HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI TO PETITION MALAYSIAN KING IN CONJUNCTION WITH INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIALDISCRIMINATION.

PETITION TO SET UP A ROYAL COMMISSION WITH VIEW TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO DISMANTLE AND END ALL MALAYSIA’S   INSTITUTIONALISED RACIST POLICIES.

HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI will hand over a memorandum to the Yang Dipertuan Agong in conjunction with the annually observed International Day for the Elimination of Racism on the 21st March 2011 to make recommendation for a Royal Commission on Institutionalised racism perpetrated by the UMNO government.

It is a fact that racism is deeply entrenched and Institutionalised by the racist UMNO government. The concern of racial discrimination, which began from the need to eradicate poverty irrespective of race ended up in the neo-colonisation of the UMNO Government. Today the minority communities are perpetually wounded and been neglected in their ability to live a free and equal life amongst the majority through UMNO’s Institutionalised racial policies.

The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.

The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, adopted in 1963, states

Discrimination between human beings on the grounds of race, color or ethnic origin is an offence to human dignity and shall be condemned as a denial of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as a violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as an obstacle to friendly and peaceful relations among nations and as a fact capable of disturbing peace and security among nations.

We would implore upon  the King that it is now time to confront racism  and to take   comprehensive measures against them. Racism, racial discrimination and all kinds of related intolerance may have gone away elsewhere but it is accelerated in an alarming rate in Malaysia through institutionalised racism.

We all constitute one human family. Instead of allowing diversity of race and culture to become a limiting factor for political gain, now is the time to refocus our understanding and provide equality and freedom with policies that are colour blind to race and ethnicity. 

Every human is equal and free in the eye of the GOD. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reminds us of our collective responsibility for promoting and protecting this ideal. With that spirit, we at HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI would appeal to  the Agong, who is the King for his subjects to  strongly recommend for a Royal Commission to report on the damage racism has caused and make recommendations to dismantle and end all Malaysia’s Institutionalised Racist policies and propose new policies and legislations to embrace all citizens as equals as enshrined in Article 8 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution. 

P.Waytha Moorthy

Chairman

HINDRAF 

The Bonded labourers in our midst (Documentary)

41 more HRP members face court charges

(Malaysiakini) A total of 41 members from the Human Rights Party (HRP) were charged today in magistrate courts in Kuala Lumpur and Seremban with taking part in an illegal organisation.

The charges were laid as leaders and members of the HRP were organising a convoy under the banned Hindraf Movement.

HRP members were organising convoys nationally to protest against the use of novel Interlok in schools.

In Kuala Lumpur, 21 HRP members, 16 men and five women, two of them university students, were accused of committing the offence under Section 43 of the Societies Act 1996, by taking part in an HRP-organised convoy at Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, on Feb 13.

The prosecution was led by DPP Hazariah Siri and all 21 accused were represented by lawyers M Raman and P Uthayakumar, who is also HRP's secretary-general.

Uthayakumar (right) said that the 21 charged in Kuala Lumpur pleaded not guilty and were released on RM2,000 bail each.

April 6 has been fixed for mention of the case, he said.

Among the 21 are HRP Kuala Lumpur coordinator K Balakrishnan and central executive committee members V Lurdge Mary and S Thiagarajah.

Uthayakumar told Malaysiakini that Lurdge was harassed and humiliated by police early this morning, about which he made an official complaint to magistrate Zulkply Abdullah.

"At 2am today, my client (Lurdge) called me in a state of panic as the police knocked on her door, demanding that she go to the station with them.

"How could this happen? Why are the police intimidating us? Intimidating her like that? After all, she had already agreed to turn up in court today. She had informed an investigating officer that she will be attending court this evening...

"So, why create the commotion?" Uthayakumar asked.

20 charged in Seremban

In Seremban, 20 HRP members, 15 men and five women, were also charged with a similar offence in a magistrate's court.

Among them was Negri Sembilan HRP coordinator S Sivakumar.

They are alleged to have committed the offence under Section 43 of the Societies Act 1996 while partipating in an HRP-organised convoy at Jalan Rahang, Seremban, on Feb 13.

