Thursday, October 22, 2009

Kapitan Lim Guan Eng and his DCM II Indian mandore


The “DCM II” of Penang, the Indian mandore of Kapitan Lim Guan Eng said (cakap kosong) at his Deepavali lunch that the state had allocated land for the relocation of SJK (T) Ladang Batu Kawan and SJK (T) Azad which were now sited on private land.

“We will soon help acquire land to relocate SJK (T) Ladang Valdor and later look into land woes faced by SJK (T) Sungai Bakap and SJK (T) Rajaji.

He also said he was trying to help three Indian students from Kampong Buah Pala to obtain scholarships to further their studies in local institutions of higher learning (Sunday Star 18/10/2009 at page N18)

This is the exact piecemeal paper politics UMNO has been playing for the past 52 years since independence through their Indian mandores from the MIC. The latest example is the piecemeal paper politics by the UMNO Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir who on the eve of Deepavali announced (cakap kosong) that 800 hectres of land, the proceeds of which are to be for poor Indians students. (The Star 16/10/2009 at page N24). The only difference is that the UMNO Menteri Besar made the announcement on the eve of Deepavali but Kapitan Lim Guan Eng’s DCM II Indian mandore made the announcement on Deepavali day itself. Both statements are “cakap kosong” without anything at all in writing as usual. This announcement will never take off and will be forgotten in due course. But in the meantime both UMNO and DAP/PKR would have made their political capital by having played politics.

Kapitan Lim Guan Eng should instead of making piecemeal paper politics “cakap kosong” announcements and pronouncements should forward to us (HRP) as guardians of especially the working class Indians and also the Pulau Pinang Indians in writing an official letter under the Chief Minister’s letterhead (and not through his Indian mandore) that all 28 Tamil schools in Penang have been issued land titles for their respective school buildings and a further adjoining land of ten (10) acres each for their future development, school field (which most Tamil schools do not have) and an assembly hall which would also double up as the local Indian community hall cum centre which would also generate extra income for these schools. This could be done by the stroke of Kapitan Lim Guan Eng’s pen by virtue of section 76 of the National Land Code by compulsorily acquiring these Tamil school land and restoring them with the respective Tamil school. Then and only then are we on and DAP and PR would be seen to be different from UMNO.

Why should these five Tamil schools be relocated in the first place. By doing this it’s historical and heritage value would also be wiped out forever. Why are Malay and Chinese schools in Penang not relocated in the same way as these Tamil Schools? Why does DAP and PR pick on the Tamil schools? Because they are soft targets? Because they do not have the political and economical clout?

Any why “try to help three Indian students” to obtain scholarships. This Kapitan Lim Guan Eng and his Indian DCM II mandore must ensure that scholarships are awarded by Yayasan Pulau Pinang for all the hundreds of deserving Indian students in Penang and not for just merely “only the three students”. And that too merely “try to help”?

It is plain and obvious that DAP, PKR and PAS are merely continuing UMNO’s 52 year old piecemeal paper politics, racist policies and the politics of hoodwinking even the poor underprivileged and working class Indians in Penang. This Kapiatan has conveniently forgotten that it was these Penang working class Indians who were in turn instrumental in bringing him (this Kapitan) to the office of the Chief Minister. It is plain and obvious as it stands that both UMNO and BN and also DAP, PKR and DAP are only interested in the Indian votes but not their critical Indians problems. The Indians out of no choice (as 90% of them have lost hope and could no longer vote for UMNO,B.N) would be left with no or very little other choice or alternative but be forced to vote for DAP, PKR and PAS.

We now have the alternative – The Indian political empowerment strategy.

kapitan

Posted by barred at 4:45 AM

Lim Guan Eng and his pussy cats

Posted by barred at 4:42 AM

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Are we racists?

