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PPP nests in Sarawak

January 20th, 2008
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We can always trust PPP to cause headache for the rest of BN parties. Wonder if this will be the last straw for BN and kick out PPP from the coalition. If PM already knew about this move, then it should be OK, but if not…..

And Kayveas had the gall to say that "Those still sitting on the fence or partyless in Sarawak can join PPP", which is kind of badmouthing fellow coalition partners, in my view.

What other Sarawak BN members may fear is that this may encourage UMNO and MCA to spread their wings as well. Big headache indeed!

PPP launching Sarawak pro tem committee today
source

KUCHING: The PPP will launch its Sarawak pro tem working committee here today to become the first Peninsular Malaysia-based Barisan Nasional party to spread its wings to the state.

However, the state Barisan has not been informed of this, with Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan saying he was unaware of PPP’s intention to enter the state.

PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas will launch the pro tem committee at the Grand Continental Hotel here.

Its Sarawak’s pro tem liaison chief is Zamiran Ujang, 61, a former manager of the Pepper Marketing Board’s Sarikei branch, who is now self-employed. Others in the pro tem committee include businessman George Martin, former Sarawak National Party member Yunus Kalom and Dr Charles Liew as vice-chairmen, pensioner Sulaiman Julaihi as secretary and former Treasury officer Dayang Halimah Abang Fauzi as Wanita chief.

Dr Chan, who heads the Sarawak United People’s Party, said he only heard about the PPP's move yesterday. “I don’t think the state Barisan knows anything about it. We haven’t had a meeting,” he told reporters after launching Kolej Sunway Kuching here yesterday. He also said the PPP had not written to or informed the state Barisan that it was planning to come to Sarawak. 

PPP launches Sarawak wing
BERNAMA
source
KUCHING, Sat:

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), a peninsula-based Barisan Nasional (BN) component party, launched its Sarawak wing here today.

PPP President Datuk M. Kayveas said after the launch that the party had acceded to the request of about 300 of its associate members in the state to come to Sarawak. “We were invited to come here. Those still sitting on the fence or partyless in Sarawak can join PPP,” he told reporters.

Kavyeas said the PPP had not consulted the Sarawak BN component parties because it wanted to gauge its support in the state before officialy approaching their leaders, and was prepared to reconsider its decision if there was a lack of support for the party in the state. He said that if the Sarawak PPP could register between 5,000 and 10,000 members in the coming months, the party would be ready to set up permanent base here.

Earlier, speaking at the launch, Kavyeas, who is Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said 1,200 people had applied to join Sarawak PPP and the pro-tem committee would hold its first annual general meeting soon to formalise the formation of the party’s wing in the state. — BERNAMA

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Penang Hindu Endowments Board replies

January 15th, 2008
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The Hindu Board replies to attacks on its status.

Said Kumaraendran: "The board has never been a political tool of the ruling coalition. (Its) commissioners and temple management committee-members have always been appointed based on merit and (their) credentials, (not) political affiliation as alleged."

 

They are all appointed by the state governor on the advice of the state government based on their track-record as persons of high esteem in the society.”

– wonder how they define merit and credentials. Based on the track record?

Penang Hindu Board 'not BN political tool'
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/77039
Athi Veeranggan | Jan 15, 08 2:37pm

The Penang Hindu Endowments Board has defended itself against allegations that it has become a political tool of the MIC and Gerakan in Penang and that it is acting beyond its powers.

K Kumaraendran rebutted the claim that political considerations have been the yardstick for the appointment of commissioners and committee- members, who manage the five temples in the state. 

A commissioner and lawyer, he was commenting on a Malaysiakini report last Friday, in which United Hindu Religious Council president G Mugunthan had alleged there is rampant political meddling in the annual appointments. 

Said Kumaraendran: "The board has never been a political tool of the ruling coalition. (Its) commissioners and temple management committee-members have always been appointed based on merit and (their) credentials, (not) political affiliation as alleged.

"They are all appointed by the state governor on the advice of the state government based on their track-record as persons of high esteem in the society.”

Hindu endowments belonging to the hilltop Waterfall Temple – Sri Balathandayuthabani Kovil (photo) – Sri Ramar Kovil in Dhoby Ghaut, Sri Kunj Bihari Krishan Mandir, Sri Maha Mariamman Kovil in Lebuh Queen and Sri Maha Mariamman Kovil in Butterworth are administered by the board.

Under the Hindu Endowment Ordinance, the state governor on the advice of the state executive council appoints a board of commissioners, one of whom must be a government officer.

The board then sets up an endowment management committee consisting of members of public professing the religion applicable to the endowments – in this case, Hinduism.

