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Indira’s saga continues

May 5th, 2009
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The husband has filed an application at Ipoh High Court to set aside the interim order granted to Indira Gandhi last week and also to remove the injunction to prevent him from entering their house. The reasons given in the application are: (i) that the civil court has no jurisdiction over him,  (ii) that he has obtained a Syariah Court order for custody of his children and (iii) that the cabinet’s directive on conversion issues was irrelevant. The application will be heard in chambers today.

The husband, Patmanathan @ Ridzwan is still hiding to avoid the court order. Even though private investigator was hired by Makkal Sakthi group, still can’t find him or the baby.

Indira had received many calls giving encouragement and support, but no clues on the whereabouts of her baby and husband.

According to her lawyer, Kulasegaran, they believe the baby and husband are being given protection by certain people, in order to not submit to the court order.

But the Perak religous department claims to be in the dark on the husband’s location.

Ipoh district police chief Assistant Commissioner Azisman Alias said Mohd Ridzuan last contacted religious officers on Friday, the day after the cabinet decided that children be raised according to the faith of their parents at the time of marriage, should a spouse decide to convert.

… Azisman said the department told the police that it would be referring the matter to the state legal adviser, as the High Court order was in conflict with the order from the syariah court.

“They have to wait for instructions on which court order to follow.”

Azisman said police were still monitoring Mohd Ridzu-an’s house and his mother’s house in Pasir Puteh, pointing out that he was still under police bail. But they would not arrest or force him to surrender Prasana Diksa to Indira.

“We will just inform the wife or the religious department,” he said, adding that the court order was only for the police to assist in the matter.

Perak religious department director Datuk Mohamah Nor Mansor and state legal adviser Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid could not be contacted for comment.

So, what will the court decide today? Is the convert still subject to civil court order or is the order in conflict with Syariah court order? Which order is to prevail?

Meanwhile, the government is planning to hold a meeting “soon” to iron out the conversion issue. So says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Maj-Gen (R) Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom. It will involve several ministries (Human Resources and Women, Family and Community Development ministries) and religious departments, and  perhaps even religious associations.

One wonders what Human Resource had got to do with parent converting and children forcibly being converted. Any calculation on manhours lost? Or is it because the MIC representative Dr S Subra is there? I really think its not the ministry which is involved, but just the minister who is representing the MIC who is supposed to represent the Indian community.

Who will represent us? MCCBCHST and MHS? MIC? Tamil Mamandram?

In order to proceed with the meeting, the minister wants to meet two other ministers (Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, who is in charge of legal affairs, and Senator Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon who is responsible for issues on racial relations ) to get their “opinion” on the proposed meeting. So, another meeting is needed before that meeting is arranged.

Q: How soon is the meeting?

A: Soon la. Soon means soon la. Which part of soon you don’t understand? All this takes time, this is sensitive issue. You asking irerelevant question. Don’t know meaning of soon ah? Go for English class before you want to ask question.

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Posted in BornInMalaysia, Indian, Religion

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Ganesan as new Perak assembly speaker

May 5th, 2009
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If all goes according to plan, we will see the first time in 52 years an Indian will be appointed as state assembly speaker by the BN government. If all does not go well, we shall be maintaining the existing Indian speaker appointed by newly elected state government (in March 2008). Well, who cares about copying as long as something good comes out of it right? 🙂

Datuk R. Ganesan, the former two-term Sungkai state assemblyman, has been nominated as Barisan Nasional’s replacement candidate for the state assembly speaker’s post.

Ganesan, who was bypassed in favour of MIC vice-president Datuk S. Veerasingam in the last general election for the Sungkai seat, was nominated by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

The nomination was seconded by senior state executive councillor Datuk Hamidah Osman.

V. Sivakumar, the speaker from Pakatan Rakyat, posted Ganesan’s nomination as his replacement in his blog (speakforperak.blogspot.com).

In his blog entry on Thursday night, Sivakumar said the nomination, via a motion before the state assembly, was submitted to the office of the secretary of the assembly on Thursday morning.

