Alcoholism in our society

By Susan Luees David

On May 23rd the NST have published that Malaysia ranked world’s 10th largest consumer of alcohol. This is something to be proud of my friends? I’m not saying this is solely contributed by the Indian and Chinese community only but ALL, I repeat ALL. I would like change this negative achievement of us therefore I want to start from home which is my community. Here I would like to share the effects of Alcoholism. There are many and varied. Let us consider them by the various people and groups of people they can affect:

Individuals:-

Emotionally – alcoholism numbs the feelings we have and makes it so that we self-medicate any time we start to get sad, angry, or scared in any way. We stunt any emotional growth or progress that might be made were we to be sober instead.

Socially – alcoholism fixed my anxiety at first, but eventually I drank in isolation–afraid to venture out into public because I was such a madman. I could only seek out other hard core alcoholics and drug addicts that consumed like I did.
Spiritually – alcoholism is like trying to find God while running on a hamster wheel. We live in fear and abandon our hopes and prayers we might have once had.

Physically - The physical effects of alcoholism are well documented and there is a high morbidity rate. Most say that the average alcoholic that continues to drink will die something like 22 to 36 years ahead of their time (depending on which data you look at). This is complicated because most alcoholics also smoke cigarettes and some abuse other substances as well, which also affect their health. Those who do recover from alcoholism will sometimes quit smoking, or continue to smoke, so mortality rates can become very confusing when trying to look at things like this.

Mentally - “water on the brain.” Yes, a lifetime of drinking does in fact turn your brain into mush eventually. This is well documented as well.

Families:-

Alienates children – kids take it the hardest, because they don’t know if the “switch has been flipped or not” with their alcoholic parent. Living this way has a negative effect on grades, social skills, and just about every other aspect of a child’s life.

Perpetuates abuse – well known and well documented. What might be understated is the amount of verbal abuse that is simply “put up with.”

Divorce!!!!

Worse than divorce in some cases – the family holds together despite the dysfunction and potentially passes the disease on to others. Consider that children of an alcoholic parent are 4 times more likely to become alcoholics themselves.

For young addicts and alcoholics, they have proven that group therapy is worse than no therapy at all, but family therapy has shown some degree of promise. These points to the fact that addiction is a family disease and needs to be treated as such in most cases.

Society as whole:-

WILL LOOK DOWN ON YOU & CHASE YOU OUT OF THE SOCIETY AS A DIRT

In general, my dear Indian wife, how are you going to save your husband from the above?

Here kicks in our famous “patti vaithiyam” cook super extra thick dhal curry which means you need to add extra “parupu” to your dhal, it shouldn’t be watery at all but must be as thick as possible. This dhal curry need to be served with well fermented idli or thosai. 

“Fermentation” in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. A more restricted definition of fermentation is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol.
Fermentation usually implies that the action of microorganisms is desirable, and the process is used to produce alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, and cider. Fermentation is also employed in the leavening of bread, and for preservation techniques to create lactic acid in sour foods such as sauerkraut, dry sausages, kimchi and yogurt, or vinegar (acetic acid) for use in pickling foods.

Poked on the forehead with a pen for not doing classwork

A kindergarten operator alleges that a teacher poked her son's forehead with a pen and left a scar and also refused to apologise to her.

PETALING JAYA: A teacher who could not control his anger poked the forehead of a pupil with a pen because he did not complete his classwork, the boy’s parent alleged today.

Relating the incident which happened on Monday, SA Bibi Yanem, 45, said her son, S Timothy Deeran, and his classmates in Year 4 Semangat, Sekolah Kebangsaan Puchong Jaya, were told to copy a dictation by their Malay language teacher, Islahuddin Ibrahim.

“However, my son missed a few words from the dictation and could not complete his work,” said Bibi Yanem, a kindergarten operator.

Unable to pass up the work when instructed by the teacher, Bibi Yanem said her son was then called up to the front of the class by Islahuddin .

“When he checked my son’s work and saw it incomplete, Islahuddin took his pen and poked and scratched my son’s forehead,” claimed Bibi Yanem.

Bibi Yanem also alleged that this left a scar on his forehead.

Angered by the incident,  Bibi Yanem and her husband M Shegar then went to the school at about 8am yesterday and reported the matter to the school principal, Abdul Rahman Mansor.

After hearing her grievances, Rahman then called her son and Islahuddin to his office to get to the bottom of the matter.

In the meeting, Bibi Yanem claimed Islahuddin said that he was unable to control his rage when he saw Timothy’s work was not done.

“But I told him if you have no patience, then you should not be a teacher,” she said.

Islahuddin then promised the parents that he would issue a written letter of apology to them in a few hours time.

However, when Bibi Yanem went back to the school at  about 11am, Islahuddin refused to give her the letter.

“Islahuddin arrogantly told me in the staff room  that it was against his ethics to write such a letter. He even challenged me to take action against him,” she said.

Bibi Yanem told Rahman what had transpired but claimed the principal merely kept mum on the matter.

“He didn’t object when I told him that I will take this matter to the media,” said Bibi Yanem.

On whether she had reported the incident to the district education office, Bibi Yanem said she had not done so yet but had lodged a report at the Puchong Jaya police station.

When contacted, the school administration was unable to comment on the matter as Rahman had left his office.

Media Event 21/7/11: Teacher injures standard four student Shegar (10) with ball pen and nearly poking his right eye for not writing out Karangan in time.

