British Foreign & Commonwealth Secretary to push Malaysia on “Anti racial discrimination Act” and Equality Act. Drop all charges for 54 HINDRAF & Human Rights Party activists.

On 31/03/2011 the British Home and Equality Minister Rt.Hon. Lynn Featherstone stated that the Hindraf/HRP’s information in respect of unlawful arrests during lawful INTERLOK Demonstration on 27/02/2011, the government’s refusal registrations for HINDRAF/HRP as Lawful Organisations under the Societies Act  has been transmitted to the British Foreign Secretary/ Commonwealth Affairs Rt.Hon Mr William Hague MP for Action.

During the meeting/briefings the ISA information pack/ the arrest/ detention of 514 days (Hindraf leader Mr. Uthayakumar) been given to the Home/ Equality Minister, Haringey Mayor, Haringey Councils, Chairman of HREC and all the HREC Executives and Members for their attention of the ISA Conference will be held at the Amnesty International Centre in London on 2^nd April 2011. During the briefing, the British Home/Equality Minister were also briefed about the Ethnic Indians segregation from the mainstream in many aspects and Violation of Human Rights in respect of Ethnic minorities in Malaysia, especially the recent Interlock Novel usage for Form 5 students recommended by the ruling UMNO Government which plants racism at young age from school students. Usage of this ITERLOK NOVEL, will cause danger/disharmonies in the country’s future.

During the briefing the British Home and Equality Minister stated that the British Prime Minister Rt.Hon. Mr. David Cameron has appointed her as a Support Member for the Commonwealth Affairs. 

We therefore urged the British Home/Equality Minister Rt.Hon. Lynn Featherstone to Approach our British Foreign Secretary/Commonwealth Affairs to advise the Malaysian Government to respect all communities in Malaysia and introduce the Race Relations/ Equality Act in Malaysia as soon as possible to safeguard the interest of the Ethnic Minorities in Malaysia.

Finally, to wipe out all the criminal chargers brought against Hindraf/HRP leaders, Executives and members during the INTERLOK lawful demonstration on 27/02/2011.

This morning 1/04/2011 Team Member of Home and Equality Minister contacted us and assured us that the Secretary of Foreign/Commonwealth Affairs Rt.Hon. Mr. William Hague MP is treating this issues as an urgent matter.

Ano Rao. LL.B (HONOURS) LONDON.

HREC,HCUK,BHTT.

Satanic Verses’ for SPM English, can ah?

If Abdullah Hussain is Malaysia’s Sasterawan Negara, Sir Salman Rushdie is a Sasterawan Negara-Negara, a literary giant of global repute who has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his contributions to the field of writing.

Rushdie has also received from France the Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and from Harvard University, an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Cultural Humanism award. His efforts have won the prestigious Whitbread (twice), Bookers, and literary prizes from the European Union, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and India among others.

One of his best books Midnight’s Children was voted the Booker of Bookers.

Ah, but Abdullah has got an award under his belt that eluded Rushdie – the Anugerah Wira Perkasa.

Some of Abdullah’s staunch defenders claim that Interlok is only fiction, so why the big fuss over a mere story that teaches us historical lessons?

Well, Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses is also just a work of fiction. As a multiple international award winner, it has got the one up on Abdullah’s consolation prize winner.

Interlok is a Komsas (Komponen Sastera) for SPM Bahasa Melayu.

But let’s just engage in a hypothetical exercise here and put the shoe on the other foot. Now imagine if Satanic Verses were to be made a literature component in our SPM English language paper. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we’ll just recycle the arguments of those supporting Interlok’s inclusion in BM.

Why take issue, Satanic Verses is only a historical novel, what. We will amend one or two words, take out the offensive paragraph, publish a glossary and append a teacher’s guide.


An article titled ‘Justice for Interlok’ by ‘Sen Tyng Chai’ defending the contentious novel copies the Ridhuan template to a ‘tee’. By the way, Mr Chai appears to be following the Western convention of putting surname at the back.

If we may borrow the following phrases from Chai (he talks about Interlok but we’ll apply them to Satanic Verses) going by the axiom of what’s sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander:
“Imagine the surprise when the controversy dragged on, with threats of book burning, demonstrations and protests,” wrote Chai in his defence of Interlok, but which one can write about Satanic Verses too.

“we have buried the novel with our wilful ignorance, prejudice and fear”

“why the wild allegations and derision?”
“disinformation and distortions”
“also defamed his work and reputation as writer”

In the case of Rushdie, the demos in Malaysia have defamed his work and reputation as an internationally acclaimed writer.

Mr Chai, the valiant defender Abdullah Hussain asked: “It is the ones who make the louder noise that get heard?” and heckles the “bias of these self-appointed guardians of public interest”. May we say, ditto Salman Rushdie?

Why take the “the path of least resistance” and not meeting the challenge of understanding its content by banning Satanic Verses entirely? In fact, several other titles by Rushdie are banned in Malaysia too.

Comparatively, all that the hundreds of protesting NGOs are asking is for the withdrawal of Interlok from the school syllabus; anyone interested can still buy it from the bookshops anytime.

Or do you agree to Satanic Verses being made a literature component for Malaysian students taking the SPM English language paper? No, no, no we’re definitely NOT proposing such a thing. Just hoping to make people think.

PKR Anwar Ibrahim, DAP and PAS taking Indian voters for granted – Sin Chew.

