Sunday, January 31, 2010

Hindraf disclosing of accounts unprecedented

By Wong Mun Chee

How many, political parties, NGOs and voluntary organizations in Malaysia dared to publish their accounts as the real Hindraf has done. None that I am aware of.

This article alerts the DAP and the PR leaders to open their eyes and not be fooled by implants.

In your craze for Malaysian Indians support you seem to be easily fooled. We are more alert to “Saifuls” of this world.

The real force and support of the working class Malaysians of Indian ethnicity are massed behind Waythamoorthy and Unthaykumar leadership, leadership that is incorruptible and courageous, the same leadership of vision that provided the stimulus for the 308 sweep for the 5 states.

As YBH Lim stated in a early piece of posting, that in some States the Indian are the “King Makers “. It was proven correctly, and it was the real Hindraf Indians.

Vasanthakumar is Najib’s Indian force, a force that can be easily squeezed into public telephone booth. Don’t be fooled.

For security and efficiency the real Hindraf leadership is working discreetly behind the scene to bring about change in the next election. We do not stand and shout with hot air. Each one of you leaders will loose the grip on the Indian votes if you decide to throw you lot with people like Vasanthkumar .

The real Hindraf’s powerbase and pull factor with silent majority remains with Waytha and Uthaya, and is spread globally, from the UK o the USA to Australia to Indonesia to Singapore, wherever the Indians and fair minded people understand the power and deprivation of minorities.

You may recall how the previous Malaysian Home Minister attempted to clip the travel rights of Waytha by cancelling his passport and telling a blatant lies in Parliament. You would have not have not known that we harnessed our international support team to secure urgently unrestricted travel document from the British Home Ministry within days and put Albar to public shame as a liar. Now Waytha can travel anywhere at will. We are capable of doing many more things to right what was wronged over 57 years in our country with birthrights.

Through our discreet campaign we are grounding Samy Velu and mark our words he will be history very soon.

The purpose of this email is to alert you to be reconsider your alliance with Vasnathakumar and his kind, if you do want to gain the support of the silent majority of Malaysian Indians.

Please think about this, as these are not hollow words.

Robert KC

Australia.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Perumaa’l temple consecrated in Myanmar

Tamils in Myanmar impressively consecrated a renovated Perumaa’l temple in Yangoon on Wednesday morning. Several thousands of Tamils participated in the ceremonies. A 13th century Tamil inscription in Myanmar records that a Perumaa’l temple patronized by Tamils existed at the earlier capital at Pagan.

Consecration of the entrance tower [Photo courtesy: Solai Thiyagarajan from Myanmar]

The temple for Kalyaa’na Vengkadeasap Perumaa’l (Thirumaal or Vishnu in his form found at Thiruppathi), accompanied by Alarmeal Mangkai (the lady on the flower: Thirumaka’l or Lakshmi), is situated 10 km from Yangoon at a place called Thirukkampai, which is known as ‘Little Tamil Nadu.’

Seven Paddaachchaariyaars, who came from Tamil Nadu performed the ceremonies, according to Solai Thiyagarajan, who sent news and images of the consecration to media.

Thousands participated the consecration of Perumaa'l temple at Thirukkampai in Yangon, Myanmar [Photo courtesy: Solai Thiyagarajan from Myanmar]

A view of the interior [Photo courtesy: Solai Thiyagarajan from Myanmar]

A Tamil folkdance as part of the procession [Photo courtesy: Solai Thiyagarajan from Myanmar]

The practice of ceremonial 'temple dance' in front of the deity still surviving in Burma is of cultural anthropological significance. [Photo courtesy: Solai Thiyagarajan from Myanmar]

Paddaachchaariyaars are authorities in performing consecration of Vaishnava temples of the Dravidian style in the Agamic way of South India (it is Sivaachchaariyaars in the case of Saiva temples).

Venkatasamy Nayakkar, an industrialist from Tamil Nadu, originally built the temple in 1904.

The interaction between Myanmar and Tamils go back to the times of the advent of maritime activities in the Bay of Bengal, as trade winds and currents were particularly conducive for swift and direct communication between Myanmar which was known in Sanskrit as Swarna Bhumi (the land of gold) and the ancient Tamil country.

The presence of Tamil traders or artisans of gold in the region, during the early centuries of the Common Era, is attested to by a Tamil Brahmi inscription found in neighbouring Thailand. The legend in Tamil, ‘Perum Paththan Kal’ (the stone of the great goldsmith), seen on a whetstone, happens to be the earliest writing found in Thailand.

The Burmese alphabet of today, which is a continuity of the script of the Mon, an early ethnicity of Myanmar, is considered to have come from South Indian writing system, especially the Tamil-Grantha writing.