The prosecution was led by DPP Mahmood Abdullah and all 20 were represented by lawyers S Karthigesan, E Ramasamy and Norliana Ali Othman.

Contacted by Malaysiakini, Karthigesan said all of them pleaded not guilty and were released on bail of RM1,700 each.

April 11 has been set for mention of the case, he added.

Karthigesan also said a husband and wife were absent from the Seremban magistrate's court today due to illness and they would be charged at a later date.

On Tuesday, five HRP leaders and members were also charged with similar offences at a magistrate's court in Selayang, but they refused to post bail, which was set at RM2,500.

Yesterday, six more pleaded not guilty to similar charges at a magistrate's court in Ipoh, and were released on RM2,000 bail each.

The six are Perak HRP chief P Ramesh, vice-president S Nagroon, Taiping coordinator K Sivakumar, and three members, R Mohan, S Jayakumar and V Lingam.

On Feb 13, 59 HRP members and supporters in Selangor, Perak and Kuala Lumpur were arrested for being part of a nationwide convoy to protest against the novel Interlok, which is used in secondary schools as a Malay literature textbook.

Controversy ballooned following the Education Ministry's decision to use the novel, written by national laureate Abdullah Hussein, for Form Five students, with several parties claiming it contains words insensitive to the Chinese and Indian communities.

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

HRP takes its case to foreign diplomats

Hindraf Interlok Rally

Video: 6 Perak HRP members released with post bail (Anti UMNO Racism Car Convoy) 2/3/11

Photos: 21 Hindraf Activist charged for Anti UMNO Racism Car Convoy & Sec.43 of Society Act @ KL Court. 3/3/2011

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HINDRAF : Tamizha Tamizha

Photos: Foreign and Diplomatic missions keen line of questioning on plight of Indian poor in Malaysia vis a vis UMNO racism.

A total of thirteen countries’ diplomats confirmed participation but only nine countries ie, United Nations, Indonesia, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Norway, European Union, Chezh Republic and France were in attendance at the HRP H.Q today from 10.00 a.m to 12.00p.m.

Jeevindra Kumar, A. Sukumaran and Dr. Paraman made their presentations on the Malaysian Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual report 2010, slide show on UMNO racism from womb to tomb, Higher Education denial and Project 15/38 respectively.

P. Uthayakumar answered all questions from the floor. Although we had allocated only half an hour, it extended to well up to just over one hour. Unlike last year a lot more questions were asked about Hindraf, the Indian poor, UMNO racism etc.

In his concluding remarks P. Uthayakumar finally said that the diplomats would know how to take it from here bearing in mind that Malaysia is sensitive to International scrutiny.

S.Jayathas

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Dr.Paraman’s speech at annual briefing on Malaysian Indian minority & Human Rights Violations 2010 for foreign embassies on 3/3/2011.

  

Dr.Paraman – Education and Project 15/38

A glaring point evidently visible as the primary cause of all the critical Malaysian indian problems is that they do not have proper political representations.

Even though being the third largest ethnic composition in Malaysia, the Indians only have a single constituency where they are a majority.

Even Sabahan and Sarawakians that constitute less than the population of the Indians in Malaysia in total, do have a much larger representations in Parliament and could exert more influence than the Indians.

Even though there maybe Indian Parliamentarians and State assemblymen but in reality they are very existence and future re – election chances is dependent on the majority of other races like Malays and Chinese. Therefore critical Indian issues will always never be raised or addressed to the actual gravity of the problem for fear that they may never get re elected again.

Whenever general elections looms, Indians will be referred to as king makers but soon after they will be referred to as insignificant. We used to wonder why? Until the 2008 general election that when we realized why. In November 2007 100,000 Indians participated in the Hindraf Rally to voice out their frustration of being systematically marginalized and deprived of all the basic needs that might colleagues had mentioned earlier. You must understand 100,000 Indians coming from a composition of 7 to 8% of the country’s population, to give a true reflection of how large that number really is, is equivalent to 1 million Malays on the streets. This effect spilt over and reverberated to all other races and therefore in 2008 general election the opposition unprecedented gains.