(see NST 13/11/10 at page

HAF-Sponsored Traveling Series Featuring Waytha Moorthy, Malaysian Human Rights Activist: The Plight Of The Indian & Hindu Minority In Malaysia

HAF is sponsoring a traveling speaker series in the U.S. featuring Waytha Moorthy, Malaysian Human Rights activist, lawyer, and founder of Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF). In November 2007, HINDRAF organised a mammoth rally of 50,000 Hindus and ethnic Indians in peaceful protest against the Malaysian government for its mistreatment and marginalization of Indians. The Malaysian security forces responded brutally, and Waytha Moorthy was jailed, along with hundreds of other protesters. He has been living in exile in London since the Malaysian government revoked his passport. Though HINDRAF was banned, it continues to raise various human rights issues including calling for the end to demolitions of Hindu temples, advocating for the rights of Hindu mothers and fathers to raise their children as Hindus when one of the parents converts to Islam, advocating for educational rights, jobs and economic opportunities for Malaysian Hindus because Malaysia's “bhumiputara” policies favor the Muslim Malay majority, and an end to police brutality against Hindus.

These special events are free and open to all. Don't miss out!

Friday, April 1 - Atlanta, GA

Time: 7:00 - 9:00pm (includes dinner)
Location: Ashiyanna Hall, Global Mall, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Norcross, GA 30071
Local Organizers: India Awareness Foundation
Local Contact: Dhiru Shah (siaram at aol.com or 678-612-1661)

Saturday, April 2 - Bay Area, CA

Time: 2:30 - 4:30pm
Location: Shreemaya Krishnadham Cultural and Community Center (SKD) at the Bay Area Vaishnava Parivar Mandir (http://bayvp.org), 25 Corning Ave, Milpitas, CA 95035
Panelists:
Samir Kalra, former HAF Human Rights Coordinator & Bay Area Working Group member
Jeevan Zutshi, Founder, Indo-American Community Federation (IACF-USA)
Local Contacts: Dr. Hema Patel (hp_dds at yahoo.com or 510-299-3404); Malini Kumar (kumarmalini at gmail.com or 951-491-4722)

Sunday, April 3 - Houston, TX

Time: 3:00 - 5:00pm
Location: India House, 8888 West Bellfort St, Houston, TX 77031
Local Organizers: Hindus of Greater Houston
Local Contacts: Vijay Pallod (vkpallod at gmail.com or 713-562-1920); Rishi Bhutada (rishi at hafsite.org or 832-797-5147); Jay Kansara (jay at hafsite.org or 512-909-7250)

Friday, April 8 - Tampa, FL

Time: 7:00 - 9:00pm (includes dinner)
Location: India Cultural Center, 5511 Lynn Road, Tampa, FL 33624 (ICC Phone: 813-264-4638)
Local Contact: Nikhil Joshi (nikhil at hafsite.org or 813-205-8069); Mekhala Sastry (sastrmek at gmail.com or 813-495-7868); Nainan Desai (uc9n9n at gmail.com or 813-245-8417)

Saturday, April 9 - Boston, MA

Time: 4:00 - 6:00pm
Location: MIT, Room 4-149, Cambridge, MA 02139
Local Contact: Abhaya Asthana (abhayaji at gmail.com or 508-875-0432)

Sunday, April 10 - New York/New Jersey

Time: 4:00 - 6:00pm
Location: Rutgers University, Center Hall, Busch Campus Student Center, 604 Bartholomew Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Local Contact: Brahm Om Sharma (bhramomsharma at gmail.com or 646-246-8950)

Hardcore Indian poor forced to eat plain rice and porridge with salt as side dish. UMNO Welfare Department rejects aid. UMNO social engineering.

Saraswathy (25) and her husband of Ayer Molek say they have it hard all their lives and yet are unable to come out of their cycle of poverty. And made worse by her paralysed daughter Meena (7) who was hospitalized and Saraswathy was forced to stop work. Her husband only earns a mere RM 400 per month out of which RM 200 alone goes to their rentals, which will not be the case for almost all Malay, Orang asli, kadazan, Iban, who all have their village safety net. Like 99% of the Indian poor Saraswathy has no traditional village to fall back on as her social safety net.

Saraswathy and 99% of the Indian poor are denied the Felda like 10 acre land ownership schemes granted to over half a million Malay muslims.

Saraswathy and 90% of the Indian poor are denied the UMNO Welfare help despite having a disabled daughter. And 100% of the Indian poor will be denied the RM 500 granted by Baitumal charity which is granted only to the Malay muslims. And the hundreds of ringgit from the scores of other Lembaga Urus Zakat, Yayasan etc but exclusively for Malay muslims. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

UMNO not racist and religious supremacist?

UMNO not the world’s most racist and religious supremacist country?
(see BH 29/3/2011 at page 9)
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice
www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com

Teluk Intan MP, activist arrested at protest

(Malaysiakini) Teluk Intan Member of Parliament M Manogaran was arrested along with MS Arjunan from the Malaysian Tamil Students Progressive Associations (MATSAP) while demonstrating against the Interlok novel.

Manogaran (second from right), who is from the DAP, and Arjunan (far right) had arrived with a small crowd of activitists earlier this morning at the Subraminiyar temple at Batu Caves in Gombak, Selangor, to protest against the decision of the education ministry to make Interlok compulsory reading for Form Five students taking Malay literature in the SPM exams.

Police moved in and arrested Manogaran and Arjunan around noon.