A 13th century inscription, found at Myinpagan, in Pagan in Myanmar, beginning with Sanskrit invocation and then records the subject matter in Tamil, tells us the existence of a Perumaa’l temple, belonging to the Tamil trade-guild of ‘Naanaatheasi’, at Pagan. (E. Hultzsch, Epigraphia Indica 7, 1902-1903, pp197-98)

The inscription names the temple as Naanaatheasi Vi’n’nkar Aazhvaar at Pukkam (Pagan), alias Arivaththanapuram (ceremonial ancient name of the capital), and says that a person Eeraayiran seeriyaan alias Kulaseakara Nampi coming from Makoathayar Paddanam (a town of the Cheras; Maak-koathai is a title of the Cheras), of Malai Ma’ndalam (Malaiyaa’lam: Kerala), made a gift of a hall, a sacred door and a fixed lamp to perpetually light the hall in the temple.

British colonial conquest of Burma in the 19th century witnessed a new spurt of migration of traders, contractors and workers from the Tamil region of British India.

It is said that the massive teakwood used in the construction of the palace of the Chettiyars of Kaanaadukaaththaan and other such palatial households in the Sivagangai district of Tamil Nadu were floated at the delta of Irawathy River in Burma and were received in the country of Chettiyars near the Paampan Channel, just carried by the currents of the Bay of Bengal.

Burma became separated from British India in 1936.

Anti-Indian sentiments after the independence of Burma in 1948 and diplomatic failure of Nehru’s India saw a large number of Tamils coming to Tamil Nadu as Burma refugees, when General Newin became the military dictator in the early 1960s.

HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI THAIPUSAM CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL IN IPOH, PERAK

HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi will be organizing “A Special Candle Light Vigil Procession ” accompanied with 18 pots of milk offerings (PAAL KUDAM) to Lord Muruga in conjunction with the auspicious Thaipusam Festival together with the fulfillment of the HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi 18 points demands and for the save return of HINDRAF- Makkal Sakthi’s Chairman,

Mr.P. Waythamoorthy to Malaysia .

Starting Venue : Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthaanam Buntong, Ipoh

Ending Venue : Kallumalai Sri Subramaniar Devasthaanam, Ipoh.

Date : 30th January 2010

Time : 6.00 pm

In accordance to this special festival, we invite all devotees to join us hand in hand . We encourage devotees to wear dhoti (vesthi) with safron/orange colour shirt (Kaavi colour).

Lets all pray together “ VALGA HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI”

For more details, please s contact:

P.Ramesh : 019-5235528

N.Subra : 012-4826957

S.Siva : 016-5347834

P.Bala : 016-2109545

D.Nagen : 012-2065424

Mr Mohan : 016-5548426

“RIGHTS NOT PRIVILEGES - THE NEO DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION BEGINS”

Please forward to all.

This will be the 3^rd consecutive year HINDRAF – MAKKAL SAKTHI is having such a candle light vigil in Ipoh

We need volunteers or individuals who are keen to do their part for our community. We can team up and make a big change for the sake of our community. We should not neglect our own community. Our community

is our responsibility.

Please come forward to make the changes. The famous quote,

“When you want to see changes you must be part of that changes”

~ Mahatma Ghandi.

Thank you,

P.RAMESH

HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi

Perak Chief

Event 30/1/2010: Batu Caves Thaipusam ” HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi Special Chariot Procession “

HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi will be organizing ” A Special Chariot Procession ” accompanied with milk offerings & Kavadi’s to Lord Muruga with conjunction of the auspicious Thaipusam Festival together with the fulfillment of the HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi 18 points demands and the save return of HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi’s Chairman, Mr Waythamoorthy to Malaysia .

Venue : Batu Caves Temple
Chariot Starting point at Riverbed ( Attangarai )

Date : 30th January 2010

Time : 5.00pm

In accordance to this special festival, we invite all devotees to join us hand in hand . We encourage devotees to wear safron / orange colour . ( Kaavi colour ) .

‘ Lets all pray together ” VALGA HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI

For more details , pls contact :

Capt Bala: 019-2166205

Mr Saamy : 017-3469650

Mr Ravi : 010-2939824

Mr Nava: 016-6446885

Mr Mohan : 012-2065424

Mr Raja : 017-8857679

WE WANT OUR RIGHTS NOT PRIVILEGES

Please forward to all.

Thank you,

S.JAYATHAS

Information Cheif

Photos: 29/1/2010 Eve of Thaipusam Batu Caves

UMNO’s FRU at peaceful Thaipusam. Paranoid of Najib not welcome at Batu Caves website postings?

Special Branch was taking our photo and we took his photo he turn away

HINDRAF Activist

To Malaysian Indians, Najib is just another actor

Prime Minister Najib Razak can try all he wants to win over the Indian community but it is not going to work because they can sense that to him and his Umno party, Malaysian Indians are just swing voters and not really the equal-status citizens of the country that they are entitled to be, community leaders said.

By Wong Choon Mei (Harakah)

“To the Indians, Najib is just another actor in a long line of actors and actresses from the Umno-BN,” N Gobalakrishnan, a prominent Indian activist and the Padang Serai MP, told Harakahdaily.

“What’s the point of going to Chennai and Batu Caves when all you need to do to convince the Malaysian Indians is to act on the grouses that they have brought up time and again?”

Indeed Najib does appear to be the edge of desperation to win over the community. Snubbed by the Chinese for orchestrating an unpopular power grab in Perak, he is now chasing the Indian vote to bolster his party's traditional 50 percent share of the Malay votes to win at the next general election, due latest in March 2013.