No.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur. Tel : 03-2282 5241
Fax : 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245
Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com E-mail: info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com
Your Reference:
In Reply :
Date : 20/7/2011

Media Event 21st July 2011 (Thursday)

Re : Teacher injures standard four student Shegar (10) with ball pen and nearly poking his right eye for not writing out Karangan in time. Accelerating racism in Secondary schools. Letter to DPM and Education Minister.
Date : 21/7/2011 (Thursday)
Time : 2.00 p.m
Venue: HRP HQ as above.
Note : The mother and student would be present.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
S. Jayathas
(Information Chief)
012-6362287

13 A Indian student to garbage picker

4 days Remand/Jail for mere traffic offence by Polis Raja Di Malay-sia & A.G. Gani Patail.

Last night at about 12.00 a.m we received  an SOS call from Kuppan Nagappen, a lorry transport operator that the JPJ had wanted to confiscate his lorry as he had employed an Indian national as the driver. His son argued with the JPJ officer and was immediately handcuffed by police. Kuppan came by and he and a total of 7 Indians were arrested and locked up.

This morning P. Uthayakumar called the Section 9 Police station’s Inspector Helmi (013-5544945) and told him to wait as Uthayakumar intended to oppose the remand application. But in the typical police style, Inspector Helmi instead got a 5 days remand order up to 16/7/11 without waiting for Uthayakumar who had arrived at the Shah Alam court at 12.20 p.m.

Khairul Nizar, the Remand Clerk had informed P. Uthayakumar of this.
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

HINDRAF British suit- Not even RM1 promised

Why Hindraf opted out of Bersih (FreeMalaysiaToday)

Uthayakumar explains why the organisation chose not to take to the streets on July 9 in support of the Bersih 2.0 rally.
COMMENT
By P Uthayakumar

Bersih 2.0 alias Pakatan Rakyat refuses to even engage the Human Rights Party (HRP) and Hindraf Makkal Sakti because of the Indian poor political baggage. But they want Indian support and Indian votes for free.

Hindraf and HRP can trace back their origins to at least 1990, even before the birth and rise of PKR. We came into existence because there were no takers for the Indian poor problem in the 54 years since the nation gained its independence.

And in all these 22 years, we have been forced to go almost solo as neither even the pseudo multi-racial PKR, DAP and PAS nor the supposed bi-racial NGOs and civil society really cared about the Indian poor, even up to this day.

They see the Indian poor problem as a “political liability” and “political baggage”. They prefer to play to the sentiments of the Malay Muslims, Chinese and natives which earn them greater political mileage.
Even during the Nov 25, 2007 Hindraf rally, we never had the support of PKR, DAP, PAS, NGOs and the civil society. We went almost solo with the Indian poor backing us up. And we paid the heavy price solo as well.

It was the Indian poor who literally bailed us out right up to the Hindraf lawyers release from ISA detention without trial after 514 days. And till now, especially during the Hindraf Anti-Interlok/ Anti Umno Racism Rally on Feb 27 this year – which saw 54 Hindraf activists maliciously arrested and prosecuted – we had to fight on our own.

But PKR, DAP and PAS made use of the 2007 Hindraf wave, and unprecedentedly denied Barisan Nasional its two-thirds Parliamentary majority and won five west coast states including winning 10 out of the 11 parliamentary seats in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. And like Umno/BN thereafter dumped Hindraf and the Indian poor like sucked oranges.

Using the power of money and the powerful Umno government machinery including that of the police Special Branch E3M, Umno destroyed Hindraf to a significant extent under Ops Padam Hindraf. But we are now rebuilding and regaining lost ground knowing that Hindraf still lives on in the hearts and minds of the Indian poor.

We were not invited

We have had been questioned on our non-participation in the July 9, 2011 Bersih rally.

Our reply was that we were never invited in the first place while 62 other NGOs were invited. We were not invited as we carry with us the Indian poor political baggage which Pakatan Rakyat sees as a political liability. And we refuse to be the blind followers or “cari makan” Indian mandores for the Tuans and Towkays in Pakatan, what more being one in BN.

Our position is that ending the Indian poor problem and ending the 54 years of continuous Umno rule must be fought along parallel lines and not “only after Pakatan Rakyat has got to Putrajaya”.

Especially so when PKR, DAP and PAS were already in the “Putrajaya” of Selangor, Penang and Kedah and refused to resolve even the most elementary Indian poor problems. For this and other obvious reasons, we are not prepared to give Pakatan a blank cheque to Putrajaya or to take a rain cheque for that matter. We want to be Pakatan’s internal check and balance.

Why should any democracy or those battling for free and fair elections have problems welcoming this healthy internal check and balance?

And Bersih 2.0′s free and fair elections also refused to include the de-gerrymandering of Indian majority seats like Sungai Petani, Padang Serai, Batu Kawan, Ipoh Barat, Sungai Siput, Bagan Datoh, Teluk Intan, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Selangor, Kota Raja, Klang, Teluk Kemang, Cameron Highlands etc.

Of course if Pakatan leaders had also championed the cause of the Indian poor as done for minorities in the western civil societies, western democracies and western free and fair elections standards, we would be the first to concede that our position now would stand superfluous. In fact, we would not want to contest at all in the general election as we prefer the majoritarian Malay Muslim, Chinese and native top leaders and their MPs to champion the cause of the Indian poor.