[More to follow] 

HINDRAF ROAD SHOW IN UNITED STATES ON SYSTEMATIC MARGINALIZATION AND RACISM AGAINST MINORITIES IN PARTICULAR INDIAN POOR IN MALAYSIA

HINDRAF Chairman, P. Waytha Moorthy will be in United States from April 1- 13 to meet with NGOs, elected representative and the public in raising issues relating to the systematic marginalization and racism that is escalated through public policies in Malaysia. 
                The issues related and raised will be in every spectrum constituted in the Malaysian constitution such as that in Article 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12. These articles are the very universal tenet of existence of a citizenry and the continued abuse of this by public policies and political power goes unchecked to deprive the non minority Malaysian citizenry to participate, contribute and develop with the growth of the nation.
                The current events that have been scheduled with the public are as follows:
Friday, April 1 – Atlanta, GA
Time: 7:00 – 9:00pm (includes dinner)
Location: Ashiyanna Hall, Global Mall, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Norcross, GA 30071
Saturday, April 2 – Bay Area, California
Time: 2:30 – 4:30pm
Location: Shreemaya Krishnadham Cultural and Community Center (SKD) at the Bay Area Vaishnava Parivar Mandir, 25 Corning Ave, Milpitas, CA 95035
Sunday, April 3 – Houston, Texas
Time: 3:00 – 5:00pm
Location: India House, 8888 West Bellfort St, Houston, TX 77031
Monday – Thursday, April 4-7 – Washington, DC
Meeting with elected representative of Congress, House of Representative, State Department and Foreign Affairs select committee & NGOs such as HAF, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch etc.
Friday, April 8 – Tampa, Florida
Time: 7:00 – 9:00pm (includes dinner)
Location: India Cultural Center, 5511 Lynn Road, Tampa, FL 33624
Saturday, April 9 – Boston, Massachusetts
Time: 4:00 – 6:00pm
Location: MIT, Room 4-149, Cambridge, MA 02139
Sunday, April 10 – New York/New Jersey
Time: 4:00 – 6:00pm
Location: Rutgers University, Center Hall, Busch Campus Student Center, 604 Bartholomew Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Monday, April 11 -13 – New York/New Jersey/Texas
Meeting with NGOs.
Those minority and effected organization that represent them in Malaysia, who are keen to raise their issues in the HINDRAF’s road show in US, please provide us with substantiated materials and we will try to bring this to light to the public, elected representative and the NGOs in United States during this road show.
You can email me at MalaysianinNewYork@gmail.com or waytha@hotmail.com
Thank you
R. Shan
HINDRAF International Coordinator

DPM, Interlok neither a political nor racial issue

By Lim Teck Ghee

Civil society groups and other concerned individuals should not be taken in by Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's statement that the Interlok issue has been resolved. 

In fact, not only is it not resolved but compliance will mean that 'Interlok' could well be extended from its present Zone 2 (Klang Valley) coverage thereafter to Zone 1, Zone 3 and Zone 4 in the rest of the country. 

Interlok is a beach head for the Little Napoleons and other Ketuanan bureaucrats to impose their agenda of educational and cultural seppuku on a young captive audience.

Success in imposing Interlok will only encourage these ideologues to move further upstream and inject their indoctrination into the syllabus for the younger forms, and eventually in the primary school curriculum. The history and moral subjects have already been tampered with. Currently the focus is on language and literature. What will be next? 

Muhyiddin's statement that nobody should politicize or exploit the issue by using NGOs is made in wilful ignorance. The fact is these organisations have been in the forefront of the campaign from the outset. 

It is not difficult for the minister to determine the chronology of events with regard to the emergence and growth of public (but hardly any political) consciousness, concern and agitation on the book.

A quick glance at news and reports from the websites will show that civil society organisations such as NIAT, Hartal MSM, and the Centre for Policy Initiatives have provided analysis and public feedback for several months now on the unsuitability of Interlok.

The NGO concern is in sharp contrast to the lack of criticism on the book by public figures. Political parties from both Barisan Nasional and the opposition have been slow or reluctant to discuss the appropriateness of the book as a school text. 

While the education minister and his MCA deputy – the career politicians – have been adamant on its retention, why have the educationists and other Education Ministry officials been largely silent?

In NGOs voicing our concerns on key issues affecting our nation, we do not have any political affiliation or political axe to grind. Neither are we racially motivated because Malay and non-Malay, Muslim and non-Muslim groups are equally concerned as to why Interlok is being retained when it is clearly in contravention of the Education Ministry and the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka's own guidelines on textbook and literary work. 

The Minister should welcome our feedback and seek to engage with us rather than try to intimidate us.

Giving up on the campaign to have the novel discontinued as a compulsory SPM reading is the wrong message to send. Capitulating to the Ministry's insistence will signal that we do not care for our education system to play a positive role in building social cohesion as is implicit in the 1Malaysia slogan.

NGOs and most particularly the parents should continue with even greater urgency and commitment to have Interlok removed from the classroom. The government has might on its side but might does not make it right.     

Three Selangor Hindu temples: under high tension electric cables forced to relocate next to sewerage pond, forced to Industrial wasteland and given notice to be demolished. All in one day! Only in PKR Selangor!

