom of Information Act 2010, demanding explanation from the Selangor government.

PETALING JAYA: The Human Rights Party today sent a legal notice to the Selangor government seeking clarification on steps taken to reopen the Bukit Gasing Sivan Temple in Petaling Jaya.
Its pro-tem secretary-general, P Uthaya Kumar, wants the state government to disclose the reasons for the stop-work order on the temple in 2008 and other details under the Freedom of Information Act 2010 (Selangor).
“We act for the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) and the scores of devotees of the Bukit Gasing Sivan temple in Petaling Jaya.
“According to a recent news report in Tamil daily Makkal Osai, the state government announced that the temple will remain closed, contradicting a state assemblyman’s earlier statement,” said Uthaya in the letter.
Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan had said on Monday that the hilltop temple will be re-opened to the public after the deities have been moved to a new shelter built just beside the main building. The temple was ordered to be closed by the state government for safery reasons
Uthaya said the state government has no legal basis to keep the temple closed as it was in contravention of Article 11 of the Federal Constitution.
He also questioned if there was a bona-fide concern over safety and why there were mansions on the way down from the temple propped up by 100-feet safety beams visibly protruding on the sides.
He pointed out that based on safety reasons, then scores of other hill slope houses and condominiums in other areas in Selangor with such reinforcements should been closed down.
He also said that there have been no cases of other places of worship ever being closed or issued a stop-work order by the state government.
“I cannot understand how the new temple (in the new shelter) can be dangerous to the public. Are there devotees in the thousands going up and down the temple daily to justify saying that the place is not safe?” asked Uthaya.
“Is this an attempt by the Selangor government to close down this temple in collusion with the nearby millionaires who reside in their mansions along Bukit Gasing?”
Popular place of worship
The lawyer-turned-politician also said that he was suspicious of the Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) delay in getting the safety works, which started in 2008, completed.
The Bukit Gasing Sivan temple has been a popular place of worship in the Klang Valley and the temple management even provided shuttle service for devotees during festival time.
“The erosion near the Sivan temple is small and I suspect the state government has a hidden agenda by deliberately raising safety issue to stall the opening of the temple,” he added.
“If the state is sincere on the temple issue, then Mentari Besar Khalid Ibrahim should get the matter sorted out immediately and grant the land title and at the same time gazette the Sivan temple as a permanent place of worship.”
Uthaya said HRP will give the state government 30 days to come with a permanent solution to the temple issue.

Interlok row and BN´s sinister motives

While the burning of the novel 'Interlok' is heavily debated, PAS' Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud shown her empathy for those against the book, even while she also does not condone the book-burning.

Not only does she put Indians at ease with PAS but also brings into questions the role played by self-proclaimed custodians of various races, the BN, and the PM and DPM's role in engineering our society into the future.

Anwar Ibrahim meanwhile has lost an excellent opportunity to appease and sympathise with the Indians in dismissing the novel as not racist. He clearly misses the mark here. Hence he will become fodder for bashing as being anti-Indian and strengthen the belief that Pakatan is no better than BN.

Without touching on the 'P' word and circumstances surrounding the controversy, let us analyse the motive behind making the book compulsory for SPM students.

The Interlok issue speaks volumes on BN's motive in indoctrinating our nation into the 1Malaysia frenzy. Looking back, the 1Malaysia prime minister and his 'Malay first' deputy are both responsible for the overzealous fake application of 1Malaysia while stressing that pendatangs should not question the status quo. Let's see what has been implemented since March 8, 2008.

The abolition of teaching maths and science in English in all schools amidst protests by many NGOs is one. Results have shown that Tamil school students had improved since implementation of English as the teaching medium, but the so called 'Indian leaders' just toed the line without any clue. What seems to be important is that BN gets its brownie points from the Malay voters.

And attacking non-Malays has been sub-contracted to other groups, yet does this absolve the blame from BN?

Next we see the overzealous implementation of 1Malaysia camps amongst which has resulted in a tragedy and death of students.

And we have the education minister declaring he is a Malay first. This proves the failure of 1Malaysia, that really says we are equal when we really are not.

Another policy that was bulldozed into implementation was the compulsory pass in history for SPM students, while the subject itself is being scrutinised for being a BN propaganda tool. Is the syllabus historically accurate or just the viewpoint of one party? For example where is mention of past heroes such as Youth Corps P Veerasenan and 'Malaya' Ganabathy who died fighting the British insurgency? There are many more heroes and incidents that the current history schoolbooks choose to ignore, this is being tolerated by BN component parties who share the blame.

After 50 years of successful brainwashing and propaganda from young to believe the only eligible government to rule our country is BN, the Indians will never forget the gifts of tear gas canisters and chemical rain the government of the day gave us in 2007.