There is a difference between lip service and service to the Rakyat. A difference that is yet to be learned by both governments of the day.
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines racism as such
Noun
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2 : racial prejudice or discrimination
In the Malaysian context, the first definition may also be modified to the following
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent inferiority of a particular race
This definition gives rise to the racial prejudice and discrimination that we see almost everywhere, in government policies, in the private sector and even in the supposedly egalitarian alternative media.
Let us now look at the speech delivered by YB Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on the 20th of May 2004 in the debate on the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address, as the Parliamentary Opposition Leader.
The Honourable MP for Ipoh Timor calls for the formation of 10 Select Committees as a start towards making the Malaysian Parliament a ‘First-World Parliament’. You may read the transcript here, http://www.dapmalaysia.org/all-archive/English/2004/may04/lks/lks3034.htm
The tenth Select Committee was to focus on the ‘Marginalisation of the Indian Community as the underclass’
The Honourable MP says,
“During the 2004 general election, the “Group of Concerned Citizens” in its paper “Election 2004: New Politics for Indian Malaysians” had summarized nine long-standing fundamental issues faced by Indian Malaysians:
The number of Indian youth dying in police custody has increased;
The socio-economic inequality between the Indian poor and rich and between other communities has worsened;
The State has not responded effectively in addressing social ills in the community;
The State policies towards and financial allocation for Tamil schools remains pitiful;
The University intake policy has been a source of major distress for the community;
The State has not stepped in to help resolve the MAIKA scandal;
The Kampung Medan racially-motivated killings have not been brought to a closure. No public inquiry was instituted.
Low cost housing needs of the Indian poor have not been adequately addressed;
The negative consequences of the final breakdown of the plantation economy on the Indian rural poor have still not be regulated. Aggressive displacement of Indian Malaysians is a serious problem.
These nine fundamental issues afflicting the Indian community, marginalizing them into the new underclass in Malaysia, should be the terms of reference of a Select Committee on the marginalization of the Indian community in the country.”
A few questions rise in the mind upon reading the above.
First, is YB Lim Kit Siang a racist for raising Indian Malaysian issues in Parliament? If the answer is ‘no’, can we label anyone else as a racist for raising the same issues today, regardless of the name of the person who speaks out?
Why has the Pakatan Government, upon coming to power in several states, not addressed the same issues that was raised by one of its current leaders in the Parliament 5 years ago? A lack of political will, or a lack of moral will?
The third prime duty of the government to its people has been defined as to ensure that every family unit of the nation has space in the nation’s territory for a home and a means of livelihood.
When citizens are given different treatments when it comes to means of livelihood, education, right to identity and wage protection; and space for a home, based on race, then we have to accept the fact that we are a racist country and people.
There is a difference between lip service and service to the Rakyat. A difference that is yet to be learned by both the governments of the day. This is compounded by the inability of the supporters from both sides of the divide to discern the primacy of egalitarian service over egalitarian slogans.
We are racists as far as the Merriam-Webster definition goes, and that will not change with the mere adoption of slogans.
Posted by barred at 4:23 AM

Discrimination and Marginalisation

Many are unsure of what is meant by discrimination and marginalisation, and whom it impacts.
Consider the following:
The PR state governments have, commendably, liberally granted state land and huge financial allocations on coming to power. For example:
1. RM 100 million and 400 hectares for a pig project in Sepang, Selangor.
2. 349 Rancangan Perkampungan Tersusun (RPT) and 134 New Villages in Perak, with 110,000 and 102,000 titles respectively, to be given out. Freehold titles for just RM 63 for 110,000 villagers almost 99% of whom are Malay Malaysians, and 102,000 Chinese New Villagers of whom 99% are Chinese Malaysians. “The value of these properties will then go up and they can apply for bank loans to rebuilt their houses” says Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham.
3. The Pakatan Perak government has also allocated 1,000 hectares or 2471 acres of land to 9 Chinese vernacular schools, “for them to generate revenue to pay for their operational expenses” says MB Nizar. Additionally, MB Nizar also donated RM 30,000 for each of the 9 schools. Barisan’s MB Zambry on coming into office confirmed that the issuance of titles will proceed.
4. 3.3 hectares of land for each Orang Asli family was approved, and 18,000 hectares of forest land has been gazetted as Orang Asli reserve, and another 30,000 hectares is waiting to be gazetted says Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham.
5. In Bagan Pinang the UMNO Deputy President Muhyiddin Yasin announced that RM 900,000 will be allocated to upgrade Chinese vernacular schools and Chinese temples. But for the Indians in Bagan Pinang, the Lukut Tamil school which is the only school in Malaysia and perhaps the world over which is situated on the first floor of a shop house was merely promised two (2) acres of land. As usual nothing has been given in writing, let alone having the land little issued. Even then these 2 acres of land will not be enough to cater for a school field, Assembly cum Community Hall and any future expansions. MIC went a bit further and announced that the school will get a computer and a fax machine.
A lot was done with lightning speed within about one month of the Perak and Selangor PR state governments coming into power, and in Bagan Pinang during the by-election. We were all overjoyed. What MCA and UMNO did not do in 52 years, the Pakatan government did in one month! This is what we want to see.
But hang on. Did anybody notice or ask, what about allocations to Tamil Schools? The Indian Malaysians have waited a year and a half since March 2008 but to date there is no mention of anything.
How many hundreds of hectares did the Pakatan government allocate for the 138 Tamil vernacular schools in Perak? How many NGOs and political parties have actually pointed out these omissions to those in power?
The disparity in what is done to uplift Malaysians must cease to exist. There is no cause for joy in slogans and clarion calls when politicians are able to fish for votes with empty promises and food hampers. That opportunity must no longer present itself in this country.
This is what is meant by discrimination, and this is how a Malaysian community continues to be marginalised.