In fact, many political watchers expect him to call for elections by the middle of next year and are unsurprised at his unabashed overtures to the community. Indians form about 8 percent of Malaysia’s 27 million-odd population. Malays predominate at 60 percent, Chinese 26 percent, whilst indigenous and other races form about 6 percent.

In front of God Murugan

At Batu Caves on Friday night, the eve of Thaipusam, the PM resorted to using the full force of his federal machinery to grab center stage. His police force unceremoniously pushed the more popular Pakatan Rakyat politicians, who were also there, to a far-off and inconvenient spot so that they would not steal his thunder.

Nevertheless, it did not stop the Pakatan team led by Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim from winning the greater applause and empathy from the million-odd devotees who thronged the grounds of the sacred temple of the God Murugan.

“The lights you see among the crowd, the railings were all contributions by the government,” Najib had boasted to the crowd. “Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi told me he believes Indians are fairly treated in Malaysia.”

He was referring to his recent trip to Chennai, made in the midst of a spate of attacks against places of worship in the country. Amid criticism that he was not at hand when his own nation was in need of leadership, his controlled media has been painting Karunanidhi as an ultimate icon revered almost like a saint by Tamils throughout the world.

And their purpose: to justify his absence at a time of crisis and to impress upon the Indian community here of how important and beneficial his trip was to them.

“He must think the Tamils in Malaysia are all uneducated fools. Karunanidhi is a well-respected politician but there are so many well-respected politicians in India. It is a vast country with a huge history and culture,” a prominent analyst at a government think-thank told Harakahdaily on the condition of anonymity.

“Why go to Chennai and then a week later, appear at Batu Caves in front of God Murugan with whole Umno-BN gang? Do they not think that the Indians here are capable of putting together such a simplistic jigsaw puzzle? It is insulting.

“The Indians know full well he is only after their votes because the Chinese will no longer bother with him. But the Indian community is not dumb. They won’t vote for Umno-BN until they can feel tangible improvement or until they can see their grouses being genuinely addressed.

“After all Mahathir was in power for 22 years and Badawi for 4 years but the Indians sank even further into poverty. Now Najib comes along with all this fancy public relations and expects us believe that change has finally arrived. Sad to say, I think he probably has a bigger budget for his public relations team than for the community’s development.

What do Indians want

Most of the Indians who emigrated and grew roots in Malaysia came from Southern India during the colonial days to work in the rubber estates. Initially, they settled mostly in Selangor but have since fanned out into other states such as Penang, Perak and Negri Sembilan.

According to statistics compiled by the community, Malaysian Indians lag by far behind the other ethnic groups. Apart from not having received their due share of the economic pie, they believe they have been marginalized in terms of education and job opportunities.

“There are many things that the Indians here have asked from the federal government that directly relates to their living conditions and lifestyle. But there are other issues on social justice and good governance that are also important to us," said Gobalakrishnan.

“We are not kampung folk who cannot see further than our own village interest. There are also a lot of savvy Malaysian Indians who want to live in a modern and civil society, where there is fair play not just among the races but also among the political groups.

“We also care about democracy. What’s the point of getting a bit of subsidy here and there but Malaysia is turned into a police state where all citizens including the Indians cannot live in dignity and peace. What is the point when Indian youths cannot get jobs because of discrimination and end up getting beaten to death in police jails because of corruption in all the government institutions?

Among the core issues that Malaysian Indians have been fighting for is an increase to 3 percent from 1 percent of the country’s economic equity, raising the usage of the Tamil language, greater education and job opportunities.

“A good example is the grants given for building schools. A typical national-type school would cost the Umno-BN government between RM15 to 20 million. But they are only willing to allocate RM2 to 3 million for a Tamil-type vernacular school,” said Gobalakrishnan.

“This is how we end up with dirty, lousy facilities. Parents are not keen to send their children to such poor quality places, even teachers are not keen to work there. This is how they are indirectly phasing out our vernacular schools.

“So don’t come to Thaipusam and talk hot gas. Walk the talk and show the way. Then no one can say you are just another big ‘tin kosong’ (empty vessel).”

Walk your talk. End racial profiling. Say “No more”.

By Haris Ibrahim

I received an e-mail from a lady teacher. She attached the two-paged document that I have reproduced below.

This is what she said in her mail :

“After all the talk of 1Malaysia, we are still asked to mark ourselves as Malay or non-Malay, bumi or non-bumi, Muslim or non-Muslim.

Does my race or religion have any relevance whether I am a good teacher?

Are we not all Malaysians?

I hate this, Haris.

Can I just ignore those irritating questions?

What should I do?”

I replied her :

“Take a red pen and a ruler. Draw a line right through ‘Status Bumiputra’, ‘Bangsa’, ‘Etnik’ and ‘Agama’ and then write over that line you have just drawn, “TIDAK RELEVAN. SAYA ANAK BANGSA MALAYSIA”.

If you do not agree with this sort of profiling, condemn it by refusing to go along with it.