The torture, blame, and hardships we continue to endure in the last 50 years have created an awareness amongst us. Since that day in 2007, the Indian community has become sensitive and alert. It has now become a volatile community suspicious of every move by any political party.

With pressure groups ready to strike at anyone, each issue is being suspiciously looked upon. Both BN and Pakatan has to be on their toes, as benefit of the doubt is given to neither. Issues of Kugan, Kg Buah Pala, demolitions of temples and now 'Interlok' are all looked upon as being an attack by the ruling party and discriminatory to Indians.

So why does 'Interlok' matter? Because it could have been any other novel with a 1Malaysia recipe. So why now? Why not another novel?

The story's premise is in 1910s at a time when the pendatangs came to Malaysia. Perkasa would surely have loved this notion of telling things as it is - the Indians and Chinese as pendatangs.

Without doubt Perkasa has celebrated the author. Utusan Malaysia carried front page headlines with a large photo of the author in tears. Knowing the role of Utusan Malaysia, we should get an idea of the direction all this is heading.

From an Indian viewpoint it's very simple: why put our children in a lower pedestal of self esteem to others? Do we need to be told to feel grateful to be in this country? That we are pendatangs whose ancestors were glad to be here as socially, Malaya was a viable country compared to India?

Taking it further and generalising most Indians as coming from the lowest caste is indeed mischievous. Are African American students made to watch 'Roots' and read about Kunta Kinte as literature?

To look back at how our ancestors arrived and the struggles they endured has to be seen accurately and in a positive light. When the African Americans read about Kunta Kinte they will also read about Martin Luther King and in the future about Barrack Obama.

So does our history books have many positive Indian figures who were part of our nation building? Are our children taught about them? It's a myth if someone thinks there are only four castes in India, as there are many castes according to profession and hundreds of sub caste from different regions.

So how does the sentence 'most people from Dravida south are of lower caste' sound to readers? Does it mean false statements such as 'the colour of the skin determines the caste' should be accepted? Is calling Indians 'keling' not enough to insult us? Do we need more insults?

Do they take us to be fools who are naïve an unable to see that behind the friendly handshake the hand at the back approves religious conversion, body snatching, little Napoleans, discriminating policies, insincere promises, lack of equal opportunities for education, ongoing marginalisation, fourth class treatment, subtle polarisation ... I could go on.

Spending millions to upgrade Batu Caves and doing some cosmetic changes and colourful paintings with ugly fat dancing statues in Brickfields and hanging a board called Little India there does not solve even a single grouse of the Indian community.

These are smokescreens to keep BN with their 1Malaysia rhetoric in power.

What the Indians need is acknowledgement of marginalisation, sincere efforts to eradicate our problems, amendment of discriminating laws and policies, keeping the little Napoleans in check, reigning back overzealous officers, sincere willingness to listen and to come up with an royal commission of inquiry on various problems among the community.

With its wealth of resources BN only needs to start implementation with discipline and a heart with a willpower to do what is right. MIC is definitely not what the Indians need. They are clueless people, as they are part of BN.

Has the government attempted to solve 53 years of grievances that was highlighted by 30,000 people in the streets of KL? More activist groups will rise if these issues are not solved. What is going to stop another demonstration?

It is no wonder Indians are seeking other countries that offer them equality and unity in diversity. What more when disunity and racial hatred is being sown in front of our eyes!        

Hindraf Activists to hand over memo to UN on racism – Article from www.malaysiakini.com

