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135-3 Jalan Toman 7
Kemayan Square 70200
Seremban N.Sembilan
PRESS STATEMENT 31st January 2008
RE: HINDRAF URGES SUPPORTERS NOT TO BE BLINDED WITH POLITICAL OPINIONS /OPPOSITION
HINDRAF CALLS FOR TALKS ON MALAYSIAN INDIANS’ FUTURE WITH POLITICAL PARTIES.
HINDRAF has always maintained it’s non-partisan stand and has always steered clear of party politics or align itself with any political party including the opposition
However HINDRAF cannot deny it has “Political Friends” both from within the ruling as well as opposition parties who have supported us in our cause for the protection of the ethnic minority Indian rights in Malaysia.
Hence taking into consideration of the upcoming general election, HINDRAF is now forced to advice the Malaysian Indians on “Whom to Vote”.
HINDRAF calls upon the Indian community not to blindly assume that by voting for the opposition political party in the next upcoming General Elections would solve the problems of oppression, suppression, marginalization and permanent colonization of the ethnic Indian community.
HINDRAF urges the political parties to:
a) Be transparent, fair and equitable in the distribution of seats to the Indian candidates both Parliamentary as well as State seats.
b) Make their manifesto extremely clear as to their commitment for advocating and implementing Indian rights should they be elected to lead the next Government. The 18 Point Demands made and submitted by HINDRAF to the Prime Minister are crystal clear on the needs and thirst of the Indian community to undo 50 years of Political and Socio Economic violations of the UMNO led Malaysian Government. These points should be the paramount consideration in respect to the Indian needs.
I call upon the interested political parties to immediately engage in talks on the above two crucial aspects as soon as possible so that we can advice the Malaysian Indian community ” Whom to Vote”.
Malaysian Indians have been cheated in the political arena for 50 years by the UMNO led BARISAN Government. HINDRAF’s leaders have made great sacrifices to relate this message to the Malaysian Indian community.
We will not betray the trust of Malaysian Indian community on HINDRAF’S leadership and will not advice the Malaysian Indians to place “a blind hope” on either BARISAN or the Opposition party unless we are satisfied the above two issues are adequately addressed.
HINDRAF is also happy to engage in dialogue with BARISAN subject to releasing the 5 HINDRAF leaders and accepting HINDRAF as a pressure group.
P.Waytha Moorthy
Chairman
HINDRAF
Currently in London
thats right!
Hindraf should make it explicitly clear that the marginalised Indian community are not trying to TAKE AWAY the share of the Malays or the Chinise or for that matter any other ethnic group.
What we Indians are demanding is only OUR JUST SHARE of the economic cake and an equitable share in education and other spheres of life.
Hindraf should also explain that ethnic cleansing per se as it happened in Germany, Bosnia, Rwanda, etc. did not take place overnight. It was a slow and steady process over a period of time.
In Malaysia a very subtle form of apartheid has been and is pracitsed which has marginalised the Indian community and made them the poorest of the poor. Their peaceful demonstration was stifled with water cannons and brutal assault by the police force at the behest of the government under the guise of national security.
The Hindraf leaders are incarcerated as terrorists under the ISA. These type of actions if continued and allowed by the International community will ultimately lead to bloodshed and ethnic cleansing by the UMNO led government.
The Indians have been deprived of their just share (at least 6%) in every aspect since independence. Where ONCE Indians were visibly present in the plantation industry, telecommunications, railways, public sector and other professional fields, NOW we only see a mere handful especially after the privatisation exercise by the government.
The Barisan and the component parties especially the MIC have been paying lip-service and DID NOT BOTHER to look into the plight of the Indians.
Hindraf should make it abundantly clear to the Indian community NOT TO VOTE for the MIC and the other Barisan candidates to DRIVE HOME THE POINT THAT INDIANS HAVE HAD ENOUGH. They want a drastic change in the mindset of the UMNO led government. NO VOTES for the Barisan Nasional are VOTES OF PROTEST signed in misery and tears of the down-trodden Indians.