By Jeevindra Kumar Krishnan, Protem Committee Member, Human Rights Party Malaysia

Posted by barred at 4:23 AM

The Penang Monorail Project and the Kampung Buah Pala Connection

The demolition of KBP started after a character called Dato JK started to get involved, purportedly to help the KBP villagers. I used to wonder why this multimillionaire Dato was so interested in KBP that he drove down in hurry on the Friday just before Hari raya in that heavy traffic to have some meetings with the villagers. It all seemed too good to be true.

Now it seems to be turning out that he was the one who made it easier for LGE and his cronies to screw the KBP villagers.This Dato was just using the villagers to get himself the monorail project. I do not know what kind of deal he made with Prof Ramasamy and LGE during his individual discussions with LGE and Ramasamy - but here is the report of what he has now got in Penang.

The poor are always the pawn.
Read on... Seeralan

Penang monorail: the South African connection

The latest Edge weekly reports sources as saying that the Penang state government has given the green light to a low-profile businessman, Jeyakumar Varathan, to build and commission a RM70-million monorail test track on a 30-acre site in Batu Kawan.

The paper suggested that this could be a sign that the state is embarking on its own monorail plans and cited sources as saying that the groundbreaking for the project could be in December.

Jeyakumar’s consortium may first have to prove that its technology is viable before it can build a monorail network in Penang, the paper added.

Some questions arise:

  • How much is Jeyakumar paying for the 30-acre site in Batu Kawan?
  • Does the state government have a public transport masterplan and is a monorail part of it? First, it was the monorail and then subway, next it was the ‘aerorail’ – and now it’s back full circle to monorail?
  • What about other public transport options such as a bus rapid transit system and trams – which could be more cost effective? Have they been considered? How does Porr fit in?
  • Has the state government informed and briefed members of the Penang Transport Council? The perception is that its members are in the dark about this monorail thing. Why the secrecy?
  • Does Jeyakumar have a proven track record? Is the Penang state government aware of Jeyakumar’s attempts in South Africa? (See “Monorail king goes mum“.)

According to the US/Europe-based Institute of Transportation and Development Policy, on the very day of the bankruptcy of the Kuala Lumpur system (16 May 2006), Newcyc Vision announced a project commitment to build a 45-kilometre (28-mile) system in Johannesburg.

Read what the sustainable transport experts are saying. The same article points out that monorail systems create visual intrusions to the urban environment (how would this affect George Town’s appeal as a heritage city)? This should be enlightening reading:

South Africa

Despite the bankruptcy of the Kuala Lumpur system and the financial collapse of the Putrajaya project, the Malaysian monorail developers have attempted to develop new markets elsewhere. The most recent target has been South Africa. With South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup looming, a Malaysian consortium, known as Newcyc Vision, has targeted South African cities as a prime market.

In fact, on 16 May 2006, the very day of the bankruptcy of the Kuala Lumpur system, Newcyc Vision, announced a project commitment to build a 45-kilometre (28-mile) system in Johannesburg. The system would link Soweto directly with the central business district of Johannesburg. The estimated infrastructure cost of the system is R12 billion (US$1.7 billion), or US$38.1 million per kilometre.