The reason this sort of profiling still goes on is because even as we recognise how wrong it is, we take the easy way out and comply.

In reality, it is we who give life to this profiling.

If we collectively refuse to legitimise thiss policy of profiling by refusing to comply, it will one day surely go away.”

__________________________

I’m going to reproduce below parts of an earlier posting.

___________________________

RPK, almost tongue-in-cheek, offered a simple definition of ‘civil disobedience’ in a POST at MT sometime back :

“It’s actually quite simple. You defy the powers-that-be, but you do it in a passive, not active, manner. You do not resist. You just do nothing. And is this not what Malaysians are good at, doing nothing?”

Of late, notwithstanding the PM’s talk about 1Malaysia, we still see a lot of racist, divide-and-rule crap coming out from Utusan, which is an UMNO mouthpiece, from the DPM, from other ministers and a whole array of NGOs which, if you bothered to check, again lead back to UMNO.

UMNO continues to play the race card because this is the only politics they understand.

The other BN component parties, most times, don’t have the courage to stand up to UMNO and say ‘Cut out this race crap. We are all Malaysians, so stop this divide-and-rule game’.

In response to UMNO’s ketuanan Melayu, Pakatan Rakyat has been heard to espouse ketuanan rakyat but, sadly, sometimes even the PR politicians appear afraid to walk the full distance needed to truly see this nation on the way to being that of a single people.

For some time now, I’ve believed that if we are to see the aspiration of ‘One People, One Nation’ become a reality, it has to be people-driven.

What say we start a little civil disobedience now to send out our own little message, in our own little way, to the government , that we are no longer going to countenance their divide-and-rule tactics?

We could simply call this initiative Project Irrelevant.

Project Irrelevant is not new.

It was launched at the first Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka forum and get-together on 25th August, 2007 at the then Blog House. You can read about that HERE.

I’ve also written about Project Irrelevant HERE.

Let me just reproduce my closing lines in the Project Irrelevant post :

“If you are one of those who has written with comments to this blog supportive of the many initiatives to one day see this as a nation of one people, I ask you to now support this initiative.

Please walk your talk.

If you proclaim yourself as anak Bangsa Malaysia in cyberspace, have the courage and conviction to do the same on paper.

SEX : IRRELEVANT

RELIGION : IRRELEVANT

RACE : BANGSA MALAYSIA”

Kugan's samples returned in untenable condition: lawyers

The Sun

PETALING JAYA (Jan 29, 2010): Lawyers for the family of V. Kugan, the man who died in police custody, today took the police to task for returning samples taken from his body to the hospital in an incomplete and untenable condition.

The samples of blood and fluid specimens taken by Dr Prashant Samberkar of Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in a privately-commissioned post-mortem were to be flown out to Australia for a second stage of a post-mortem when they were seized by police in April last year.

On Oct 9 that year, the magistrate's court in Petaling Jaya ordered the police to return them to UMMC. Police complied a few days later.

N. Surendran, one of the lawyers representing Kugan's family, told a press conference today: "In particular, an entire bottle of specimen was never returned."

Of the rest of the samples, he said: "I was told by Dr Prashant that they were unlikely to be of any use, as they were no longer in a frozen state."

Another lawyer, Teluk Intan MP M. Manogaran, accusing the police of being in contempt of a court order, said they were also worried the samples may have been tampered with by the police, in which case the toxicology tests would not bear any fruit.

Kugan, 23, was detained on suspicion of stealing luxury cars, but died in a police lock-up at 11am on Jan 20 last year. His family suspected foul play, and commissioned a second post-mortem at UMMC after the first at the Serdang Hospital yielded a report that they were unhappy with.

Prashant had made a provisional report stating Kugan had died of kidney failure due to severe beatings. The first post-mortem stated Kugan died due to fluid accumulation in the lungs.

The samples taken by Prashant were ready to be flown out for a second stage of the post mortem when they were seized by police on the instruction of the attorney-general.

Surendran said they believed the police were well aware of their intention to carry out a toxicology test, as they had copies of the post mortem report and their own experts. "We intended to send the samples to a lab in Australia for toxicological tests as University Hospital could not do it."

Surendran had sent a letter to director of the Criminal Investigations Department Datuk Bakri Zinin on Oct 28 asking for the full set of samples to be returned but there has been no reply.

"This is a deliberate attempt to cover up the truth," said Surendran.

Manogaran, who is also representing the family, said they were ready to proceed with contempt of court charges if Kugan’s mother agreed to it.

Surendran said they suspected Kugan may have been poisoned or something may have been administered to him whilst he was under detention.

Pointing to a picture taken during Kugan’s second post-mortem, Surendran said: "You can see amongst the fatty tissue on his wrist, there is a red circular dot, the experts we have consulted believe this is the mark of a syringe entering the body."

Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam said they would submit a memorandum to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan regarding Kugan's and another case next Wednesday. - theSun

Thaipusam day Kedah PAS MB demolish hindu cemetary.