The Indians who have been traditionally BN supporters had swung to PR. And the results were seen clearly. Therefore the Indians are indeed kingmakers but only during a general election. After that they become insignificant. Over the years the Indians in general just accepted this predicament that they were in. This is known as the “Stockholm Syndrome”.

If I am allowed to draw an analogy the Stockholm syndrome is a term used to describe paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express adulation and have positive feeling towards their captors that happier irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, essentially mistaking a lack of abuse from their captors as an act of kindness. Meaning all the marginalized issues example birth certificate, citizenship, no proper schools, no university places, no scholarships, no jobs….. it is all eventually considered acceptable.

While Mr.Uthayakumar was spending “ quality time” in prison he managed to compartmentalize this problem and came out with a logical solution.

The Indians do not necessarily need Indian parliamentarians or Indian State Assemblymen. They need Parliamentarian and State Assemblymen who are dependent on Indian majority constituencies.

Because just having Indian Parliamentarian etc, and we have had many over the years since independence, but they are toothless to bring up critical Indian issues.

Therefore we narrow down areas that composed of around 20% Indians and we are trying to get other Indians from other areas to register in these areas so that the Indian composition in the area can be raised to more than 50% of the total electoral population of that area. That is how 15/38 was born. And mind you, my distinguish friend it is not just for HRP’s benefit, but for all Indians in this country.

It is going to be a low process, but we have no other way. Eventually this is going to be the best solution. Because it is only during a democratic process such as a general election that the Indian vote is equal to another. One for One.

For starters we will be standing in these targeted areas come the next general elections, against Barisan Nasional. Whether Pakatan Rakyat chooses to be spoiler to us is really up to them. Our aim is to use this opportunity to traverse nationwide during the general election campaign period to enlighten the mass public of the principled stand that we are taking as well as to instill the values of our election manifesto to all.

Generally our election manifesto deals with equality to all. Our theme is “equality is not a privilege, it is your right, your human right”. It is based on clear and unambiguous commitment to the principles of equality for all as stipulated in article 8 of the Federal Constitution.

Urgent action: Malaysia

Urgent Request to Government of Malaysia on the Crackdown and possible violence by United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) sponsored underworld “3 Line”, Pekida and Extremist Perkasa on Human Rights Advocates

Dear Sir/Madam,

I write to you with the utmost urgency for your attention on the above matter.

HINDRAF is a Human Rights organisation that advocates the rights of the marginalized Indian community in Malaysia. Although the Government of Malaysia has banned this movement without well-founded reasons, it has continued to organise various activities affecting human rights issues nationwide and as of late 2007, the movement has been operating from London.

Recently, the Malaysian government took a decision to approve the use of a novel entitled “Interlok” as part of compulsory curriculum material for 5th Form pupils in selected areas in Malaysia but the ethnic Indian community and HINDRAF take exception to the use of the novel because it contains racially insensitive, degrading, humiliating, and disrespectful use of adjectives that is extreme racist nature and on behalf of the Indian community HINDRAF has called for a total ban of the novel. The government has chosen to ignore our compliant but insist that the material will go into circulation once amendments to the material are passed sometime next month.

In response to the recalcitrant attitude of the government, HINDRAF passed a motion to stage a Solidarity March against Racism on 27th February 2011 and in furtherance to the said event, we also organised various road shows, forums, car drive campaigns and such like at national level. We have managed to amass a total of more than 200 Hindraf Human Rights campaigners to carry out grassroots campaigns including distribution of posters and fliers regarding our intention.

However since 10th February 2011, the Government began a crackdown on HINDRAF Human Rights campaigners using harassment, threat of violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, inhumane and degrading treatment including the demand that female activists remove their Orange Hindraf T-Shirts in public.

On 13th March 2011, a total of 59 Hindraf leaders and volunteers were arrested nationwide for taking part in an Anti Racism (car drive campaign). Police subjected one volunteer to inhumane ill treatment by placing him in a dark room for almost 19 out of 26 hours he was under arrest and detention. More than 120 other volunteers were prevented from continuing their campaigns nationwide.