It should have made sense also to Bersih 2.0 that despite there being almost one million Indian voters in Malaysia, (715,099 Indian voters in the 2008 electoral roll) there is not even one Indian majority seat in all of the 222 Parliament and 576 state assembly seats. But we suppose this does not fall within the ambit of free and fair elections of Bersih alias Pakatan. We do not need even one Indian majority seat if and only Pakatan’s top leaders, their 75 MPs’ including their 11 Indian mandore MPs’ do not sidestep the pressing Indian poor problem vis-a-vis Umno racism.

We are a different breed

But Pakatan is not even prepared to engage HRP and Hindraf as we consciously and uncompromisingly choose not to abandon the cause of the Indian poor vis-a-vis Hindraf’s 18-point demand which Pakatan sees as a political liability.

To Pakatan, we wish to state that Hindraf and HRP are not the easily excitable Malaysian Indians they have been so used to seeing or dealing with including during their ex-Umno days.

And neither are we prepared to assume the role of the much sought after by Umno/BN and now Pakatan i.e. the “cari makan” Indian mandores. We are a different breed. We are a different lot. We are a different kettle of fish. We are racing against time. We stand for equality and equal opportunities as guaranteed by Article 8 of the Federal Constitution especially for the Indian poor in both the government, GLCs and the private sectors.

For this, our detractors branded us as the Indian Perkasa, racists and extremists. But when we ask them to point out to one instance of we ever having asked for Ketuanan India (like what Perkasa does), they have no answer. The truth is they use this Perkasa label on us as a shrewd strategy in completely sidestepping especially the pressing Indian poor problem.

In conclusion, Bersih = Pakatan Rakyat, Umno = Kotor and HRP = Hindraf’s 18-point demand.
If we are forced to go solo again, so be it. Assuming even if we lose 100% of HRP’s 15/38 seats because Pakatan won’t make way for us, we have already won as a political pressure group against both Umno/BN and Pakatan’s racism against the Indian poor as evidenced by our daily postings inwww.humanrightspartymalaysia.com.

Be that as it may, the Bersih rally was a success and we congratulate them. If invited, we would consider attending the next Bersih rally as it is also our main objective to end Umno’s rule, which is the main main cause for the predicament faced by even the sixth generation of Malaysian born Indian poor.

P Uthayakumar was arrested under the ISA in 2007 for leading the Indian cause through Hindraf. He is Hindraf’s legal advisor and the pro-tem secretary-general of Human Rights Party.

Bersih @ Pakatan refuses to even engage HRP & Hindraf because of Indian poor “political baggage”. But they want Indian support & Indian votes and want it for free.

What Hindraf & HRP is today can trace back it’s origins to way back to at least 1990, even before the birth and rise of PKR. We came into existence because there were no takers for the Indian poor problems in the 54 years of the nation’s independence especially so as it is an uphill battle. And in all these 22 years, we have been forced to go almost solo vis a vis the Indian poor problems as neither even the pseudo multi-racial PKR, DAP & PAS or the supposed bi-racial One Malay-sian NGOs’ and civil society really care about the Indian poor, even right up to this day. They see the Indian poor problems as a “political liability” and “political baggage” and instead choose and prefer playing to the 92% Malay muslim, Chinese and natives majoritarian political gallery which earns them far greater “political capital and political mileage”.

Even during the height of the 25^th November 2007 100,000 Hindraf Rally, we never had the support of PKR, DAP, PAS, NGOs’ and the civil society. We went on almost solo merely with the Indian poor masses backing us up. And we paid the heavy and dear price also solo. It was the Indian poor who literally bailed us out including right up to the Hindraf lawyers release from ISA detention without trial after 514 days. And right up to date, especially during the Hindraf Anti Interlok/ Anti UMNO Racism Rally on 27/2/11, after which 54 Hindraf activists were unlawfully and maliciously arrested and prosecuted, for merely being a member of a human and minority rights NGO, we had to also fight it out, all on our own- Solo. (Note: this prosecution has never been done before in any part of the world ever except in absolute monarchy Saudi Arabia)

But PKR, DAP and PAS made use of the 2007 Hindraf wave, unprecedentedly denied BN their two thirds Parliamentary majority and won five west coast states including winning in ten out of the eleven Parliamentary seats in the Wilayah Persekutuan of Kuala Lumpur and like UMNO/BN thereafter dumped Hindraf and the Indian poor like sucked oranges.

Using money power, and the powerful UMNO government machinery including that of the police Special Branch E3M, UMNO destroyed Hindraf to a significant extent under Ops Padam Hindraf. But we are now rebuilding and regaining lost ground knowing that Hindraf still lives on in the hearts and minds of the Indian poor. And in preparation for the 13^th General Elections vis a vis HRPs’ Project 15/38.

We have had enquiries on our non participation in the 9^th July 2011 Bersih Rally. Our reply was that we were never invited in the first place in the backdrop of 62 other NGOs’ being cordially invited. We were not invited as we carry with us the Indian poor “political baggage” which Pakatan Rakyat sees as a “political liability”. And we refuse to be the blind followers or the “cari makan” Indian mandores for the Tuans and Towkays in Pakatan. What more being one in B.N which in any event has never been or will never be in our dictionary.

Our position is that ending the Indian poor problems and ending the 54 years of continuous UMNO rule of bi racial One Malay-sia has to be fought along parallel lines and not “only after Pakatan Rakyat has got to Putrajaya”. Especially so when PKR, DAP and PAS are already in the Putrajaya of Selangor, Penang and Kedah and have refused to resolve even the most elementary Indian poor problems. For this and other obvious reasons we are not prepared to give Pakatan a blank cheque to Putrajaya or to take a rain cheque for that matter. We want to be Pakatan Rakyat’s internal check and balance.