Media Statement (29/01/2010)

This morning Mr.Manigan Raj, the Chairmain of the Ladang Batu Pekaka, Kuala Ketil, Kedah Hindu Cemetary telephoned and informed us that the Kedah Menteri Besar Dato Seri Azizan has ordered that the rest of the said Ladang Batu Pekaka hindu cemetery be destroyed today ie on the eve of the Thaipusam day or on Thaipusam day tomorrow.

This Kedah PAS MB has “franchised” this job to an Indian mandore. Mr.Raj and his family in particular are standing put and have refused to remove his ancestor’s remains.

They stand by their constitutional right to freedom of religion which is enshrined in and guaranteed for by Article 11 of the Federal Constitution. Why doesn’t this Kedah PAS MB try demolishing a Chinese Christian or Muslim graveyard. He would not dare. The Indians are the soft targets as they have no or very little political or economic power.

Mr Raj will be making his 13^th police report today. But then even after twelve (12) previous police reports, thus far the tripitrade UMNO, PAS and Malay-sian police axis still insist in committing the crime of defiling a place of burial in violation of Section 297 of the Penal Code and read with Article 11 of the Federal Constitution. This is PAS, UMNO and the Malay-sian police crime with impunity. This kind of atrocities are just the tip of the iceberg.

Just last week the PKR Selangor Menteri Besar demolished a hindu cemetery in Rawang so much so that the human bones were indiscriminately strewn around the area.

But then who cares as the graves and bones are that of merely the poor and underprivileged Indians anyway. (Refer to the newsreport in Sinar posted here previously). UMNO has similarly had had a free hand in also committing this atrocity over the last 52 years.

This kind of atrocities does not happen to any minority community in any other part of the world except in UMNO Prime Minister Najib Razak’s One- Malaysia.

Thank You.

Your Faithfully,

________________________

P.Uthayakumar.

Secretary General (pro-tem)

HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY MALAYSIA

Cc:

Dato’ Seri Uztaz Haji Azizan bin Abdul Razak

Menteri Besar Kedah

Pejabat Menteri Besar,
Aras 3, Blok A Wisma Darul Aman,

05503 Alor Setar, Fax: 04-7339088 Kedah Darul Aman. E-Mail: pmb@kedah.gov.my

1, 410 Thaipusam stalls. Indians scrambling to do business but excluded outside Batu Caves.

Each time the Indian community complains that they have been denied business opportunities, UMNO and their MIC mandores are quick to give excuses that the Indians are not interested in doing business.

Just see for yourself the Indian business enthusiasm especially in Batu Caves, Ipoh and Penang on this Thaipusam festival.

But where do these thousands of Indian petty traders go to do business.

UMNO would rather these Indian petty traders rot after Thaipusam than they actually actively contributing to the nation’s economy. This is how racist, religious extremist and supremacist UMNO can be.

P. Uthayakumar

1)Grant all hindu temples state land, 2) Build overhead railway bridge to preserve historical walk path to Batu Caves.

NO.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245 Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com

Your Reference :

In Reply : HRP/ Jan/ 10

Date : 29/01/2010

YAB. Dato Seri Najib Razak

Prime Minister of Malaysia

Blok Utama Bangunan Perdana Putra,

Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Fax: 03-88883444

62502 Putrajaya E-Mail: najib@pmo.gov.my.

Thaipusam wish:- 1) Grant all hindu temples state land,

2) Build overhead railway bridge to preserve historical walk path to Batu Caves.

In conjunction with your goodselves maiden visit to Batu Caves on the occasion of Thaipusam this evening, we call upon your goodeself to announce, make public, distribute and post on the Prime Minister’s website the government’s written policy decision in an official circular on the letterhead of the Prime Minister’s office that :-

1) All hindu temples in Malaysia are forthwith granted government land in situ that is where the said hindu temples are situated presently.

2) Also that from this year’s Thaipusam (2010) onwards your goodselves direct that there shall be no more hindu temple demolishments in Malaysia.

With the above, the government would be seen to be abiding by Article 11 of the Federal Constitution and not committing any further and future offence of defiling a place of worship in contravention of Section 295 of the Penal Code which offence is in any event punishable with two years jail but which the UMNO Attorney General consciously does not prosecute and so the offence continuing with impunity.

We have received numerous complaints this year about the congestion, inconvenience and in fact obstruction to Freedom of Religion in contravention of Article 11 of the Federal Constitution arising out of the new railway line works which has blocked off the original and historical Thaipusam walkway to Batu Caves. “New rail tracks pose a problem for devotees” (Star Metro 29/01/2010 at page M3).

The government knows of the pre existing especially the annual week long Thaipusam celebrations with some two (2) Million people congregating at Batu Caves an Thaipusam day, Batu Caves being the leading tourist attraction site in Malaysia and a potential World Heritage Site.

Your goodself should not be seen to be coming to Batu Caves empty handed to merely fish for the crucial and critical Indian votes!.

We hereby call upon your goodself at this evening’s Thaipusam visit to also announce the building of an Elevated Railway Bridge to the Batu Caves Railway Station and thereby preserving the original and historical walk path to the Batu Caves hindu temple as has been the tradition in over the last 200 years.