While the exact financial arrangements on the Johannesburg project are unclear, it appears that the system developers will be awarded with land, property, and a ridership guarantee. As part of the deal, the consortium will be given public property in the central business district as well as along the corridor for development. Also, as is increasingly the case of many rail-based PPPs (Public-Private Partnerships), the developers will be guaranteed a minimum number of daily passengers. If that guaranteed ridership does not materialise, the South African government (i.e. South African taxpayers) will make up the difference. The costly Gautrain system, a previously approved rail system for the Johannesburg area, also provides a private consortium with rather generous ridership guarantees.

As in other cities, the Johannesburg project promoters have made some rather bold claims regarding the monorail system’s likely performance and ridership. At the initial press conferences to announce the project, the Province of Gauteng and Newcyc Vision claimed that the Johannesburg system would be able to carry 1.5 million passengers per day. Given that this amount is roughly equal to all public transport trips in the city, it was a bit difficult to believe this ridership could be achieved on a single corridor. Further, given that no monorail system is currently serving more than 5,000 passengers per peak hour per direction, increasing this by an order of magnitude in low-density South African conditions seems optimistic. However, if given ridership guarantees by the Government, then perhaps the system developers have no real concern regarding the actual performance.

The proposed monorail alignment will also largely duplicate the proposed Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project that has already been approved and is under planning in Johannesburg. The future of the Rea Vaya project may become somewhat doubtful if the monorail project proceeds.

Fortunately, the Johannesburg project announcement now appears to have been premature. Apparently, the project developers forgot to notify the Mayor of Johannesburg and the City Council, who have responsibility over public space in the city, as well as the National Minister of Transport, who holds responsibility over rail systems nationally. In an unprecedented move, the National Transport Minister Jeff Radebe was forced to make a press statement in which he noted that he had no prior knowledge to the project’s existence. The project has thus been retracted to the status of being “under review”.

Undeterred, though, by this initial setback, the Gauteng Provincial Government and Newcyc Vision have instead insisted that they will continue pursuing the project not only in Johannesburg but also other South African municipalities, including Tshwane (Pretoria) and Ekhuruleni. Hopefully, reason will prevail and the Gauteng projects will be forced to go through an open and transparent process in which there is full public financial disclosure and as well as a full comparative analysis with all other public transport options.

Conclusions

Monorail technology does hold many intriguing performance aspects as well as an image that can potentially be attractive to discretionary public transport users, and especially to car owners. While the Malaysian monorail systems have experienced financial difficulties, there is a glimmer of hope that these systems can evolve into well-performing and lower-cost services, as was originally envisioned.

However, that future is yet to arrive. To date, monorail technology has suffered from operational difficulties, negative press coverage, and a spate of bankruptcies. As technologies such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) have delivered quality services at rational costs to a long list of cities, including Bogotá, Brisbane, Curitiba, Guayaquil, Jakarta, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Paris, Rouen, and Seoul, monorails have achieved nowhere near the same record of implementation or performance.

It would perhaps be unfortunate if the unrealised promises of monorails deter actual public transport advancements in South Africa and elsewhere. Monorail developers dream of taking us back to the future, but the hard reality is that our world cities require quality public transport today.

Posted by barred at 4:21 AM

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Discard the Malaysian Indian at your own peril!!!

By Wong Mun Chee

The Malaysian Indian, though they stand as a minority, have enormous substance of morality and humanity intact within them. They don’t sell their soul like the Chinese and Malay MPs that took place in Perak for monetary gains against the Pakatan group. I make this point because lately there seems to be a lot of criticisms against the Malaysian Indians for the stand they have taken amongst fellow Malaysians.

You may say anything about an Indian, but loyalty is the credence that they have held steadfast within this multicultural society whether the Malaysian Indian is a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, or even an atheist.

To date until GE12, the Malaysian Indians have been silenced for their obeisance for the rule of law and what is good for the society as a whole. After GE12, and bearing the latest Bagan Pinang results, they are branded and labeled as scapegoats. They are never the unsung champions for the upheaval that had taken Malaysian society by storm during the GE12.

