Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email I think if there was no police, it would have been more peaceful. many people are complaining of roadblocks all over klang valley, which is quite unneccesary. children nearly miss SPM exams, many people turn up late for work. Why have roadblocks two working days before the event? this is not like during Bersih campaign, which the preceding Thursday was Deepavali and many took leave on Friday. Thus, it looks like the police are the one causing distress, not Hindraf, which have a good record of gatherings, unlike political parties like PAS, PKR, UMNO etc.
Publicity stunt or not, it seems important enough for NST to comment on it. Syabas to Hindraf!
I don't think its a competition with BERSIH rally since these dates were announced much earlier and one can never predict how many people will turn up eventually. Oh..the editor forgot to mention the Bar Council's march. So, BERSIH followed the lawyers?
I suppose another pathetic attempt to pull wool over one's eyes.
Comment by NST editorial.
Editorial: Call off that rally
http://www.nst.com.my/Friday/Columns/2090881/Article/index_html
THE law is clear: no police permit, no public assembly. So the non-governmental group Hindu Rights Action Force appears prepared to break the law this weekend, declaring it will proceed with a planned rally at the British High Commission without a permit.
Ostensibly, the rally is to ask Queen Elizabeth II to appoint lawyers to represent the Indians of Malaysia in a US$4 trillion (RM 28 trillion) suit filed against Her Majesty's Government.
Already, Hindraf's suit – seeking damages of STG1 million for every Indian in Malaysia for 150 years of oppression – has been consigned to the "Odd News" bin of international coverage. To proceed with the rally this weekend, when the queen will be in Uganda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, smacks of a publicity stunt.
Surely, if Hindraf truly believed its claims have merit, it would see the process through the UK courts. Surely if it had genuine grievances, then patience, and some semblance of dignity, is really what is needed. Surely if there was really US$4 trillion in damages at stake, raising funds to cover the legal costs would be a cinch?
To gather 10,000 people to present a piece of paper in Kuala Lumpur taints the whole enterprise as frivolous. Why hold the rally? Why put thousands before police lines when its own leaders have warned of signs there are groups out to cause trouble?
No doubt that many Indians are not doing well, that an underclass, and not just of Indians, may be forming. No doubt Hindraf has the right to express its opinions in ways that do not break the law. This planned rally comes just two weeks after the Bersih demonstrations, the Pas-dominated show of strength which brought parts of the capital to a standstill, perhaps just to show it could. Civil groups should not be like children who on discovering their first swear word think it's exciting, and cool, to keep using it.
Malaysia is no dysfunctional state. The machinery of government works, excruciatingly slowly sometimes, but it is serviceable. The political process works, not painlessly but it is viable. It allows for reform and for change, through the ballot box and through dialogue.
So the country's laws are valid and should be respected – there's no such thing as "being forced" to hold an illegal assembly. Citizens cannot pick and choose which laws they find expedient to obey.
I think the government is over reacting to a genuine internal concern.The isue if of a left behind quarter of a malaysian Community.The government should invite these people and talk it out.
The temples built illegally should go, and out of good will, the government should offer land elsewhere.
It is obvious a could not care attitude rfrom quarters in power hasd allowed the Hinraf to build up what appears to be a genuine case of issues.
Setting up road blocks and harrassing people based on racial profiling is not going to win them any votes, nor cure the issue.It may be subdued , but will explode another day.
Perhaps the Government should have agreed to allow 100 hindraf people to hand in the memeo within 1/5 hour and disperse.The government could have killed two birds with one stone.
Street demos should NOT be part of malaysian culture,but then neither ignoring the poor section of the MALAYSIAN community.I can see this will blow up into something that would not be good for the government, Hindraf or all the malaysians.
Excercise restrain- this is not an issue of race.