We could off hand remember at least two recent precedents of this being done ie the elevated overhead highway next to the Ar Rahim Mosque in Pantai and the elevated highway next to the Rasah Railway gate to preserve the local Rasah Mosque.

Mr Prime Minister, the same can certainly be done for Batu Caves what more when it is soon anticipated to be recognized as a United Nations World Heritage Site.

Thank You.

Your Faithfully,

________________________

P.Uthayakumar.

Secretary General (pro-tem)

Thaipusam: Selangor MB’s stage upstaged by Najib’s stage

Having denied all hindu temples in Selangor state government land, this PKR Selangor Menteri Besar is so desperate for the crucial and critical Indian votes that he is prepared to erect a stage at Batu Caves just to fish for Indian votes. Justice Party? (Refer The Star 29/1/2010 at page N 18)

However this Selangor MB’s stage was upstaged by Najib’s stage. To us it does not matter whether Rama or Rawana rules as neither UMNO nor PKR, DAP or PAS offers a permanent and lasting solution in giving all hindu temples in Malaysia state government land and to put to an end to the indiscriminate hindu temple demolishments in Malaysia.

Our Indian minority and human rights struggle will continue irrespective of Najib or Anwar Ibrahim..

P. Uthayakumar

Batu Caves: Selangor MB speaks from lorry - Anil Netto

Barred from setting up a stage, Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim nonetheless addressed a large Thaipusam crowd at Batu Caves late last night – from the back of a lorry, just like in the old days.

The view of the huge crowd from the lorry - Photo by an eyewitness

Selangor state government leaders took to the stage – actually, they were barred from setting up a stage – after Prime Minister Najib had left at around 11.15pm. (The PM, accompanied by his wife Rosmah and Cabinet members had arrived at 9.10pm and immediately launched into a charm offensive. Malaysian Insider report here.)

Not to be outdone, Khalid, his state exco members, and the Adun for Batu Caves, Amir Sari, then clambered onto a truck and spoke before a crowd of thousands near the viaduct not far from the main entrance to Batu Caves.

“When we got there this evening, we heard that the police had issued a warning that they would arrest us for illegal assembly if the planned stage was put up,” said a Selangor state exco member, when contacted. “But the local council came to our rescue and improvised with their enforcement truck.”

About 15 police personnel arrived while Khalid was addressing the crowd from the lorry but they were somewhat hindered by the crowd, according to the exco member. Selangor state exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar then jumped down and negotiated with the police for “15 minutes more”.

This is the first time the Selangor state government is taking part in the celebration, with a tent at the site serving almost like a state government ‘open house’.

Kugan press conference, Woman shot 5 times, Gunasegaran

by Nathaniel Tan

I attended a press conference with Kugan’s family and their lawyers this morning, and since there were so few press, I felt I should report a little on the proceedings.

By way of quick background, the family had some time ago successfully filed for a court order directing the police to return the samples taken from Kugan’s post-mortem.

The police eventually did, BUT it turns out that they

a) failed to return one particular sample, and

b) failed to freeze another sample accordingly, rendering it useless.

The lawyers are basically now saying that the police are in contempt of court, having possibly tampered with and destroyed evidence.

The situation really is getting out of hand. At another press conference yesterday, there was an attempt to publicise the case of an innocent woman who was shot five times by the police :P Apparently no press picked it up (more on that to come).

I also talked to another gentleman about the Gunasegaran death in custody, and I’m hoping to receive more info on the inquest proceedings that passed (and beginning again on March 8th :P ).

He spoke about how both Gunasegaran and Teoh Beng Hock died, but how there was almost no one at the former’s inquest except his sister.

On a slightly more positive note, he said that this was perhaps the first time in a death in custody case that there were eyewitnesses to the crime. Perhaps there may be the faint glimmer of hope for justice.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Hindraf makes public its accounts - Malaysiakini

The outlawed Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf), which reportedly never sought registration, released its accounts today for “for public scrutiny and comment”.

The move comes in the wake of allegations that millions were collected for the ad-hoc movement's cause and never accounted for.

The accounts were published under Hindraf Makkal Sakthi, described by the chartered accountants and public accountants as an organisation “pending registration”.

Apparently, this approach legally circumvents the ban on Hindraf. Makkal Sakthi stands for 'people power' in Tamil, the language of most Malaysians of Indian origin.

NONE

“One caveat we must add is that these accounts have not been audited,” explained Hindraf chair P Waythamoorthy in a telephone call from London.

“It was not possible to audit the accounts because the accountants could not get the co-operation of several former Hindraf activists.”

The accounts have been presented by Chartered and Public Accountants Pathmarajah & Co as a statement of receipts and payments from Nov 6, 2007 to Dec 31, 2009.

The accounts, dated Jan 28, 2010, carry a sworn statement signed by Hindraf co-coordinator S Jayathas.

Waythamoorthy said that he could only account for monies he had personal knowledge of, either entrusted to him and/or collected in the initial stages when Hindraf came to the attention of the public.

There is a gap of about RM500,000 missing from the final figures, he added.