The Malaysian Indians are a susceptible society to the policies and law of the land that all Malaysians take for granted even if it is discriminative. However, they have proven through HINDRAF that they are not that susceptible anymore although everyone still tries to take them for a ride and belittle them.

Yes, it is a minority community. But conscience and awareness have awakened them that the other societies cannot continue to take advantage of them just because they have been too accommodating all these years to maintain tranquility.

Naturally, you have MIC and the all those who claim to represent Malaysian Indians for the ruling government. Yet they all lost in the GE12. For those Pakatan representatives for the Indians, the crack is beginning to show. This shows that the Malaysian Indians, after the awakening by HINDRAF, have a mind of their own that is dictated on equal terms with other Malaysians and cannot be bullied any longer.

For the Malaysian Indians, there is a moral dimension more than the others. How can everyone sit and watch in silence when the Malaysian Indians are persecuted, shot at sight, and branded with the highest stateless figures, crime figures and suicidal figures when they are just a minority. Nowhere in the world have the Indians deteriorated through such discriminative policies except in Malaysia.

It is a systematically engineered policy to create an underclassed society without any opportunity to participate in the development of the country on par with the others. As a minority, their leaders under the ruling administration had suppressed them and obtained their silence with false hopes. With the change after GE12, the Malaysian Indians hoped that things would get better but nonetheless they were again treated in a similar fashion as seen in Kg Buah Pala - a minority with nothing much to offer.

Naturally the faults of the system, whether it is BN/PR, harnesses this because the rest of the majority will sit down and pass judgement on this community whenever it is not favourable to their parties even when the Malaysian Indians are only seeking for fairness.

Being a Malaysian and as a fundamental point of orientation, I have to grasp firmly that the truth is, for most Malaysians, they continue to look down on the Malaysian Indian whenever possible.

The Malaysian Indians, originally indentured labourers, were also pioneers in the fields of finance, legal, education, medical, real estate and the civil administration during the 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's. For a minority, they have done their fair bit for the development of the nation and yet we Malaysians still look down on them as an underclassed society. What has happened in the past is not going to change, but we as Malaysians must understand their position today and support them to reach parity with us.

My morality would suffer if I cannot or fail to recognize their predicament and I should not blame them if they have to fight their cause in whichever way possible to uplift their society.
Posted by barred at 1:01 PM

Parames seeks welfare department' help Part



Posted by barred at 3:55 AM

Sunday, October 18, 2009

NAJIB SAYS UMNO IS NOT RACIST. HERE IS A VIDEO ON RACISM - VIEW IT AND YOU DECIDE




Posted by barred at 8:56 AM

Friday, October 16, 2009

HINDRAF INVITED TO HOUSE OF COMMONS DEEPAVALI CELEBRATIONS 15th October 2009






HINDRAF was today invited to attend Deepavali celebrations at the House of Commons London held between 4.00pm to 6.00 pm.

The celebrations was hosted by Rt.Hon. Tony McNulty MP. More than 300 community leaders throughout UK attended the colorful event. Bajan and aarthi was conducted by Narottam Virji Lakhani Foundation.

Enclosed are photos of Hindraf members who attended which included Ram Narayanasamy Solicitor, Appalasamy Rao Solicitor and businessman saravanananthar.

Waytha Moorthy

Posted by barred at 1:13 PM
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Kapitan Lim Guan Eng’s Indian mandore’s Deepavali message: Break up cow sheds

Kapitan Lim Guan Eng’s Indian mandore’s Deepavali message: Break up cow sheds to UMNO developer “ Don’t Break up the Kg Buah Pala cow sheds now, but feel free to break them after Deepavali” (Deepavali reprieve for cowherds, The Sun 16/10/2009 at page 8) DAP, PKR and PASs’ regular defence is that they have been in power only for about 1 ½ years and they need time to attend to the 52 year old problems created by UMNO. But why then is DAP so quick to break and demolish? On the reverse argument this breaking and demolishment of Kg Buah Pala by the DAP led state government in Penang, the hindu temple demolishment in Ampang by the PKR led Selangor state government and the hindu temple demolishment in Sg Petani by the PAS led Kedah state government can on a similar note also wait for 52 years! Why then the haste in breaking but the slow pace in building or at least preserving the history and heritage of the Indians in Malaysia? Happy Deepavali DAP, PKR and PAS!

lim-11

Posted by barred at 1:12 PM
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Bagan Pinang BN victory, the beginning of the evaporation of Indian support for PR ?