Why should any Democracy or Free and Fair Elections have no problems welcoming this healthy internal check and balance!

And Bersih’s Free Fair Elections refused to also include the de jerrymandering of Indian majority seats like Sg Petani, Padang Serai, Batu Kawan, Ipoh Barat, Sg Siput, Bagan Datoh, Teluk Intan, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Selangor, Kota Raja, Klang, Teluk Kemang, Cameron Highlands etc. Of course if the Pakatan Rakyat leaders had also championed the cause of the Indian poor as done for minorities in the Western Civil Societies and Western Democracies and Western Free and Fair Elections standards, we would be the first to concede that this our position would stand superfluous. In fact we would not want to contest at all in the general elections as we prefer the majoritarian Malay muslim, Chinese and Native top leaders and their MPs’ championing the cause of the Indian poor (which has never happened!). 

It should have made sense also to Bersih that despite there being almost One Million Indian voters in Malaysia, (715,099 Indian voters as at the 2008 Electoral Roll) there is not even one Indian majority seat in all of the 222 Parliament and 576 State Assembly seats. But we suppose this does not fall within the ambit of Free and Fair Elections of Bersih @ Pakatan Rakyat. We do not need even one Indian majority seat if and only if the Pakatan Rakyat top leaders, their 75 MPs’ including their 11 Indian mandore MPs’ do not sidestep especially the pressing Indian poor problems vis a vis UMNO racism. 

But Bersih @ Pakatan Rakyat is not even prepared to engage HRP & Hindraf as we consciously and uncompromisingly choose not to abandon the cause of the Indian poor vis a vis Hindrafs’ 18 point demands which Pakatan Rakyat sees as “political baggage” cum “political liability”.

To Pakatan we wish to state that Hindraf & HRP are not the easily excitable Malaysian Indians they have been so used to seeing and/or dealing with including during their ex UMNO days. And neither are we prepared to assume the role of the much sought after by UMNO/BN and now Pakatan Rakyat ie the “cari makan” Indian mandores. We are a different breed. We are a different lot. We are a different cattle of fish. We are racing against time. We stand for equality and equal opportunities as is guaranteed by Article 8 of the Federal Constitution including for especially the Indian poor in both the government, GLC and the private sectors. 

For this our stand, our detractors have branded us as the Indian Perkasa, racist and extremists. But when we ask them to point out to one instance of we ever having asked for Ketuanan India (like what Perkasa does), they have no answer. The truth is they use this Perkasa label on us as a shrewd strategy in completely side stepping especially the pressing Indian poor problems. Pakatan Rakyat also conveniently use this Perkasa excuse as a means to sidestep from voicing against UMNO racism on the Indian poor and similar racism in the GLC and private sectors vis a vis excluding the Indian poor from the national mainstream development of bi-racial One Malay-sia.

In conclusion Bersih = Pakatan Rakyat. UMNO = Kotor. HRP = Hindraf 18 point demands.

Bersih @ Pakatan Rakyat wants the Indian support and Indian votes but wants it for free of charge!

If we are forced into going solo, so be it. Assuming even if we lose 100% of HRPs’ 15/38 seats because Pakatan Rakyat won’t make way for us for a one on one contest with UMNO/BN, we have already won as a political pressure group against both UMNO/BN and Pakatan Rakyat racism against the Indian poor as is evidenced by our daily postings in www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com. 

Be that as it may, the Bersih Rally was a success and we congratulate Bersih @ Pakatan Rakyat. If invited, we would consider attending the next Bersih Rally as it is also our main objective and thrust in ending the 54 years of UMNO s’ continuous rule of Putrajaya which is the main cause and effect for the current critical predicament of the even sixth generation Malaysian born Indian poor.

P.Uthayakumar

11/7/11

Hindu minority rights in Islamic countries Advocate/Lawyer from India on Malaysian fact finding mission visits HRP HQ.

Mr. RP. Mudholkar B.Sc, LLB, an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Mumbai and a human rights lawyer today visited the HRP HQ.

He was briefed for four hours on the UMNO state sponsored racial and religious discrimination of Hindus and Indians in Malaysia by P.Uthayakumar for four hours. P.Uthayakumar also presented to MR. R.P.Mudholkar the following books and reports by Hindraf & HRP:-

1) Malaysia Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2009

2) Malaysia Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2010

3) Nov 25 Hindraf Rally 2007

4) 1^st National Hindraf Makkal Sakthi Convention 2010

5) Malaysian Indian political empowerment strategy the way forward

After hearing our briefing, Mr.Mudholkar agreed to work on a five member Indian Lok Sabha Members of Parliament fact finding mission to Malaysia to investigate and report on the UMNO state and government sponsored racism and religious supremacy targeted against the Malaysian Indians also to the Government of India, U.N, European Human Rights Commission/ Council, the World Court & International Criminal Court.

Mr Mudholkar also extended HRP and Hindraf an invitation to present papers at the International Conference on Minorities in Islamic countries in Mumbai later this year.

HRP then arranged for an itenary for Mr.Mudholkar to visit the Setapak PPR Hindu temple that was about to be demolished by DBKL in May 2011, the Sentul Hindu temple and it’s 100 over year old Banyamam tree to be demolished by DBKL and Sentul Raya Bhd, the Kg Medan tragedy site, Kg Lindungan Hindu temple relocated next to a sewerage pond and the high tension electric wire built over the Subang Jaya hindu temple by the Selangor PKR state government. A visit to Rani and her family in Malacca who was forced to be converted to Islam and her hindu husband arrested by the Jabatan Ugama Islam authorities and forcibly circumcised overnight and forced to convert to Islam and the other programmes would be hosted by S.Jayathas tomorrow.

Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

     

Bersih can stop but Hindraf will not stop unless UMNO stops 54 years of racism and religious extremism targeted against Indian poor.

In the prelude to the 25th November 2007 Hindraf Rally, there was tremendous pressure on P. Uthayakumar and P. Waythamoorthy from the UMNO led government, Malay  radical groups, Tiga Line Pekida gangsters and the Police Special Branch. There was a series of arrests and rearrests of the Hindraf lawyers and particularly targeting Uthayakumar who raised charges of ethnic cleansing. The sedition charge is still ongoing right to this date. During the one month in November and December 2007 alone Uthayakumar was arrested on three occasions with the fourth being his detention without trial under the ISA for 514 days.

We were monitored and followed by the police round the clock and towards  the end by fully tinted and unmarked police vehicles. 1,000 Hindraf activists were arrested and some 111 prosecuted for illegal assembly.

The same albeit on far lesser scale took place again at the Hindraf Rally No. 2 against Interlok and UMNO racism on 27/2/11. One hundred over Hindraf activists were arrested right from Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, K.L and N. Sembilan.

In March 2011 alone 54 Hindraf activists were prosecuted at the Ipoh, Selayang, K.L and Seremban Courts for merely being a member of Hindraf, the first of it’s kind. Besides the absolute monarchy Saudi Arabia, no world citizen has ever been prosecuted for being a member of an NGO. This is according to Front Line Defenders of Dublin.

The ruthless and fascist UMNO regime abused the police force, the office of the Attorney General and the Judiciary to oppress and subjugate these Hindraf activists not to question their almost absolute rule and authority.

We do not rely on the pseudo “multi-racial” PKR, DAP, PAS or the bi-racial Malay-sian civil society for support in championing the cause of the Malaysian Indian poor which they all have abandoned, unlike in the Western Civil Societies, as the Indian poor draws none or very little political mileage irrespective of the degree of their pain and sufferings resulting from the acts of UMNO racism and religious supremacy.
And today we are prepared to go for broke and to go solo as our struggle does not go by the political mileage and/or the Malay muslim, natives and Chinese “majoritarian gallery” votes or whether we do or do not get the votes but will continue being the focus group championing the cause of the Indian poor.

Unlike Bersih, Hindraf cannot and will not stop because of the 54 long years of the racist and religious supremacist UMNO segregating and excluding the Indian poor from the national mainstream development of Malaysia from womb to tomb.

From being denied Birth Certificates to the “ethnic cleansing of Hindu cemeteries.

Rights Not Mercy
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

Hindraf slams EO detention

The movement takes the government and Umno to task for 'violating' the rights of the citizens as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

GEORGE TOWN: Hindraf Makkal Sakti has condemned the re-arrest of six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members under the Emergency Ordinance and the police crackdown on Bersih 2.0 ahead of its July 9 rally.

Hindraf demanded that the authorities release all the detainees unconditionally.

The movement’s adviser N Ganesan said Umno’s gloves were coming off and the federal government was again showing its real self.

Citing the police clampdown on Hindraf after the Nov 25 rally in 2007, he said Umno, with the police’s help, was repeating it on Bersih and PSM.

The PSM six, including Sungai Siput MP Dr D Michael Jeyakumar, were re-arrested Saturday under Section 3(1) of the EO on suspicion of causing civil unrest by any means.

They were among 30 PSM leaders and members arrested by the police at the Sungai Dua toll plaza along the North-South Expressway on June 25.

They were originally remanded for a week to be investigated under Section 122 of the Penal Code for allegedly waging war against the King.

The six were released from the charge on Saturday, only to be re-arrested immediately under the EO, which is normally used to detain suspected hardcore criminals for 60 days without trial.

This was the first time the draconian law had been used against political party members, especially against a sitting MP.

‘Umno is not above the law’

“July 2, 2011 is just another black day like Dec 13, 2007 when Hindraf lawyers were detained under the draconian Internal Security Act,” said Ganesan.

He slammed the Umno government for contravening the citizens’ rights guaranteed in the Federal Constitution and the Universal Declarations of Human Rights.

He pointed out that the Federal Constitution unequivocally states that every citizen had the right to freedom of speech and expression; all citizens had the right to assemble peaceably and without arms; and all citizens had the right to form associations.

“However, Umno has mocked these rights granted and guaranteed by the Constitution,” stressed the Hindraf leader.

He said Malaysia was increasingly being run against the will of the people.

Ganesan alleged that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar acted in complicity in this and many other blatant violations of the Federal Constitution against the wishes of the people.

“Brute force is being applied to simply promote and protect the interests of Umno,” he said, adding that more repressive action would be employed in the coming days.

Ganesan reminded the Umno government that it was not above the law, and should always abide by all the provisions in the Federal Constitution.

“If Umno does not take heed of this call, Umno bears responsibility for making Malaysia a lawless nation,” he said.

HRP: Anti-Bersih protest at PAS HQ 'not Hindraf'

(Malaysiakini) HRP's S Jayathas has denied a news report that their supporters were behind the 30 youths reported to have demonstrated in front of the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur against the Bersih 2.0 rally.