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
Date: 1 April 2011
Y.A.B Tan Sri Dato Sri Abd Khalid Ibrahim, Dato’ Menteri Besar Selangor, Tingkat 21,
Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah,
40503 Shah Alam. Fax: 03-55190032 E-mail : Khalid@selangor.gov.my
Re: 1) Three Selangor Hindu temples: under high tension electric cables forced to relocate next to sewerage pond, forced to Industrial wasteland and given notice to be demolished. All in one day!
2) 90% or 114 out of 128 hectres land granted to the few Chinese temples in Selangor. But 5,000 hindu temples granted a mere 7.67 hectres. Unlimited land for malay muslim mosques and suraus.
3) Notice to furnish list of all hindu temples, cemeteries and 98 Tamil
schools in Selangor, how many have been granted state land and the remaining yet to be granted land titles according to the Freedom of Information Act 2010 (Selangor)
__________________________________________________________________
We refer to the above mentioned matter and to the news report in Free Malaysia Today 30/3/11, The New Straits Times at page 10 and Makkal Osai on 31 March 2011 at page 10 which directly violates the right to freedom of religion which is entrenched and guaranteed by especially Article 11 of the Federal Constitution.
The acts of the Selangor State government exhibits non compliance with the afore mentioned constitutional guarantees all in one day at least in the following instances:-
a) Relocation of the 200 year old Mariamman Hindu Temple from Section 19 to a Section 23 Industrial Wasteland .
b) Allowing high tension electric cable to be erected and the subsequent forced relocation of the Subang Heights Hindu temple to next to a sewerage pond.
c) Demolishment of the Sungai Pelek Mariamman Temple at any time
To the direct contrary the economic giant and with substantial political power Chinese community was granted 90% or 114 hectres out of the of 128 hectares (approximately 430 acres) non Muslim place of worship land to merely the very few Chinese temples in Selangor. But the estimated 5,000 hindu temples in Selangor were granted a mere 7.67 hectares of state land. And unlimited state land for Malay Muslims suraus and mosques. All by the PKR, DAP and PAS led Selangor State government that had promised non racist and religious extremist government policies against especially the softest targets Indian poor in the prelude to the 2008 General Elections.
This is just the tip of iceberg which is documented and reported on a day to day basis in our Website www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com .
In order to avoid the aforesaid mode and model of Constitutional violations we ask your goodself to forthwith alienate and grant land titles to all the above mentioned three temples where it is now (in situ) and also to all other Hindu temples in the State of Selangor, and so as to provide a permanent and the long overdue solution to this very basic fundamental freedom of religion Constitutional right.
Pursuant to Section 40 of the National Land Code all lands are vested under State Authority. In addition, Section 42(1) of the Code empowers the state Authority to alienate land. Final Land Title pursuant pursuant to Section 85 of the National Land Code shall serve as a conclusive title as per section 89 of the National Land Code.
Therefore by virtue of Section 76 (a) (ii) of the National Land Code which provides for alienation of state land for public purposes, we ask that Selangor State government land be alienated to these three hindu temples forthwith and thereafter to all the other 98 tamil schools, all other hindu temples and hindu cemeteries in Selangor accordingly.
We would like to bring to your kind attention to the current unjust alienation of land by Selangor State Government for non Muslim places of worship. It was reported that out of the 128 hectares of land allocated, a mere 7.67 hectares of land was allocated for the estimated 5,000 hindu temples in Selangor. And unlimited land for Malay muslim mosques and suraus. This act by the Selangor State Government clearly portrays the mode and model of inequality if not smacking racism and religious supremacy targeted against the defenseless and soft target Indian poor as had been practiced and implemented by the previous UMNO regime.
We hereby give notice for your goodselves to furnish us with a list of all Hindu temples, hindu cemeteries and Tamil schools that has been granted Selangor State government land titles in the last three over years and the total number of land titles not yet granted to all the other remaining Tamil schools, hindu temples and hindu cemeteries in Selangor in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2010 (Selangor).
We thank you for your kind co-operation in this matter.
Kindly revert to us accordingly.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
_____________________
P. Uthayakumar
Secretary General (pro tem)

UMNO directs so called “independent” Malay-sian Elections Commission (SPR) to back track on holding “Kursus Pilihanraya” at HRP HQ. HRP goes on irrespective with ex Lunas DAP candidate & ex PKR Pengarah Pilihanraya.

This morning we received a phone call from Puan Suharni binti Othman of SPR that the entire SPR elections officers would be in Sarawak and that they would not be able to send their Tuan Haji Abdul Halim bin Ab Rahman or any other Elections Officer to the HRP HQ Kursus Pilihanraya (elections course) on 10/4/11 as per the SPRs’ earlier letter of confirmation dated 28/3/2011. (see below).
P. Uthayakumar asked why so and not even one out of the hundreds of Election Officers and especially with the tens of millions of Ringgit Malaysia annual budget for SPR vis a vis Democracy.
Puan Suharni repeated that all the officers would be in Sarawak she said that she would confer with the SPR Secretary Datuk Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria and revert to us. P. Uthayakumar replied that the HRP motto was “Rights not Mercy” and would therefore not beg and would leave it to SPR.
We were not surprised when at about 5.00p.m this evening we received the SPR letter (see below) that none of their officers would come to the HRP HQ Kursus Pilihanraya. This is not the first time something like this is happening.
Some months ago the National registration Department similarly backtracked from attending the Identity Card & Birth Certificate registration programme at the HRP Penang HQ on UMNOs’ similar instructions, after reading the news of the same at this our HRP website.
And it is this very same Kamaruddin Baria, who was the then Secretary of the so called ‘independent” Malaysian Human Rights Commission of Malay-sia (Suhakam) which refused to hold an Inquiry into the UMNO state sponsored Kampong Medan racial attacks targeted against the Indian poor from 8/3/01 to 21/3/01 where five Indian poor were murdered and 100 over others were caused grievous bodily injuries.
Thereafter we had refused to recognize or deal with Suhakam ever again right up to this date.
And today history repeats itself under this very same racist UMNO regime’s “independent” SPR.
Rights not Mercy.
P. Uthayakumar