The Police harassment continued from 13th February with:

a) Intimidation used against venue owners for allowing us to use their halls to conduct our forums;

b) Threatening venue owners with arbitrary arrest;

c) Threatening HINDRAF volunteers with arrests if they were to continue with forum discussions nationwide;

d) Placing HINDRAF volunteers under surveillance and making unannounced visits to their work places to intimidate and put pressure on employers to terminate HINDRAF volunteers from their jobs;

e) Road blocks at strategic points leading to venues of our nationwide forums thus preventing these forums from taking place.

f) Using the Police Federal Reserve Units (PFRU) in full riot gear to carry out a “baton charge” at a function Hall in Penang thus endangering the safety and security of vulnerable individuals such as the elderly, women and children at the anti racism forums.

g) Further arrests of 16 Hindraf leaders and volunteers also took place on 20th February 2011.

The Government of Malaysia is fearful that our road shows and ground campaigns over the last 3 weeks is likely to draw a large crowd for the Solidarity March on 27th February and is thus threatening us with the possible arrests under the draconian Internal security Act which may be a repeat of similar arrests which took place in 2007.

Despite the threats from the Government, we are undeterred as we are committed in our pursuit to continue with our peaceful Solidarity March scheduled on 27th February 2011. We have made an application for a Police permit; although we do not require one under the Federal Constitution, which guarantees Freedom of speech and assembly. We however anticipate that it is very unlikely that the Police would approve our requests for Police permits.

The March on 27th February 2011 would begin at KLCC and terminate at the Jalan Dang Wangi Police Station where more than 1000 people would lodge reports against the current Government which has been ruling for 54 years and its Primer Minister for practising Institutionalised racism in Malaysia.

We write to urge you to make an urgent representation to the Government of Malaysia to respect the citizens’ universal standards of Human rights, as well as the right to assemble and express feelings of discontentment and allow us to proceed with the March peacefully.

We fear the UMNO led Government would engage its agent provocateurs namely, the notorious 3 LINE and Pekida underworld gangs and its outsourced far right extremist wing such as the Perkasa to cause trouble on the said day.

We attach herewith our letters to the Inspector General of Police seeking his protection and co-operation (which thus far has been ignored) and a copy of the Memorandum of Complaint to the Human Rights Commission Malaysia, which is self-explanatory.

Your kind indulgence and urgent action is very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully

P.Waytha Moorthy

Chair

HINDRAF

+447502289313 (Mobile)

+- 100 aktivist HINDRAF yang perjuang hak India miskin dituduh secara zalim di Mahkamah UMNO rasis. Bantuan segera untuk jamain dan guaman +- RM200ribu. Hulurkan bantuan ke akauntan Pathmarajah & Co Acc/no – 514075011112 (Maybank) Sebarkan. Friends of Hindraf 03-22825241, Bala 019-2166205/ 012-3766433.

Proof that Hindraf Makkal Sakthi is legal. Our letter for Registration acknowledged receipt by the Registrar of Societies. Malicious prosecution by racist UMNO A.G. Gani Patail in Malay-sian Courts.