Bernama had reported that the youths “claiming to be Hindraf supporters” showed up at the opposition party's HQ at Jalan Raja Laut at about 11.20am bearing banners 'Datuk Ambiga Jangan Buat Kecoh Di Malaysia' (Ambiga Don't Create Disorder in Malaysia) and 'Jangan Ikut Nik Aziz' (Don't Follow Nik Aziz).

“However, they were seen fleeing the area in several cars about 10 minutes later when the police arrived,” reported the national news agency.

Jayathas when contacted told Malaysiakini, “Hindraf has nothing to do with it, it's not our style to run away from police.”

“We are waiting for the 18 points of demand over constitutional right to be endorsed by the Pakatan (Rakyat)... if they give the green light, we will be in the frontline of the Bersih 2.0 rally,” said Jayathas.

Hindraf and Bersih: Last chance to unite

Perhaps, if the Hindraf movement will not join the rally, then hopefully, individual Hindraf members will participate in their personal capacities.

 

 COMMENT

One name stands out in the Bersih 2.0 rally: Hindraf. In a communiqué issued on June 15, Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar said that Hindraf would not participate in the march because Pakatan Rakyat had reneged on its promise to Hindraf after the 2008 general election.
Uthayakumar said, “We are not participating because Pakatan failed to endorse our 18-point demand made in 2007.”

Might Hindraf be persuaded to reconsider its earlier decision to stay away?

When would we be given another golden opportunity to show unity among the various communities in Malaysia? In another 54 years perhaps?

People of various ages, faiths, races and backgrounds would be coming together on July 9 in a show of strength.

The message to the Barisan Nasional-led coalition is that we would not tolerate lip service anymore, that electoral reforms are necessary and that human rights abuses cannot be ignored.

It is also a deliberate snub to the Election Commission because its offer to talk and engage with us has only come at the last minute.

Back in 2007, the first Bersih march on Nov 10 and the subsequent Hindraf rally on Nov 25 were instrumental in forcing a change in people’s attitude towards BN.

There is no denying that Hindraf’s leaders were successful in galvanising the movement to stand behind Pakatan. Also without the support of the Hindraf movement, whose members turned out in the tens of thousands, the outcome of the 2008 general election might have been different.

These two marches in 2007 contributed towards the significant opposition gains in the 2008 polls.


Using the element of fear

It is obvious that all the parties and individuals who are opposed to the “Walk for Democracy” are using the fear element to cow the public into staying at home.

Fear is what makes Umno-BN and its cronies try their best to stop the march because a mobilised rakyat demanding urgent democratic and electoral reforms is a dangerous beast.

Fear is what drove MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek to warn his party members against joining the march, saying that it was politically motivated and illegal: “We cannot accept the objective of this illegal rally.”
Fear and shame drove the EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar to declare that Bersih was merely a front for Pakatan to increase its bid for Putrajaya.

He said, “There was (a 2007) demonstration and as result, a momentum was built and in the 2008 election (the opposition) won big… now, the rumour is that snap polls will be called and history will be repeated.
“(They think) let us have Bersih 2.0 with more supporters, the momentum will grow and possibly win Putrajaya.”

Wan Ahmad told S Ambiga, the Bersih chairman, to be apolitical: “If Bersih separates itself from political parties, then we can meet Bersih as a member of civil society as its agenda is for the good of all.”

However, Wan Ahmad forgets that if he had not been a lame chairman of the EC and discharged his duties professionally, then Malaysia might not have been lumped into such a quagmire.

In another attempt to blacken the Bersih organisers, Umno sympathisers have said that the EC was efficient, that elections in Malaysia were fair, otherwise, the opposition would not have been able to win five states in the last general election.

Have these people considered that if the elections had been truly clean, fair and free, and the EC did not collude with Umno, the opposition might not have won just five states but would have scored outright victories throughout Malaysia?

Last February, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak claimed that Hindraf did not need to represent the Indian community because the government was capable of looking after the interests of the Indians.

He said, “We have taken action on the question of Indian community interests, meaning that they don’t need Hindraf, they only need BN.
”
After 54 years of BN, what improvements in living standards or educational and work opportunities have the Indians to show for BN’s supposed concern?

Time to be magnanimous

But BN alone is not to blame; Uthayakumar of Hindraf is still seething from being let down by Pakatan after the 2008 general election.

True. It is frustrating and a serious point of grievance.

Hindraf leaders have striven so hard for the Indians but have achieved very little because they have been let down by politicians. They have been used, as every political party uses us, the rakyat, for their own means and to fulfil their own agendas.

There are almost 850,000 Indian voters, yet there is not a single constituency with an Indian majority.
In 2007, Hindraf was said to be linked with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam but none of the politicians or any social activist defended Hindraf.

Hindraf was accused of having overseas links and plots to overthrow the government but again no one spoke up for them. When Hindraf’s Orange T-shirts were banned because they threatened national security, or when Hindraf’s supporters’ children were arrested, again no one came to their defence.

When Hindraf organised a demonstration against racism in February, no opposition politician supported them.

When hundreds of Hindraf supporters were arrested and 54 were charged in court, one Hindraf supporter commented: “Not a single word from civil societies. Their silence is deafening.”

Perhaps Pakatan’s arrogance has cost them dearly. Equally, is Hindraf cutting off its nose to spite its face?
We respect Hindraf’s decision to stay away, but this is not Pakatan’s march. This march is also not a misguided attempt to overthrow the government or cause civil unrest.

The July 9 rally is possibly the rakyat’s last chance to make a difference, to set aside political and personal differences and to stand as one against those who make a mockery of democracy and clean elections.