Susan Loone
Feb 8, 11
3:28pm
Hindu rights activists are planning to hand over a memorandum on the inclusion of controversial novel Interlok into the Malaysian high school curriculum to the United Nations.
The group, led by the Human Rights Party, would hand in the memorandum to the UN office in Damansara this Friday.
According to Human Rights Party advisor N Ganesan (left), the memorandum is specifically about the inclusion of the novel which stereotypes minority Indians in very negative images into the the school curriculum.
“It is also generally about the anachronistic, subtle, pervasive racist system of the Malaysian government – very much like the Apartheid system,” he told Malaysiakini.
“In that memo we plan to elaborate on how this inclusion of Interlok into the school curriculum is not an isolated move on the part of the government but is actually the tip of the iceberg of a system that systematically excludes the minorities of the country – the Indian poor being the most impacted,” he added.
Ganesan said the group was hopeful that by raising the issue with the UN, Malaysia will be called to account by the international community for its blatant racist policies and practices.
He added that the the world needed to know what was really happening in Malaysia.
“In South Africa the Apartheid system was an overt system of control by the minority over the majority. However, in contrast here in Malaysia it is a subtle and I daresay covert system of control by the majority over the minority,” he said.
“It is probably the only country in the world with such an arrangement still. The world needs to know nevertheless,” he added.
The issue first surfaced at the end of last year when Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department T Murugiah registered his protest after his ministry discussed the novel with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Several rallies for and against the novel and the Education Ministry move have taken place, with the latest being more than 100 NGOs under the Malay Consultative Council coalition vowing not to support any ethnic Indian leader from any political party in the general elections.
On Jan 27, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the novel will remain as the textbook for the literature component of the Bahasa Melayu subject for Form Five, but with amendments to those parts deemed offensive by the Indian community.
Solidarity march on Feb 27
However, Hindu activists are still unsatisfied with the remedy and are planning a rally dubbed the ‘People’s March in Solidarity Against Umno’s Racism’ on Feb 27 in Kuala Lumpur.
Ganesan said the plan to hold the march was triggered by the decision by the Malaysian government to include the novel into the curriculum despite loud opposition from the entire Indian community .
He added that the objective of the march is to say in “clear and unequivocal terms that the time has come for the racist regime of Malaysia to be be dismantled”.
“The constant utterances by the muftis, educators at various levels, Perkasa the Umno outsource, mainstream media, by reminders wherever you turn in Malaysia, the reinforced concrete structure of racist control, the constant harassment, the constant threats of prosecution for sedition are all nothing but sheer manifestations of this pervasive system,” he said.
“This system has to be met head-on”.
Ganesan extended an invitation to participate in the march to all political parties, NGOs and civil society organisations who wish to see an end to a racist system.
He also called on PKR and PAS supporters, who recently demonstrated in solidarity with the people of Egypt, to participate in the rally.
Simultaneous demonstrations are also planned in London in Trafalgar Square and in New York, presumably in front of the UN, on the same date, said Ganesan.

Ex-US envoy launches broadside at M'sia's racism

Former United States ambassador to Malaysia John Malott has lambasted Prime Minister Najib Razak's hypocrisy over his 1Malaysia slogan in a scathing article published today in the Asian Wall Street Journal.

Malott (left), a frequent critic of the government since ending his three-year tenure as US ambassador in 1998, told Najib to take “a long look in the mirror” if he was serious about achieving his 1Malaysia goal.

“Despite the government's new catchphrase, racial and religious tensions are higher today than when Najib took office in 2009.

“Indeed, they are worse than at any time since 1969, when at least 200 people died in racial clashes between the majority Malay and minority Chinese communities,” said Malott in his AWSJ commentary. 

He blamed the recent escalation of tensions on the government for “tolerating, and in some cases provoking, ethnic factionalism through words and actions”.

Malott cited a number of examples, including the incident where a top Najib aide, Hardev Kaur, had suggested thatno crucifixes be displayed during the premier's Christmas Day open house visit at the residence of the Catholic archbishop of Kuala Lumpur.

“Ms Kaur later insisted that she 'had made it clear that it was a request and not an instruction', as if any Malaysian could say no to a request from the prime minister's office,” lamented Malott.

Other examples of insensitivities, said Malott, included Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussiendefending the actions of a group of residents who paraded a cow's head to protest the relocation of a Hindu temple to their neighbourhood, and Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi questioning the“lack of patriotism” of ethnic Chinese and Indian Malaysians.

Malott also slammed Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia for stoking racial hatred by regularly attacking “Chinese Malaysian politicians, and even suggested that one of them, parliamentarian Teresa Kok,should be killed”.

As a result of the growing racism, as many as 500,000 Malaysians left the country between 2007 and 2009, more than doubling the number of Malaysian professionals who live overseas, decried Malott.

The economic price tag of racism

He also said Najib is enamoured to right-wing groups such as Perkasa, which are against economic reforms in the name of 'Malay rights'.

“But stalling reform will mean a further loss in competitiveness and slower growth. It also means that the cronyism and no-bid contracts that favour the well-connected will continue.” 

Malott said that while Najib may not actually believe the rhetoric emanating from his party and his government's officers, he allows it because he needs to shore up Malay votes.
“It's politically convenient at a time when his party faces its most serious opposition challenge in recent memory - and especially when the opposition is challenging the government on ethnic policy and its economic consequences.” 

The steady erosion of tolerance, warned Malott, had become an economic problem as well.
“To meet its much-vaunted goal of becoming a developed nation by 2020, Malaysia needs to grow by 8 percent per year during this decade. 

“That level of growth will require major private investments from both domestic and foreign sources, upgraded human skills and significant economic reform. Worsening racial and religious tensions stand in the way.”

The former US ambassador argued that while the government might find it politically expedient to stir the racial and religious pot, such opportunism comes with an economic price tag. 

“Its citizens will continue to vote with their feet and take their money and talents with them. And foreign investors, concerned about racial instability and the absence of meaningful economic reform, will continue to look elsewhere to do business.”