“The motion dated April 29 was attached with an acceptance letter from Ganesan,” he said in his blog.

Speaking to the New Straits Times yesterday, Ganesan, who is Perak MIC secretary and the party’s central working committee member, thanked Zambry for nominating him.

“This is another journey in my political career since I joined MIC in 1976. I will serve to the best of my abilities,” he said, adding that he only knew about his nomination when he was called to Zambry’s office on Tuesday to sign the acceptance letter.

Ganesan, 57, a practising lawyer, was born in Hutan Melintang and served as a teacher before reading law. He was called to the Bar in 1997.

He has been the Ipoh Timor MIC division chairman since 2000, having served as the division secretary from 1994.

Married to Datin D. Saraswathy, who is headmistress of SRK (Tamil) Sungai Pari, Buntong, the couple have with three sons aged 18 to 28.

Ganesan was among three candidates proposed by MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu for the post.

One of the other candidates named was Datuk Dr S.Vasan, who contested the Pasir Panjang seat last year but lost to ousted menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.

There is the small matter of the speaker dismissing the motion as being not urgent or of importance.

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Kavyeas feeling the heat

May 5th, 2009
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No surprises in this. All talk and no action for how many years now? Stepping on the toes of other BN parties. Party called mosquito for obvious reasons. Obviously one will feel the heat.

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) president Datuk M. Kayveas will defend his post in the party elections set to be held in the first week of June.

He said although the supreme council had passed a motion last week that there should not be a contest for the post of president, there was talk that someone would challenge him.

“I hear three names, including one who is not a supreme council member, going around the country looking for support,” he said at a press conference after the party’s supreme council meeting yesterday.

Although Kayveas did not name who his challengers were, party insiders believe that one of them could be former Youth leader Senator Datuk T. Murugiah.

On the issue of official line-up, Kayveas said that this time, he wanted to look at candid-ates who are loyal to the party and its leadership.

Nominations for PPP’s party election is on May 30 and the election date will be set after getting confirmation from Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

It seems got scent of money politics (in pun mau copy ka? just call it bribery la!) in the party, claims Kavyeas. Others may see it as a plot to oust the contender.

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Malaysian Indian attacked by Indian High Commission staff

May 4th, 2009
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Yup, you read that right. The MIC Youth sent a protest memorandum against the attack, but they were snubbed and even challenged to a fight. Hmm..they should have taken it and bashed those security guards 🙂

The memorandum which was not accepted by the officials:

4th of May 2009

His Excellency the High Commissioner,
The High Commission of India,
Kuala Lumpur.

Your Excellency,

RE : INHUMANE TREATMENT OF MALAYSIAN CIVILIANS AT INDIAN HIGH COMMISSION,MALAYSIA

We, members of Social and Welfare Bureau of Malaysian Indian Congress Youth Wing, hereby submit our memorandum to register our vehement protest against the Indian High Commission’s inhumane treatment towards Mr Arunagiri Nathan and Mrs Gogelavani at Indian High Commision on 30th of April 2009.

For your kind information Your Excellency, Mr and Mrs Arunagiri Nathan Gogelavani has been coming to Indian High Commission two (2) consecutive days prior to the incident for foreign workers application.

On 30th of April 2009, Mrs and Mrs Arunagiri Nathan were stopped at Entrance of the High Commission for a security check by security guard. When Mrs Arunagiri asked the security guards not to use scanning devices on her body due to her pregnancy, the security guards were rude and verbally assaulted her by claiming that the premise was “Indian territory” and Malaysians do not have any rights on them.

When Mr Arunagiri responded to the security guards, he was dragged into the High Commission premise and the gate was locked from within, living his wife stranded outside of the High Commission building. The security guard started to hit Mr Arunagiri with a long stick. He was repeatedly beaten without mercy by the security guards and other unnamed officers from High Commission.

He was strangled, beaten, verbally assaulted and man handled until his shirt was torn. Due to the blunt trauma on his skull and hands, he was rushed to Selayang Hospital for further treatment. As for now, he has been having recurring headaches and his hands were swollen due the beatings. This incident has been reported to Royal Malaysian Police by Mrs Gogelavani (Report Reference Number: SENTUL/005689/09).