Many of us are angry with politicians, from both sides of the political divide. They make use of us when it suits them. Then they spit us out like orange pips after they have sucked all the juicy orange segments.
What would it take for more Malays to speak up? Liberal-minded Malays can collectively make a difference.

One Hindraf supporter who would be joining the rally said, “Human rights do not belong to the privileged few.”

Perhaps, if the Hindraf movement would not join the rally, then hopefully, individual Hindraf members would participate in their personal capacities.

There is a Tamil saying, “It does not matter whether its Rama or Ravana who reigns as it wouldn’t make a difference to me.”

So has Umno-BN already won, if we cannot even join hands in a common cause? It is never too late for Hindraf to join the Bersih rally to show solidarity against Umno-BN.

Now is the time to be magnanimous and to set aside petty squabbles. Hindraf has more to gain but the real champions would be the rakyat.

Mariam Mokhtar is a local political observer. She is an FMT columnist.

Wayang Kulit” in Grander 1Malaysia style

HRP, Naragan,
 

The following is a summary of a report on a so-called roundtable conference on the future of Tamil Schools from the FMT website on the 27th of June 2011. The report starts with a grand: “In a historic roundtable conference, BN and Pakatan leaders joined hands to chart the future of Tamil schools.” The stated purpose: “discussions were held to set up a steering committee to chart a blueprint for the future of Tamil schools in the country.” 

Present at the conference were SK Devamany, M Saravanan, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, Kulasegaran, P Ramasamy, M Manoharan , S Manikavasagam, Charles Santiago , R Sivarasah , Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, A Sivaneson, P Guna, Daljit Singh Dalliwal and S Ramakrishnan.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, 

chaired the conference. It is learnt that the steering committee would be made up of 18, there would be six members from BN, six from Pakatan and the rest from Tamil Foundation and other NGOs.

Now look at the report like this.

This is the making of a “Wayang Kulit” in grander 1Malaysia style. This amounts to the politicans fine tuning their approaches. Before only the MIC used to engage in this sort of deceptive wayang kulit. Now, in the last 3 years the Pakatan Indian reps have begun to play the same game – you see this regularly in mock cheques and computers given away in the Tamil newspapers. Yesterday 

both these groups have taken this wayang kulit thing one stage further – in 1Malaysia style and these two groups are getting together for a joint wayang. This is 1Malaysia after all isn’t it. History suggests that this is what is happening. If I am wrong, then they have to show that I am wrong now. And further as if to legitimize this wayang , they pull in a few Indian NGO reps to give it an appearance of a non-partisan effort.

For 54 years the UMNO regime has been using their accomplice MIC in the grand game of deceit of the Indian people. The Malay elite harbour an implicit desire to kill off the vernacular schools, but are blocked by the provisions in the Federal Constitution. To circumvent this, they adopt – and this is unstated private but explicit policy, an ambivalent attitude in public and a clear non-allocation of resources in private. They have been doing this with full collusion of the MIC accomplices.

.Article 12 reads:

Rights in respect of education

12. (1) Without prejudice to the generality of Article 8, there shall be no discrimination against any citizen on the grounds only of religion, race, descent or place of birth—

(a) in the administration of any educational institution maintained by a public authority, and, in particular, the admission of pupils or students or the payment of fees;

or

(b) in providing out of the funds of a public authority financial aid for the maintenance or education of

pupils or students in any educational institution (whether or not maintained by a public authority and whether within or outside the Federation). This is their way of killing off a part of the education system continued from the colonial times and which was institutionalized in the Federal Constitution.

Here is the reality. 

The amounts spent annually on education is about 20% of a RM210 billion budget – works out to about RM 40 billion. The expenditure for just the MARA education system, not to mention everything else that occurs in the education arena, just this one – 42 MRSMs with a student population of 12,400 , with each such school costing anywhere from RM 50 -120 million to construct, 209 Giat MARA schools with a budgetary allocation of RM550 million in just the 10th Malaysia plan period alone, Institute Kemahiran MARA which has put out over 200,000 Malay students, MARA UiTM University with 4 satellite campuses, 12 branch campuses, 9 city campuses and 19 affiliated colleges with an enrollment of 120,000 students and 15,000 staff, and all the other MARA schemes for the last 54 years. How much do you think the expenditure on all of that may be. No clear stats are available for me to quote accurately. But I think easily that would be 30 to 50% of the RM40 billion annually.

If all of that was for 60 odd percent of the majority community of the country, how much should have been allocated to the Indians who constitute 7.4% of the population this year, given the provision in the Federal Constitution Article 12 – on equal treatment . Of course this statistics again is not available. You and I can venture guesses. My guess is that it is less than 0.1 % of all of this RM40 billion. Even the stated amounts of RM 100 million for each of the last 3 years – statement by Devamoney in this conference (which amount I think is just eyewash anyway – but this is what he stated) works out to a bare 0.25%. Like with all their allocation pronouncements for the Indian community, this is most likely a significant exaggeration.

See how serious the problem really is. A community starved of their rightful allocations for at least two generations. This has gone on unchecked for 54 years, just because of this kind of complicity and deception. It is this problem that these reps must really correct. They must get their fundamentals right first.

In light of this seriousness of the problem it is extremely frivolous on the part of these lawmakers to continue with this wayang nonsense – they want to set up a steering committee now, and for what – to do a blueprint – what nonsense. If they are really working for the good of the Indian community, they should all get together now and go to their tuans and towkays and ask for the rightful allocations, now!