Human Rights Watch – Press Release: Drop Charges Against Indian Activists Remove Unlawful Restrictions on Hindraf and Human Rights Party, New York, 1st Apr 2011

http://www.hrw.org/node/97742


For Immediate Release Malaysia: Drop Charges Against Indian Activists
Remove Unlawful Restrictions on Hindraf and Human Rights Party (New York, April 1, 2011) – The Malaysian government should drop politically motivated charges against 52 members of an ethnic Indian organization before their trials start on April 4, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. The 52 are charged with “belonging to an unlawful society.” The government should also revoke the 2008 ban against the group, the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), and permit it to register under Malaysia’s Societies Act, Human Rights Watch said. The government brought the criminal charges after preventing Hindraf and the closely affiliated Human Rights Party from holding the “Solidarity March Against Racism” on February 27, 2011, in central Kuala Lumpur. “The authorities time and time again refuse to allow Malaysians to come together to peacefully express views that do not echo official rhetoric,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “It’s bad enough to ban rallies, but threatening people with three years in prison for such activities is simply outrageous.” The Hindraf members charged face sentences of up to three years in prison or fines of up to RM5,000 (US$1,650), or both. P. Ramesh, Hindraf’s national secretary, faces the additional charge of possessing some 100 pamphlets, banners, and other materials “issued … in the interests of an unlawful society,” for which he can be sentenced to an additional two-year prison term and an additional RM5,000 fine. After Kuala Lumpur police refused permission for the February 27 march, Hindraf announced its intention to press ahead, citing the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association under the Malaysian constitution. Two hours before the march was to start, police arrested 15 Hindraf leaders. They also prevented approximately 30 vehicles from entering Kuala Lumpur, which were carrying campaigners trying to reach the starting point for the march. Although a few hundred people did attempt to march, they were outnumbered by police and security officers. During the two weeks prior to the February 27 march, members of Hindraf and the Human Rights Party conducted grassroots information road shows and seminars in several Malaysian states to rally supporters. Police erected roadblocks, disrupted party forums, and detained leaders, sometimes even before events got under way, in order to hinder the groups’ efforts.  Police arrested more than 60 people, all of whom were subsequently released on bail. Hindraf was founded in December 2005 to advocate for the human rights and religious freedoms of the ethnic Indian community in Malaysia. Its first application for registration in January 2006 went unacknowledged by the registrar of societies. The status of a second application, dated October 2007, remains unclear since the registrar has failed to provide any information about its status either before or since the banning order by the home minister. The ban on Hindraf followed a peaceful rally in November 2007 that drew between 10,000 and 30,000 participants, and that police broke up using teargas and water cannons. On December 13, 2007, authorities detained five Hindraf leaders under the Internal Security Act. Two of the five were held for 16 months. The accusations against them included endangering national security, sedition, and links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam, but the authorities never provided evidence to demonstrate those claims. Two days after the arrests, the home minister announced the ban on Hindraf. The Societies Act is inconsistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is widely considered reflective of customary international law. Articles 19 and 20 grant everyone the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. Human Rights Watch said that Malaysia should take concrete action to implement its international legal obligations to respect these rights by amending the Societies Act in the following manner:
· Rescind the home minister’s absolute discretion to declare a society unlawful;
· Narrow the absolute right of the registrar of societies to refuse registration if he believes the applicant organization “is likely to be used for … any purpose prejudicial to or incompatible with peace, welfare, security, public order, good order or morality”; and
· Set clear time limits for reviewing applications.
The government has also undermined basic civil and political rights by preventing the creation of the Human Rights Party and other new political parties, Human Rights Watch said. P. Uthayakumar founded the Human Rights Party following his April 2009 release from prison and applied for registration in November 2010. But on February 20, the registrar of societies, discounting 25 pending political party applications, some of which date back to 2008, proposed capping the number of political parties in the country at the current 33.
“The government’s wanton disregard for people’s right to express their views is on full display in its treatment of Hindraf and the Human Rights Party,” Robertson said. “Manipulating legal provisions to deny minority groups their rightful voice fools no one.”
For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Malaysia, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/en/asia/malaysia
To read the February 2011 Human Rights Watch news release, “Malaysia: Allow Anti-Racism March”, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/02/24/malaysia-allow-anti-racism-march
For more information, please contact:
In New York, Phil Robertson (English, Thai): +1-917-378-4097 (mobile)
In New York, Mickey Spiegel (English): +1-212-216-1229; or +1-917-968-9937(mobile)
In Washington, DC, Sophie Richardson (English, Mandarin): +1-202-612-4341; or +1-917-721-7473 (mobile)
In London, Brad Adams (English): +44-7908-728333 (mobile)

Mission Interlok: The cloning of Ridhuan

When American teen sensation Miley Cyrus (who gained celebrity for playing Disney’s Hannah Montana) parodied the slit-eyed Chinese, there were howls of protest. She apologized.