We, Social and Welfare Bureau of MIC Youth, most respectfully, request His Excellency to take this incident as a serious breach of basic human rights. We demand the personals involved in this incident to be suspended and handed over to the Royal Malaysian Police immediately for further investigation.

We also demand an official apology by High Commission of India to Mr and Mrs Arunagiri Gogelavani for mental anguish and trauma that they are going through.

We sincerely hope Your Excellency will solve this matter swiftly and diligently. We on our part will forward a copy of this Memorandum to our Foreign Affairs Ministry, Prime Minister’s Department and Prime Minister’s Office of India for their action as this involves Malaysian citizen and the High Commission of India.

Yours truly,

_______________
S.SUBRAMANIAM (019-351 7474)
Chairman
Social and Welfare Bureau
National MIC Youth

So, what’s next? Call for massive protest in front of the embassy? Burn Indian flag? Demand that the high commissioner is sent back to India? Ask big money compensation? Organise campaign to boycott products from India? Fix some thugs to bash the guards and officials? Hmm…so many creative thoughts….

The area inside the perimeter is considered off-limits to local police, if I’m not mistaken. So, one who is patient will wait till the bird leaves the nest. It then becomes fair game.

Actually, if the guard insist on using scanner, the only the husband could have gone in while the wife stayed outside. Maybe they didn’t give the couple a chance to change their mind? Or the husband said some unsavoury words which agitated the guards? Or maybe the guards and officials are actually having mental problems and violent tendencies- which in turn highlights a possible security threat for the High Commissioner himself.

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Small Business and Agro Seminar very useful

April 30th, 2009
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A relative of mine attended one of the talks in Klang last week. She said Murugiah spoke well, and even though a big crowd was expected, less people turned up. She also said that a number of opportunities were revealed during the talk, not only limited to agri-based businesses.

The low turnout is being attributed to rumours of sabotage by Murugiah’s own party, PPP.

Those interested in attending can refer to www.minew.org (the link is also available on the sidebar).

KLANG: Indians are generally unaware of economic opportunities made available by the government to the community, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk T. Murugiah said yesterday.

He said many did not know that they could take loans from the government to start their own businesses or get involved in the agriculture sector.

“After I was appointed deputy minister, I visited many ministries and discovered many opportunities open for all, not just Bumiputeras.

“Because there is little exposure, the Indian community  do not know what has been made available by the government,” he said after launching a Small Businesses and Agro-Farming Seminar here yesterday.

The one-day seminar, attended by some 2,000 participants, was aimed at creating more awareness about business opportunities for the community.

Murugiah, who is in charge of Indian Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the idea for the seminar came about after Indians took part in street rallies after claiming that the government had sidelined them in terms of assistance and financial support.

“I want to create awareness so that Indians understand what has been done for them by the government.

“For example, there are the Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usahawan Niaga (Tekun) loans which many don’t know about.

“This is why seminars like this are needed so that they provide information about the government’s intentions.”

He said Indians should not criticise the government and approach unrelated parties without first approaching ministries to find out what was available for them.

Murugiah said up-and-coming Indian entrepreneurs should consider venturing into the bird’s nest business as it was lucrative and there was a huge demand in Malaysia.

“Bird’s nest can fetch up to RM6,000 per kilogramme according to grade and this business requires only a small capital,” he said.

On whether he would lodge a police report on the text message sent by certain quarters warning Indians to stay away from the seminar, Murugiah said he would leave it to the Prime Minister’s Department to investigate and take action.

The nationwide seminar was first conducted in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, in January, and later in Johor, Penang, Perak and Kedah before coming to Klang.

It will later be held in Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Pahang.

So far, some 12,000 Indians have participated in the seminar.

Another thing that he should focus on is the number of applicants, number of successful applicants, and the reasons why some applicants are rejected.  This statistics are equally important to ensure fairness and non-discrimination.  Next would be to analyse if such rates are consistent with other communities and if the same reasons affect the failed applicants in the other communities.

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