We do not need another generation to lose out on something so fundamental as education. See the deleterious effects of this policy in just one aspect of the result– the increasing number of criminals among Indian youth, one in two youths that are in prison are Indians. These reps need to see what they are really dealing with.

If they do indeed represent the Indian people as they all project themselves to , then they have to start becoming effective in whatever they are doing. Without a doubt in my mind this is what they must all do, they should all get together now and go to their tuans and towkays and ask for the rightful allocations, now!. Otherwise I can only take it that they project themselves as representatives of Indians for no other reason than to make an income out of it for themselves. They are all today powerless because of the choices they all have made.They have chosen to make a personal career and a good income out of the miseries of the Indian poor. 

If these reps are serious they should act where it matters. All the BN run states and the Pakatan run states should immediately and before the next elections alienate 5 acres of land to at least 10% of the schools in the country – about 50 of the schools to establish their bona fide intent. These representatives should show bona fide intention this way first while any blueprint or anything else in the form of a robust plan is drawn up.

If these reps are serious they should start there where they do have some authority, in the States where they are in the Exco lineup of the State. We do not need a blue print to start real activity, if that is the true intention it is only a matter of a will. This is well known, so, what is required now is action. Just allocate the land needed – 5 acres each, instead of doing as P.Ramasamy did a few months ago,when he told the people of Ladang Batu Kawan when they asked him for additional 3 acres of land to make their school a 5 acres school, that they and whoever was speaking up for them – in this case, Hindraf, should come up with the additional RM 3 million for the land for the school, as land was not cheap in Penang. This is exactly the kind of thing Samy Vellu has been saying all these 50 odd years as he played Tango with UMNO.

If your true intention is to undo a terrible injustice, then start where you must and can – do not mislead with wayangs. Enough of all that nonsense – we are all so sick and tired.

Go back to your PKR, DAP and UMNO tuans and towkays and just say it to them. Get the ball rolling. Do not form anymore committees – we need to see some action. Pakatan reps , understand this, you should have started on this at the beginning of your respective tenures in 2008 and not at the end of it in 2011. BN reps you should have started all of this 54 years ago. 

Naragan

Hindraf seeking more classified documents to sue Britain

Hindraf's lawyers in London say they need more documents on the colonial period in Malaysia to refile their suit against the British government

 

By Athi Sankar - FMT

GEORGE TOWN: Hindraf Makkal Sakti is set to refile its suit against the British government by the end of he year.

Hindraf chairman, P Waytha Moorthy, originally filed a class action suit on Aug 31, 2007, the 50th anniversary of Malaysia’s independence, against the United Kingdom London courts for US$4 trillion.

The suit was filed prior to Nov 25 historic Hindraf rally in Kuala Lumpur, to demand compensation for Indian Malaysians whose ancestors were brought in by the colonial government as indentured labour.

It claimed that, after granting independence to Malaya, the British had left the Indians without representation and at the mercy of the majority Malays.

However, the suit was stalled following the Malaysian government’s clampdown on Hindraf and arrest of several lawyers, including the movement legal adviser and Waytha Moorthy’s brother Uthayakumar under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA).

Hindraf’s lawyers in London say that to refile the suit they need relevant documents which is kept by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)

The lawyers have made a second request to the FCO to facilitate its impending million pounds suit against the former colonial master.

The movement’s legal counsel in London, Imran Khan (pix below) has made the second request on May 25 this year after the Hindraf’s first request on Jan 6 this year was refused by FCO.

The second request is made to seek access to all documents and information held or that which is within the knowledge of the FCO as well as any material held by any other governmental departments which have had access/dealings with Malaya between 1945 and 1957.

“In the event that the FCO refuses to provide us with the documents, we will then exhaust all internal review procedures to have access to the disclosure of these materials and documents.

“If this too failed, we will pursue other avenues such as a judicial review to force the FCO to release the documents necessary for the claim,” said solicitors Imran Khan & Partners in a statement to FMT.

More documents available

The statement said the FCO has turned down Hindraf’s first request citing that domestic records of colonial administrations did not form part of British official records and they were kept by the individual states created at independence.

It has now come to Hindraf’s knowledge that there were more classified documents held in undisclosed locations by the British government, as stated by Lord David Howell, Minister of State for FCO in the recent “Mau Mau uprising” case in London.

Lord Howell has also said that it was the general practice for the colonial administration to transfer to the United Kingdom, in accordance with Colonial Office instructions shortly before independence, selected documents held by the governor.

Lord Howell has said that these documents were deemed not appropriate to hand on to the successor governments.

FCO is said to hold about 8,800 files from 37 former British administrations, including Aden, Brunei, Cyprus, Fiji, Gambia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaya, Malta, Mauritius, Nigeria, Northern Rhodesia, Palestine, Sarawak, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, and Uganda.

The UK legal firm said it was first instructed by Waytha Moorthy in 2009 to look at the prospects of re-filing a legal action in the English courts for reparation against the UK government for failing to protect the legitimate interests of the minority ethnic Indian group under the Malaysian Federation Constitution when it was drafted in 1957.

Independently, Waytha Moorthy and a small team of volunteers of their own volition have unearthed nearly 35,000 “declassified” documents from various independent sources.

Hindraf’s solicitors were seeking more classified documents because the documents on hand clearly showed a huge lacuna (gap) in the information leading to Malaya’s independence.

Hindraf claimed that the Reid Commission was partly to blame for the government’s discriminatory policies as the commission did not provide for constitutional protection to the Indian community.