‘Sepet’ is scattered throughout Interlok like birdshot but its author Abdullah Hussain remains unapologetic. Yet writing in The Malaysian Insider, Sen Tyng Chai bemoaned the widespread “wave of blind criticism” against Interlok.

Mr/Ms Chai in his/her an article titled ‘Justice for Interlok’ disagrees ‘gemuk’, ‘sepet’, etc should be “perceived as derogatory, pejorative and insulting”. In our humble opinion, Chai is a spiritual cousin of Mohd Ridhuan Tee bin Abdullah, who’s quite the self-flagellating Chinese (think the equivalent concept of ‘self-hating Jew’).

Columnist Ridhuan coined the term ‘ultra kiasu’ to describe Chinese people. His description has been formalised through constant use in Utusan, and popularized among the Malay masses.

By defending the contentious novel, Chai is by extension allowing for ‘pariah’ in a classroom setting that will validate its use, if not increase the chances of Indian students getting bullied.

Blogger Scott Thong turned the tables: “Why don’t you try it the other way around and see if you still find it so acceptable”, what if school students were forced to read a book where the majority of Malay characters were portrayed as lazy, ignorant, arrogant and prone to violent and hateful rhetoric? Think Ridhuan Tee would be defending the book then?”

Just as Ridhuan reinforced the Chinese bogeyman as a demagogue speaking from the inside (i.e. posturing as someone who himself belongs to the said community), Chai’s shameless apologia for Ketuanan Melayu casts him/her in the same mould of scapegoating the non-Malays.

These writers are secure in the comfort that the majority population as well as the brute force of authority will back them up.

Expressing his/her anguish with regard to the emotional public “outbursts” against Abdullah, Chai countered that Interlok is, on the contrary, a text indeed suitable for schools. He/she recommends Interlok “because it is historical fiction with strong messages of inter-racial unity”.

Not content with the overblown cliché, Chai piled on more praise, saying the novel “spoke of people helping one another regardless of creed and colour, and how humanity triumphs in the face of adversity”. It boggles the mind how Interlok can be hailed as promoting a “central message of unity”.

On the contrary, conflict resolution in Interlok is achieved when Chinese children repudiate their fathers and are in turn disowned by their fathers. The Interlok formulation is that we’ll have one ethnically harmonious, racism-free Malaya when Chinese families are broken up and the next generation are ready to shed their Chinese-born traits (sarc.) of parsimony, cheating, swindling and conniving.

Instead of being about “the intertwined fate of Malayans from different communities who helped one another…” as so deceptively put by Chai, Interlok could well pass off for a BTN module in ‘Demonizing Immigrants 101’.

It’s to be expected that Ridhuan Tee would give stamp of approval to Interlok as an educational book. But here’s another fella/gal – this Chai Sen Tyng in such rhapsody over Interlok’s “literary and educational merits”.

These tiresome acolytes of Ridhuan in their tiresome writing and blog comments copy his template to a ‘tee’. What is it with these academics in local public universities? Something in the air they breathe?

Malaysian education is thoroughly politicized. Where else in the world do you have a country’s biggest university shutting its doors to minority students on the basis of skin colour?

In which other multiracial country do you have every single one of the public university Vice Chancellors belonging to only one race? (But we’re waiting for Ridhuan Tee to break the glass ceiling).

Don’t you suspect that the selection of Interlok as a compulsory text was a politicized decision as well?

Siapa yang jadi kuda tunggangan politik Interlok?

Permas dan Mantap kaitkan bantahan terhadap Interlok sebagai 'usaha gadai maruah pribumi'.

Kontroversi berkenaan novel Interlok kini berterusan dengan kemasukan watak badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) baru seperti Majlis Penasihat Ayahanda Wilayah Persekutuan (Mantap) dan Pertubuhan Permuafakatan Majlis Ayahanda Malaysia (Permas).

Lantas persoalan yang timbul; dari mana datangnya NGO baru seperti cendawan selepas hujan.

Kedua-dua NGO ini dilaporkan menyelar sikap sikap mereka yang mempunyai kepentingan politik masih lagi mempermainkan isu yang sensitif ini dan cuba menangguk di air keruh, amat tidak senangi.

“Malahan sikap sebahagian daripada ahli parti komponen BN yang bersekongkol dalam mensensasikan isu ini juga amat biadap dan terpesong dari semangat keharmonian yang dilaungkan oleh kerajaan,” petik kenyataan itu.

Sehubungan itu, NGO Melayu turut mendesak kerajaan agar bertegas dan tidak mempedulikan tuntutan tersebut.

“Ingat! Pihak kami tidak sekali-kali akan membiarkan cacing naik ke mata dan keharmonian yang terbina sekian lama terkubur disebabkan kerakusan oportunis sebegini.

“Tekad kami, maruah bangsa perlu dipertahankan. Walau bergolok bergadai akan tetap kami harungi. Maruah pribumi wajib didaulatkan dan keharmonian negara mesti dikekalkan,” Permas dan Mantap dipetik berkata dalam kenyataan mereka.

Jawapan kepada Permas dan Mantap

Sebagai penulis yang mengikuti kontroversi sejak hari pertama, saya tidak dapat melihat motif politik pihak yang menentang penggunaan Interlok edisi murid.

Sesi taklimat berkenaan pindaan anjuran MIC turut dihadiri wakil daripada PKR dan DAP disamping perwakilan Badan Bertindak Interlok Kebangsaan (Niat) yang diketuai Dato’ Haji Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim.