'Orderly festivals'

According to Mugunthan, political-based appointments of commissioners have become a norm since the 1980s.

Even the board chairperson is a politician, he said, referring to former MIC state chairpersons T Suppiah and K Rajapathy, and current state deputy chairperson PK Subbaiyah.

Over the years many MIC division leaders and prominent Gerakan Indian leaders have been appointed as commissioners. 

Reliable sources had claimed that Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon (photo ) has insisted on "his men from Gerakan" being appointed.

Kumaraendran also refuted the allegation that the board had overstepped its jurisdiction.
The board is entrusted with managing the temples and their endowments and to organise their religious festivals, he noted.

In this respect, it has a legal obligation to ensure that religious festivals are celebrated in correct and orderly manner.

This involves implementing measures to regulate tanneer panthal (refreshment booths) and installing a centralised system to control the type of music played during Thaipusam each year.

"Various quarters have commended the board for its actions to bring more order into Hindu religious festivals," he added.

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Samy Vellu admits Hindraf is correct

January 13th, 2008
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Admitting that there had been several weaknesses in the government’s implementation and delivery system that led to the Indian sometimes losing out in various fields, he said the party would rectify them. “There are weaknesses, but they can and will be corrected.

Some people keep on condemning the 25/11 rally as unnecessary, "not our culture", penyangak, and so many other things. Just imagine the rally never took place. Would the Indian community get any attention. Nothing much in the last 20 -30 years. But now, more airtime in news, committees set up to manage temple issues, meeting with PM, awareness on equal rights, among others have occurred. Something that the leading party had failed to highlight or do while in power. But now, claiming there is some problem with implementation. For so many years, there was no weakness/problem is it? Only now the eye can see? Looks like a jolt like the rally is indeed needed.

SAMY VELLU: My door is always open

BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, SUN:

“My door is always open,” said MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to the Indians, especially to the youths and professionals.

Samy Vellu, who is also Works Minister, said he was willing to listen to any problem faced by the Indians, especially the youths. “Indian youths play a major role in ensuring unity within the community as they are a major force that will shape its future direction,” he said in a statement issued here today. Appreciating the role of Indian youths as “people who have the courage and wisdom to bring changes to the community,” he said the party was not making promises merely to canvas for support from the Indians.

“But MIC will strive to bring justice and fairness to them through the government by taking the necessary action,” he said.

Admitting that there had been several weaknesses in the government’s implementation and delivery system that led to the Indian sometimes losing out in various fields, he said the party would rectify them. “There are weaknesses, but they can and will be corrected.

“No government in the world can satisfy 100 percent the needs of their people. But what is important is to ensure that what we deserve is attained.”

Samy Vellu said the party would adopt a different and more practical approach in tackling the problems of the Indians. “We have been vigorously taking the necessary steps in the last four months and we expect to see some positive results soon,” he said. “We will be more open to hear their views, especially from the Indian youths.”

He said Malaysian Indians needed to unite to safeguard their future in this country, adding that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had been sympathetic to their plight and had promised to address their problems.

Samy Vellu said the party which had laid a strong educational foundation for the Indian community with the creation of two institutions, namely TAFE College and the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology, was now striving to raise their economic position with several measures taken with the help of the government. “MIC has also fought hard to ensure better housing, healthcare and employment through training for the poor, especially single mothers and youths.”

He said the Indian community in Malaysia should not fall into despair, adding that only the Barisan Nasional (BN) government could ensure their future. “They should not be duped by the opposition parties who only want their votes in the coming general election.” However, he said, the party would work with anyone who wished to see the progress and development of the Indian community, but would fight “to the ground those who poison the minds of the Indians”.

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family asks media not to speculate on Krishnasamy death

January 12th, 2008
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Media told to stop speculative reports on slain assemblyman

BERNAMA source

SEGAMAT, Sat.:

The family of slain Tenggaroh state assemblyman, Datuk S. Krishnasamy, has asked the media to stop publishing speculative reports on the killing to allow the police to investigate the murder. 

Krishnasamy’s second son, Raj Kumar, 32, said the family hoped the media would stop asking speculative questions.

The media should allow the police to complete their investigations into the murder, he said, reading out a prepared press statement at their family house in Bandar Putera here today.

Krishnasamy, 61, who was also Johor MIC deputy chief, was shot dead point blank by a gunman in the lift at the state MIC headquarters at Jalan Segget in Johor Baru yesterday.