Hindraf : Six more HRP members charged in Ipoh

(see Malaysiakini.com)
Six more Human Rights Party (HRP) members were charged in the Ipoh magistrate’s court today with participating in an illegal organisation.
The six are Perak HRP chief P Ramesh, vice-president S Nagroon, Taiping coordinator K Sivakumar, and three other members, R Mohan, S Jayakumar and V Lingam.
They are alleged to have committed the offence under Section 43 of the Societies Act 1996 while partipating in an HRP-organised convoy at Jelapang, Ipoh on Feb 13.
The six accused were represented by lawyer Augustine Anthony.
Yesterday, five HRP leaders and members were also charged with the same offence at the Selayang magistrate’s court, but they refused to post bail set at RM2,500.
The five are HRP vice-president K Tamil Selvam, information chief S Jayathas, K Navakrishna, T Periasamy and S Loshna Rau.
When contacted by Malaysiakini, HRP secretary-general P Uthayakumar said that all the six charged in Ipoh were released on RM2,000 bail each.
Uthayakumar (left) further said that he was disappointed with the arrests and charges against HRP members.
He claimed that at 6.30am this morning, several police officers were waiting outside Lingam’s house in Ipoh. “This is a form of intimidation and harassment by them (the police),” he claimed.
Uthayakumar also mentioned that lawyers’ fees and bail charges are being paid from the HRP’s funds.
“We received contributions of close to RM100,000 from members of the public who supported the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), back in 2007. So we will be using those funds to clear up these bills,” he added.
On Feb 13, 59 HRP members and supporters in Selangor, Perak and Kuala Lumpur were arrested as police came down hard on their nationwide convoys to protest against the novel ‘Interlok‘, which is used in secondary schools.
A controversy arose following the ministry’s decision to use the novel, written by national laureate Abdullah Hussein, as a literature textbook, with several parties claiming that it contains words deemed sensitive to the Indian community.
Indian NGOs decry the book’s description of Indians in Malaysia as being from the lower caste, among other racial stereotypes.

Bully victim: Cops ignoring report

A polytechnic student claims that five classmates nearly circumcised him by force.

KUALA LUMPUR: Five bullies held down one of their classmates and threatened to circumcise him, but police have refused to act on a report of the incident, according to the alleged victim.

R Rajiv Singham, a 20-year-old student at Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah (PSAS) in Behrang, Perak, said Special Branch officers interviewed him and his mother and one of them advised the latter to forgive the five, saying he did not want the issue to turn racial.

Rajiv’s mother, R Sharimala, said she had since found out that the father of one of the assailants is a police officer in Bukit Aman.

The mother and son, who live in Pantai Dalam, spoke about the issue today in an interview with FMT.

Here is their story:

On the night of Feb 24, Rajiv went to a room occupied by a classmate named Hairil for help to complete his assignment. Another classmate, Fizrin, was already there. Shortly afterwards, three others—classmates Nazrul Faiz and Asyraf and “another guy”—entered the room.

Asyraf started a conversation about circumcision and soon started shouting “Sunat, sunat.” (“Sunat” is Malay for “circumcise”.)

One of the boys pressed down Rajiv’s thighs and another held his arms. Another boy produced a pair of scissors and tried to remove his track bottoms. Nazrul made a video recording of the entire episode.

They released him after about five minutes of struggle. Nazrul then played the video recording and threatened to post it on Facebook.

(It was not clear what they wanted from Rajiv, but Sharimala told FMT: “I believe that they were going to sodomise my son.”)

The following day, Rajiv’s class monitor, Iman, told him that he had seen the video. Rajiv then decided to lodge a report with principal Izatul Marini.

Izatul told Rajiv the polytechnic would take action after a discussion with the director of the polytechnic. She also said she wanted to discuss the matter with Rajiv’s family and advised him against lodging a police report.

The principal then held a meeting with Rajiv and three of the bullies. Asyraf, Hairil and Nazrul gave their statements to the principal. The video recording was found in Hairil’s computer. The principal made a copy to keep as evidence.

No action by school

Sharimala lodged a police report at the Brickfields police station on the night of Feb 25, and Asyraf, Hairil and Nazrul were arrested the following day.

One Inspector Teynmoli from the Slim River police station subsequently called her and said the police report against the five should be withdrawn.

Mother and son then went to Slim River, where he told police officers that he was also bullied in the first and second weeks of February.

In Slim River, Special Branch officers interviewed the two separately. Officer Manimaran interviewed Rajiv and Officer Ishak interviewed his mother.

“Ishak told me to forgive the five so I asked whether it was because they were Malays,” Sharimala told FMT.

She said the police officer told her he did not want the issue to become a racial problem. She declined to withdraw the report.

Sharimala also said she subsequently met the PSAS principal and several teachers but was told that the polytechnic could not take any action because a police report had been lodged.

[Image used is a file photo]

Video: Solidarity Against UMNO’S Racism Part 1