Apakah motif politik yang digembar-gemburkan walhal hadirin dari pelbagai parti politik?

Permas dan Mantap nampaknya kurang senang dengan pendirian MIC yang dilihat sebagai bersekongkol.

Ia jelas menunjukkan bahawa Permas dan Mantap mempunyai pemahaman cetek mengenai politik perkongsian komponen parti Barisan Nasional (BN).

Setiap parti komponen menjaga kepentingan kaum mereka di dalam kerangka kerja BN.

Justeru itu, usaha MIC adalah selaras dengan memastikan undi masyarakat India kekal sebagai deposit tetap Umno dan BN.

Ia bukan biadap dan jauh sekali daripada menjejaskan keharmonian. Keharmonian terjejas apabila pelajar Melayu dan India misalnya, bergaduh ekoran pendekatan dan perkataan yang dipelajari dari Interlok edisi murid.

Permas dan Mantap berpandangan bahawa maruah bangsa dan pribumi akan tergadai sekiranya kerajaan akur kepada permintaan untuk menggugurkan novel Interlok.

Di dalam cerita 1: keluarga Seman, terdapat adegan di mana tok bomoh menggunakan tengkorak manusia sebagai medium perubatan.

Tidakkah ini menunjukkan kegoyahan akidah masyarakat Melayu walaupun telah menerima Islam?

Di manakah maruah bangsa dalam isu ini? Bukankah identiti Islam lebih penting daripada identiti Melayu?

Malah Perlembagaan Persekutuan mendefinasikan orang Melayu sebagai Islam. Maruah bangsa pribumi akan lebih terserlah apabila lebih banyak pengetahuan dan kesatuan rakyat Malaysia diperkukuhkan melalui penulisan sastera yang mengajak pembaca berfikir secara kreatif dan kritikal.

Muhyiddin says government will not revisit ‘Interlok’

PAGOH, March 31 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today the federal government will not bow to fresh demands from Chinese groups to remove the controversial “Interlok” novel from the school syllabus.

The deputy prime minister said that as far as the government was concerned the issue had been resolved.

He also described groups raising the issue again as irresponsible.

Fresh trouble is brewing over the use of “Interlok” in schools, with Chinese groups yesterday condemning the novel’s depiction of Chinese characters as greedy, opium-smoking lechers keen to exploit Malays for profit.

Having weathered a storm of controversy from the Indian community over the novel’s use of the word “pariah”, the Education Ministry now faces Chinese calls to drop the “racist” book from the Form Five Bahasa Malaysia syllabus.

In a statement yesterday, Chinese associations from across Malaysia said the book was not only offensive to Indians but Chinese as well, as it depicted the character Kim Lock as a “miserly opium addict and callous adulterer” and his son, Cing Huat, as “cunning, greedy, unscrupulous and someone who would happily sell his daughters”.

“‘Interlok’ in its totality propagates the ideology of ketuanan Melayu. In our considered opinion, this novel is not only unhealthy but an insidious poison,” the statement released yesterday said.

But Muhyiddin insisted today that the government would not revisit the matter.

He accused opposition parties of exploiting the issue and being behind yesterday’s statement.

Lawmakers from the Chinese community are split along partisan lines over the call by Chinese associations to drop “Interlok” from schools, with Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in support of the demand and Barisan Nasional (BN) against it.

DAP national vice-chairman Tan Kok Wai said he supported Chinese groups clamouring for “Interlok” to be dropped as it was “not suitable” to teach the controversial novel to impressionable young students.

MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said he did not know why the depiction of the Chinese community in the book was becoming a “big issue” now as it had been highlighted before.

He said the matter should not be blown out of proportion and urged detractors to read the book as a whole and in a rational manner. - The Malaysian Insider

Geneva Paris Observatory’s letter to P.M Najib Razak condemning judicial harassment of 52 HINDRAF and HRP members and obstacles to freedom of peaceful assembly.

Copy (2) of muka_hadapan

Open Letter to Mr. Y.B Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak,

Prime Minister of Malaysia

Geneva-Paris, March 30, 2011

Re: Judicial harassment of 52 HINDRAF and HRP members and obstacles to freedom of peaceful assembly

Your Excellency,

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), strongly condemns the judicial harassment of 54 members of Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) and its sister organisation, the Human Rights Party (HRP), two organisations aiming at defending the rights of Hindu and other marginalised minorities in Malaysia, following their organisation of and participation in a peaceful march against racism on February 27, 2011.

Between March 1 and 3, 2011, the 54 human rights defenders were charged by courts of different cities with “acting as members of an unlawful society” or “participating in assemblies of an unlawful society”, under Section 43 of the Societies Act of 1966[1], which states that “any person who is or acts as a member of an unlawful society or attends a meeting of an unlawful society (…) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding five thousand ringgit or to both”.

On February 13, 2011, HINDRAF and HRP had announced their intention to lead a Solidarity March Against Racism, scheduled for February 27, 2011, but for which Kuala Lumpur police denied a permit. At least 54 HINDRAF and HRP members were arrested in several locations across Malaysia between February 13 and 27 for participating in various promotional activities in the run up to the march. They were subsequently all released on bail but they all continue to face charges. The hearings of their cases will reportedly happen during the first week of April in the different courts.