Voters in this small town near Port Dickson have clearly exercised their vote to give BN a landslide victory. Based on the last 8 bi elections the incumbent always held fort. BN was expected to retain Bagan Pinang . There was a high 40 % postal vote factor in this bi-election. Postal votes are normally pro BN. However the exceptionally high margin secured by the BN candidate confirms that more Indians have decided to give back their votes to BN..

Through out the elections, observers were gauging if PR could make the inroads in Bagan Binang. In the case of BN it was very pertinent for them to retain the seat. Against the wishes of the likes of Dr.M and Tengku Li, PM Najib chose Isa a controversial candidate who was censored and penalized by his own party. This was indeed a political gamble.A loss in Bagan Pinang could actually have seen weakening of his position within his party. The win in Bagan Pinang today can be seen as a mandate to PM Najib Razak to continue his BN leadership.

This election has shown us the glaring weakness within PR. PR has seemingly lost ground and have not settled in as the ruling government in 5 major states, more importantly they have lost ground gained with the Indian community..

From the results ,and the ensuing commentaries posted

on the Bagan Pinang bi-elections are we to infer the following?.

1.Corruption though an important issue only took 2nd place to tangible issues like housing, health, education and food.

2.Indian temper against MIC and Umno seems has cooled off.

3.PR has not convinced the voters that it wis a viable alternative to BN to rule the country.

4. PR failed to present to its Indian voters effective socio economic programs to secure their upward mobility.

If the above are true, the Indian community which was responsible for the tsunami elections in 2008, was eager to see policy based resolution to their perennial problems by an alternate PR led government but this however did not happen in the PR governed states. As such they had to weigh other options for their future.If PR does not distinguish itself as a viable governing material it should not be surprised if it looses its stake in the next GE.

The success of PR in the 12th GE was aided by the issues that were dominating the political landscape like the Suhashini custodial battle,Melaka pig breeders issue,Herald publication KDN withdrawal, Shah Alam temple demolition , Hindraf demonstration and subsequent ISA detention of its 5 leaders which was of intense public interest then. It was further facilitated by the flaws in the judgment of the timing of the elections by the former Prime Minister,but this time round PR will not have that benefit.

Be sure that the current Prime Minister will time the elections to his advantage. He is on track to appease the Indians. He will work around the other races soon. PR should not just wait to pounce on controversies and flaws on the governance of BN ,but should steer its state governments to deliver a distinctively viable socio-economic agenda .With two economically well developed states in hand it should not be a daunting task.If it fails to impress in the ensuing months that it can also deliver, forget about staking a claim for the seat in Putra Jaya. From the lessons from Bagan Pinang we know voter sentiment is very volatile, and no party can claim absolute rights to govern, Malaysian politics seems dynamic in its pattern of swing.In the next 24 months if PR fails to demonstrate its governance in its ruling states we should not be surprised at the reversal of vote swings.

It was a strategic political error that PR did not develop a mechanism wherein the participation of the leaders of the “Hindraf inspiration” was secured in the running of the PR controlled states. Is it a manifestation of Umno type arrogance or is it a deliberate strategy to sideline and marginalize those Hindraf leaders so that the Indians support can be split and absorbed within the so called multi racial parties like PKR , DAP and into Pas through dubious fan club mechanisms.? Is a strong united Indian community centered on the struggles of Hindraf ,a threat to others who connive to hijack Indian support by empty political rhetoric?

From the Bukit Selambau bi-elections, failure of PR to accommodate the request of Hindraf for a candidate of their choice, it is evident and has become difficult to believe that a PR led federal government in the future will give consideration to the 18 point socio-economic agenda for the Indian community which was the core of the Nov25 2007 Hindraf spirit.