This figure is based on a police report lodged by 'ASP' K Vasanthakumar, the de facto Hindraf treasurer on Jan 9, 2008, more than three weeks after he was detained under the ISA,” said Waythamoorthy.

“Vasanthakumar claimed in the police report that about RM700,000 was collected by Hindraf.”

Rival referred to as ASP

He wants Vasanthakumar to explain to the public and the accountants where the remaining RM500,000 went, if at all such a sum existed as alleged in his police report.

Asked why he referred to Vasanthakumar as ASP (assistant superintendent of police), Waythamoorthy maintained that he was a police Special Branch undercover operative.

“His mission was to infiltrate Hindraf under the Umno government's 'Operasi Padam Hindraf' (Operation Eliminate Hindraf),” he said.

NONE “When he first approached us about three months before the ISA arrests on Dec 13, 2007, he claimed that he was a bank officer,” he added.

“Initially, we had no reason to doubt his credentials, which we never checked anyway. That's why we let him handle the accounts at his suggestion,” said Waythamoorthy (left).

It appears that the monies directly collected by Hindraf were through Hindraf Enterprise, a sole proprietorship registered in the name of Vasanthakumar.

Hindraf Enterprise was ostensibly set up as a stationery supplier, although its main objective was to bank in monies collected by Hindraf activists for the organisation.

Vasanthakumar in turn, according to Waythamoorthy, doled out the money to various parties for Hindraf activities or bail money.

Even so, the accounts show that the total money received from HE and placed "in the care of trusted individuals", as Waythamoorthy puts it, was RM119,814.20.

When the government cancelled the business registration of Hindraf Enterprise and froze its accounts, the business had only RM1,090. A further RM10,000 is due from the court as bail money for Hindraf legal advisor P Uthayakumar, Waythamoorthy's elder brother.

Also due to Hindraf Enterprise, he alleged, was RM50,000 in bail money returned by the court and being kept by V Paparaidu, a brother of former ISA Hindraf detainee V Ganapathi Rao.

“Paparaidu and/or Ganapathi Rao had refused to return to Hindraf the said bail sum of RM50,000 vide his lawyer's letter dated Dec 14, last year,” said Waythamoorthy.

“This is bail money collected from the public for Uthayakumar and returned by the court to Paparaidu who was the bailor.”

Summarising the accounts for the benefit of the public, Waythamoorthy stressed that monies remaining with Hindraf activists are with Hindraf Makkal Sakthi and were transferred wholly on Dec 31 last year from an interest-bearing clients account of Messrs Kumar Hashimah & Co, a legal firm, to a similar account with Chartered and Public Accountants Pathmarajah & Co.

The total amounts comes to RM227,249.46. This appears to include sums given to various individuals by Vasanthakumar and never used by them.

It includes RM35,000 banked in on two occasions by Vasanthakumar into Waythamoorthy's credit card account when he away in India from late November to early December 2007.

“I never used the money and it is now with the accountants,” said Waythamoorthy. “Vasanthakumar called me in India and insisted on banking in the money into my account. I didn't feel right using public money,” said Waythamoorthy.

He clarified that the sole purpose of the various monies collected was to bail out and aid Hindraf activists who were arrested by police or brought to court.

“It was never our purpose to collect monies to use in pursuing the civil suit filed in the United Kingdom,” he added.

Petition prepared for HM Queen Elizabeth II

Hindraf had prepared a petition to be presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The petition seeking free legal aid, to be directed via the British High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur in late 2007, was allegedly thwarted by the police and subsequently degenerated into the infamous Hindraf street demonstration.

“It was never the intention of Hindraf to take to the streets as alleged by police,” swore Waythamoorthy. “They (the police) used the occasion of the presentation of the petition to create a street demonstration.”

With the release of the Hindraf accounts under Hindraf Makkal Sakthi, Waythamoorthy would not be surprised if the authorities move swiftly to seize all remaining funds and freeze them.

“We are prepared for this,” he said. “After all, the money is just lying there in the sole client account and with Paparaidu and/or Ganapathi Rao (RM50,000), Vasanthakumar (as per police report) and the court (RM10,000)."

Outlawed organisations, under the law, are not allowed to have any funds, much less prepare accounts.

One prickly issue is that Hindraf has never sought registration, and by logical deduction, cannot be outlawed.

Statement of Hindraf account

Thursday, January 28, 2010

MEDIA STATEMENT 28th January 2010 HINDRAF DISCLOSES ITS ACCOUNTS TO PUBLIC

Amidst the various unfounded and malicious allegations, HINDRAF is publishing its accounts to the public for their scrutiny.

Hindraf was formed in December 2005 and it only came to limelight in August 2007 after I had filed a class action against the UK Government on Malaysia’s 50th Anniversary independence celebration on August 30th 2007 in pursuit of the systematic marginalized state of the Malaysian Indians.

The accounts prepared by an independent Public Accounting firm regulated in Malaysia for the funds that were collected is attached herewith The full accounts are also available at our website at www.hindraf.org , www.makkal.org , www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com and www.hindraf4you.blogspot.com.