On March 1, 2011, five members of HINDRAF and HRP, namely Messrs. K. Tamil Selvam, HRP Vice-President andHINDRAF Coordinator in Selangor State, S. Jayathas, Information Chief of HRP, K. Navakrishna, T. Periasamy and S. Loshna Rau, were charged by the Court of Selayang under Section 43 of the Societies Act of 1966 for “acting as members of an unlawful society” on February 13, 2011 at 12.15 p.m., at Km 13 Bukit Kanching, Jalan Ipoh, Rawang, State of Selangor. Mr. Loshna Rau faces an additional charge of “obstructing a civil servant on duty”, under Section 186 of the Criminal Code.

On March 2, 2011, six members of HINDRAF and HRP, namely Messrs. Periasamy Ramesh, National Secretary of HINDRAF, Jagadeesan Vijayalingam, Subramaniam Jayakumar, Rengasamy Mogan, Nagooran Subramanyam andR. Supiah Sivagumar, were also charged under Section 43 by the Court of Ipoh for “participating to the assembly of an unlawful society” on February 13, 2011 between 9.30 a.m. to 11.03 a.m. at the Jelapang Road, State of Perak.

On March 3, 2011, 20 members of HINDRAF and HRP, including five women, namely S. Sivakumar, HINDRAF Coordinator in N. Sembilan State, K. Nadarajah, A. Sarawana Kumar, V. Prabagaran, M. Ramesh, S. Krishnan, K. Murugiah, V. Mathavan, R. Munisuaran. A. William George, A. Radakrishnan, Vatumalai B. Kalithas Karanamurthy, Uthaya Kumar Subramaniam, Ravichdiran Kuppusamy, Tilegavathy B., Maheswary Manoo,Pushpalatha Gunasekaran, P. Waytha Nayagi and Madonna Selvarayar, were charged by the Court of Seremban under Section 43 for “acting as members of an unlawful society” on February 13, 2011 at 2.35 p.m. in Jaland Za’aba, Seremban, State of Negeri Sembilan. Two other human rights defenders from HINDRAF could not attend the hearing of March 3, 2011 as they were ill. However, they were also charged under Section 43.

On March 3, 2011, 21 members of HINDRAF and HRP, including five women, namely Ms. Lourdemary N. Vasu Pillai,Ms. Devika Ravee Chandran, Ms. Gethaa Ravee Chandran, Ms. Saraspaty Subramaniam, Ms. Kokilarani Nallanand Messrs. Lingeswaran Kuppusamy, K. Chandramohan R. Kanesan, Sundaram Periannai, Harikrishnan Arumugam, Maniam A. Palaniyandee, V. Thandavuthabani Keveloo, Kalaichelvan A. Paliappan, Paramasivam N. Muthiah, Mahendran Subramaniam, Sugumaran S. Muniandy, V. Tamil Selvan Veeriah, Thiagarajan Sasayapilai, Balakrishnan Kunjoo Nair, Nathan Alagasundaram, S. Thinagaraja and Manimaran Sinnapan, were charged by the Court of Kuala Lumpur under Section 43 of the Societies Act for “taking part to the assembly of an unlawful society” on February 13, 2011 in Little India, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. The Court of Kuala Lumpur also charged Mr. Periasamy Ramesh under Section 47 of the Societies Act[2], as he was in possession of banners and documents that promote HINDRAF activities.

The Observatory recalls that HINDRAF submitted in January 2006 its first application for registration although this reportedly went unacknowledged by the Registrar of Societies. They submitted a second application in October 2007, which also went unacknowledged until October 2008, when the Home Minister announced that HINDRAF was banned. However, no court order followed or accompanied this announcement and, thus, HINDRAF continued its activities. In order to protect its volunteers, HINDRAF renamed itself “Hindraf Makkal Sakthi” in 2008. On October 2, 2009, its legal representatives sent a letter of intent to register the organisation under this name, however, the Registrar of Societies has reportedly not responded to this request.

On November 25, 2010, Mr. P. Uthayakumar, HINDRAF Legal Adviser, founded the Human Rights Party, and submitted the formal application for registration, which remains pending.

Your Excellency,

The Observatory expresses its deepest concern about the judicial harassment against HINDRAF and HRP members on the ground that they belong or participate to assemblies of unlawful societies, and further denounce the continuous refusal of the Malaysian authorities to register these two organisations.

The Observatory therefore calls on the Malaysian authorities to put an end to any act of judicial harassment against HINDRAF and HRP members as well as against all human rights defenders in Malaysia, and to comply in all circumstances with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1998, especially its Article 5 which states that “for the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels: (a) To meet or assemble peacefully; (b) To form, join and participate in non-governmental organizations, associations or groups”.

We express our sincere hope that you will take these considerations and requests into account.

Yours sincerely,

Eric Sottas Souhayr Belhassen

OMCT Secretary General FIDH President

[1] The Societies Act of 1966 governs the registration of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and political parties in Malaysia. Any organisation that wishes to register itself as an NGO has to submit an application to the Registrar of Societies, a department of the Home Ministry.

[2] The Section 47 of the Societies Act states that: “Any person who prints, publishes, displays, sells or exposes for sale, or transmits through the post or who, without lawful authority or excuse, has in his possession any placard, newspaper, book, circular, pictorial representation or any other document or writing whatsoever or which is issued or appears to be issued by or on behalf of or in the interests of an unlawful society shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine not exceeding five thousand ringgit or to both, and any books, periodicals, pamphlet, poster, proclamation, newspaper, letter or any other document or writing in respect of which such person shall have been convicted shall be forfeited”.