Indians are emotionally distraught and downtrodden. If by just political rhetoric PR plans manage the Indian support ,such a support will evaporate in no time.I just hope Bagan Pinang is not the beginning of such a process.

by Malini Dass
Posted by barred at 3:57 AM
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Lim Guan Eng’s Deepavali gift, breaking Cow shead Kg. Buah Pala

Cow shead in Kg. Buah Pala after having demolished the last traditional Indian heritage villages in Penang literally on the eve of Deepavali. This is the height of Kapitan Lim Guan Eng’s arrogance and opperession of the poor and helpless Penang Indians after having asked these villages to apologize to him for merely fighting for their rights. Worst of all DAP, PKR, PAS and Kapitan Lim Guan Eng up to this date and just like UMNO has not given anything in writing of the supposed double storey house worth RM 600,000.00 to these villages. Instead Lim Guan Eng gets his Indian mandore Deputy Chief Minister II (should have been I) to do the usual UMNO/MIC style wayang kulit of this RM600,000.00 double storey house especially in the Tamil Press. This Mandore must be credited for a job well done for his Towkay and the DAP. Even UMNO’s MIC Mandore way have to learn a thing or two from this DAP Indian Mandore!
Posted by barred at 3:56 AM
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200,000 free rice coupons, none to Indians

The UMNO led Malaysian government’s Agriculture and Agro based Industry Minister gives out free rice 200,000 coupons for poor Malaysians (The Sun 14/10/09 at page 6). But we are yet to hear of the first Indian poor to receive his first bag of free rice. But then this is possible under Prime Minister Najib’s One Malaysia! Editor.

127

Posted by barred at 3:56 AM
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200,000 free rice coupons, none to Indians

The UMNO led Malaysian government’s Agriculture and Agro based Industry Minister gives out free rice 200,000 coupons for poor Malaysians (The Sun 14/10/09 at page 6). But we are yet to hear of the first Indian poor to receive his first bag of free rice. But then this is possible under Prime Minister Najib’s One Malaysia! Editor.

127

Posted by barred at 3:55 AM
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How The Indians Are Excluded From The Agricultural Sector Systematically

By Naragan N.

Yesterday and today the last remaining structures of Kampung Buah Pala are to be torn down – the cow barns. The cattle farmers of Kampung Buah Pala have no alternative land yet. The cows are going to be stranded, literally in the streets. But who cares?

When a pig slaughterhouse was demolished in Kedah recently, the sole DAP rep in the Kedah State Government there caused an uproar by threatening to resign and the issue was immediately resolved. If the affected farmers had been Malay cattle farmers, they would have been courted and alternative land would have been provided by one of the several government agencies set up expressly for this purpose. But this is an Indian farmer and so no one really cares.

This is marginalization in real life and blood. This has been going on right from the beginning of Malaya, then Malaysia. Very systematic marginalization. Till today there is still no political will in the governing coalitions both at the Federal and the State level to resolve these critical problems. The only way we can see that these problems will be resolved is when the Indians get into the mainstream of National Development.

Let me try and briefly explain how the Indians have been blocked systematically from getting into the mainstream of National Development - in this scenario in the Agricultural sector contributing to the marginalization we so often speak out about. The real world effect of all this is what we see happening in front of our very own eyes – in KBP.

From the 1950s there has been significant development in the Agricultural sector spearheaded by government agencies such as FELDA, FELCRA, RISDA, FAMA and many others (see list of these agencies at the footnote).

And for these 50 odd years we all know how the rural Indian population mainly from the estates have been systematically pushed out and excluded from benefiting from any of these efforts. This was through the period of the fragmentation of the plantations (from the 50s through to the 80s) and then massive eviction from land as a result of the development of the land for various purposes (from the late 70s through to now). They have all been turned over into the urban poor.

All of this, through the working of the racist UMNO policies. In fact the NEP of the last 40 odd years, was supposed to erase identification of race with occupation. It has done exactly the opposite in the Agricultural sector. The estate Indians were thrown out of that sector and that sector has effectively been turned into a monopoly almost of the Malays. Billions and billions of our National resource has been spent in this sector over this period, but the Indians gained nothing from it all. This is a direct result of the policies of the racist UMNO -a Malaysian version of Apartheid.