A brief run down on the accounts are as follows -

a) Total funds received from Hindraf Enterprise and subsequently placed in the care of trusted individuals is RM 119,814.20

b) A further sum of RM110, 000.00 was cash collected through personal donations, which was initially placed in the hands of Paparaidu a/l Veeraman has been placed in interest bearing clients account of Messrs Kumar Hashimah & Co.

c) A sum of RM35,000.00 was banked into my credit card account by ASP Vasanthakumar whilst I was away from the country on 8th December 2007which is now placed in the hands of the accountancy firm.

d) Total fines paid for Hindraf supporters charged in court and for their travelling allowances, accommodation etc., is RM 111,706.60

e) A sum of RM 50,000.00 that was collected from members of the public to bail P.Uthayakumar was handed over to Ganapathi Rao a/l Veeraman, one of the ISA detainees who had nominated his brother Paparaidu a/l Veeraman to stand as bailor and deposit the said RM50,000.00 in court under the name of Paparaidu a/l Veeraman. Paparaidu and/or Ganapathi Rao had refused to return to HINDRAF the said bail sum of RM50, 000.00 vide his lawyer’s letter dated 14.12.2009.

f) The total amount collected by Hindraf from the account of Hindraf Enterprise is reflected in our accounts. This is only the sum that we are aware of the portion of the money that came into our possession to our trusted HINDRAF allies by the transfers made by ASP Vasanthakumar.

g) The total amount collected for and on behalf of Hindraf by Hindraf Enterprise has to be made public and accounted for by ASP Vasanthakumar. We are only accounting for that portion of the money that came into our possession by the transfers made by ASP Vasanthakumar.

h) The funds collected were for the purpose of dealing with the costs of the cases arising from the various arrests of HINDRAF activists. The funds were specifically never collected for the purpose of the civil suit filed in the British Court as some have alleged.

In summary therefore, the total amount that we have to account for is RM451,617.51. The expenses we have incurred so far is RM163,278.05. The balance is RM 288,339.46 which includes RM 82,182.28 nationwide fund raising dinners organised in 2008 to collect for Hindraf activities less RM61,090.00 receivables i.e. the sum of 227,249.46 is entrusted with the Public Accountant as of 31st December 2009.

I now wish to comment on the collected funds and on the various allegations on the misappropriation of the funds.

From the summary of the accounts above, one can see that none of the money received from the public by Hindraf has been used to finance any purpose other than what it had been collected for, least of all my stay here in the UK. These accounts show the lie, mala fide and mischief in their allegations.

When ASP Vasanthakumar first came to our attention about 3 months before the ISA detentions on 13th Dec 2007, he claimed he was a Bank Officer. We allowed him to handle all the Hindraf funds. He had sole responsibility for the funds before the detention. He collected the funds into HINDRAF Enterprise, a stationary business he registered in his personal name and made himself a Director.

Based on the sums received from ASP Vasantha Kumar and that he was in control of , it creates an irrationality amongst HINDRAF supporters as to why ASP Vasanthakumar would lodge a police report against Uthayakumar on 7th January 2008 ie 3 weeks after his “ISA arrest” claiming that Uthayakumar and his family members had collected large sums of money which may total RM700,000.

The same ASP Vasanthakumar and his cohorts have over the last 6 months continuously defamed me although he was responsible for collected funds which he alleges totals up to RM700,000.00 and this sum was further inflated to Millions by Ganapathi Rao. At the material time I was not in the country nor had any access to the alleged funds as the signatory for the HINDRAF ENTERPRISE account is solely within the control of ASP Vasantha Kumar.

In the first week of January 2008 i.e. 3 weeks after the arrest of the Hindraf lawyers, I had issued media statements urging the public not to donate any money to any middlemen and to channel the funds directly to the affected families and my statements were carried by all the major mainstream Tamil papers and Malaysiakini. It was also posted in the official blog of Hindraf and many other independent Blogs.

As such, it defies logic and rationality as to why I am now subjected to continuous serious allegations of funds collection and misappropriation other than to seed unwarranted suspicion and doubts by ASP Vasantha Kumar as part of the government’s “operasi padam HINDRAF” conducted by the Police Special branch to permanently erase Hindraf and its struggle from the minds of the people and to cause confusion and mistrust.

HINDRAF is a movement of conscience and humanity to uplift the systematically marginalized Malaysian community in Malaysia. It only seeks to show up the truth and the reality that is faced by the deprived lot daily.

It is unfortunate that certain DAP leaders have fallen prey to the Special Branch ploy and had repeated the malicious allegations in their pursuit to defend their own political agenda based on hearsay and for their political benefits as opposed to the voice and need of the marginalized community.

HINDRAF’s enemy is the oppressive system led by UMNO. UMNO for its part seeks to permanently erase HINDRAF from the annals of Malaysia, using these and various other treacherous tactics. No matter how hard they try, we will try harder. Truth and justice is on our side. We are well equipped morally for this struggle.

Hindraf well-wishers must be prepared for the truth as the truth always prevails as we continue to be defiant for a humane and moral cause.

Thank you.

P. Waytha Moorthy.

Chairman

HINDRAF