Now a new and even more significant chapter is opening up in the Agricultural Sector and I suspect many of us are not aware of the significance of what is happening or about to happen. In just the last 2-3 years the development policy of the government has changed to accelerate development in the Agricultural sector to make it the 3rd engine of growth, besides Manufacturing and Information technology, the other engines of economic growth.

What this means is that there is going to be a tremendous amount of expansion in this sector. A further large amount of the national resource is going to be invested to develop this sector into the engine of growth – like the Multimedia Super Corridor effort, the e- Government effort, the CyberCities and so on to develop the Information Technology Sector. A total ecosystem is going to be created to facilitate the development of this sector. Billions and billions are again going to be spent to develop the potential in this sector.

The functions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Base Industry has been increased and related agencies have been restructured to support and facilitate this strategic initiative. The stated objective is to evenly develop all aspects of supply chain management within the agriculture and agro-base industry – from seed production, production, post-harvest handling, storage, logistics, grading, labeling, packaging, transporting, retailing, wholesaling, marketing, branding, processing, up to the point where the goods are sold to consumers (from farm to table).

A ‘Cluster’-based development of zones of production not unlike the Fruits Production Zones, the Target Area Concentration, the Aquaculture Zone Industry and the Modern Agriculture Project and Permanent Food Production Park are also in the making. The same cluster based development effort as in the Manufacturing sector.

Marketing, Research and Development and Business Development are all slated for expansion in this sector. To enable all of this the Entrepreuner and Cooperative Development Ministry has been folded into the Rural and Regional Development (RRD) Ministry and new functions have been introduced into the RRD Ministry and its various units.

The Tekun program has been converted from an Enterpreuner financing agency to a strategic Entrepreuner development agency, now within the RRD Ministry. This is a significant program with budgets in the Billions of Ringgits.

The SMIDEC ( Small and Medium Industry Development Corporation) has been expanded and renamed to become the Small and Medium Enterprise Corporation. The National SME Development Council Secretariat Function of Bank Negara has been folded into the SME Corporation.

Bank Pertanian has been corporatized and now operates as the Agro Bank, the official disbursement agency for the government of all the funds going into the sector.

Special Bumiputra only financing schemes have been rolled out by various banks. One example is the SPED scheme of the Bank Rakyat. They give out loans from RM 30,000 to RM 500,000. One of the eligibility is unashamedly that the applicant must be a Bumiputra.

Various educational Institutuions such as University Putra Malaysia, UiTM, Risda College, Felda Academy are collaborating strategically to produce the skilled manpower needed for this expansion.

All of the above, without exception is meant only for Bumiputras with a few crumbs thrown out to the partner political party local heads and their relatives and cronies for their connivance to maintain status quo. Tell me if I am wrong.

I know several small Indian livestock farmers, a few aspiring young farmers and I can see that at best they get cursory assistance, not the womb to tomb kind of assistance that the Malay farming community gets or is about to get with all of this. These small livestock farmers operate on TNB land under power cables or on railway land or on some land like KBP, all waiting to be evicted someday destroying even that little participation in this part of the economy. There is very little benefit for the Indian farmers or aspiring farmers or Entrepreuners from any of these programs, in fact they are about to be obliterated from this sector totally, given what we see going on.

From all of this, you can see on the one hand, the scale of things that is happening in the country for the development of the Agricultural Sector – in what we call the mainstream of National Development. On the other hand,we know from whatever little is published or from our own experience that the Indians have been totally excluded from this mainstream of development.

This is how the system operates to to block Indians from the development process. They are left to be where they are and to use the little resources they have to try and get out of their predicament.

All of this must change. The only organization in the country that can speak up in these terms for the Indians now is Hindraf and the Human Rights Party. Please see the proposal for the 2010 Budget by the HRP-

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/10/12/2010-budget-proposals-by-human-rights-party-malaysia-13102009/

Let us all get together in a way that will get us the change we all seek. There is a lot of trickery and lies around. We have to work against all of that to get to the truth, but we will get there.


Foot notes:

1. Bank Pertanian, MARDI, National Paddy and Rice Board (LPN), Fisheries Development Authorities, Malaysia (LKIM) , Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) , Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority KADA, Farmers’ Organization Authority (LPP), KEJORA, KEDA, KESEDAR, KETENGAH to name a few among the notable on
Posted by barred at 3:55 AM
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