Police are looking at all angles and have not ruled out political or business rivalry or even moneylending and gangsterism as motives.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and Barisan Nasional (BN) component party leaders are among 2,000 people who paid their last respects to Krishnasamy at his residence. He will be buried at the Hindu cemetery in Tangkak today. The cortege will leave for the cemetery at 4pm.

Raj Kumar said his father worked hard as a state assemblyman to ensure no race was marginalised in development projects implemented by the government.

Johor Police Chief Datuk Hussin Ismail said police have thrown a dragnet around Johor to prevent the killer from fleeing the state. He said the Indian hitman is in his 30s, medium-built and about 152cm tall.

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Samy Vellu blasted by other Malaysian participants

January 10th, 2008
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Samy blasted for 'lies and half-truths'
http://malaysiakini.com/news/76916
K Kabilan | Jan 10, 08 4:49pm

Several Malaysian participants at a just concluded annual meeting of the Indian diaspora in New Delhi have expressed disappointment with the 'lies and half-truths' of MIC president S Samy Vellu on the Indian community’s plight in Malaysia.

They are dismayed with Samy Vellu, who is also the works minister, for portraying a positive picture of the Indian Malaysians’ plight to the other participants of the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas'. 

The two-day conference, which ended yesterday, attracted thousands of people of Indian origin to the Indian capital.

“He was asked by everyone here as to what is happening to the Indians in Malaysia. On every occasion he told them that everything was fine and that we are doing very well,” said S Nadarajah, a Kuala-Lumpur-based management consultant who attended the meeting in his personal capacity to represent the ‘India Baru‘ (community members with a new awareness).

“He told the participants and the Indian media that there were no cases of the Indian community being marginalised in Malaysia. He kept repeating these lies and half-truths throughout the meeting,” he told Malaysiakini today.

Nadarajah also said that Samy Vellu had played down the impact created by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), stating that the movement was only interested in 'creating trouble'.

“He refused to acknowledge that Hindraf had managed to create some awareness among the Indian community in Malaysia,” added Nadarajah, who is still in New Delhi.

Samy’s angry interview

Samy Vellu, who led a 70-member delegation from Malaysia, which included several MIC leaders and local businessmen, was a guest speaker in one plenary session and had various other speaking engagements and media interviews throughout the conference.

He was also constantly mobbed by the Indian media who were keen to find out about the true situation of the Indian community in this country. In several media interviews, Samy Vellu had said that the Indian community was not being marginalised and that they were 'misled' by Hindraf.

Yesterday, in an interview on TV3, he also lashed out at several Malaysians who were eager to dispute him in New Delhi.

“Here I am telling the Indians that we are all doing well and that the Indian community in Malaysia is well taken care of and yet there are some individuals who rebut me by stating the opposite,” he told TV3.

He even named Nadarajah as one such person, claiming that he (Nadarajah) was a PPP member who had deviated from BN principles by attacking the government in India.

Nadarajah denied today that he was a PPP member. This was confirmed by PPP as well.

“I am here on my own. I am not a PPP member. And there is nothing wrong in telling the world the truth about how the Indian Malaysians are being neglected,” he said.

“If Samy Vellu thinks he can get away with his lies by turning the table against me, he is very wrong. I might even sue him for defaming me,” he added.

MIC’s misleading booklet

Another Malaysian participant said that the MIC was on a campaign in New Delhi to portray a completely wrong picture.

“They have distributed a 20-page colour booklet to all participants here on the wonderful living conditions of the Indians in Malaysia,” he said, adding that the booklet had glaringly left out so many issues involving the community.

“MIC proudly claims to be the sole custodian of the Indian community in Malaysia in the booklet. Who gave them that right? After all, it is the failure of MIC and Samy Vellu which is the root cause of the Indian community’s problems today,” added the KL-based entrepreneur.

Speaking on behalf of several other like-minded individuals, the participant also accused Samy Vellu of misinforming the Indian media.

“When the rest of us are asked about the plight of the community, we tell them the situation as it is. We tell them what Hindraf is and what happened during the Nov 25 rally. We tell them that there are areas which the Indians have been ignored by the government,” added the businessman.

He said that when Samy Vellu spoke to the Indian media, he merely brushed aside these issues and would keep repeating that the Indians in Malaysia are doing well.

“His often repeated mantra is that the government is doing all that it can to help the community, that the MIC is the sole representative of the community and that Hindraf is an irrelevant force,” he said.

Duty bound to defend

Makkal Osai‘s assistant news editor SV Muthamilmannan, who is in New Delhi for the conference, said that Malaysian participants were a hot favourite among the Indian media.

“The journalists were not just after Samy Vellu but were also interested in knowing the real situation from non-political Malaysian participants,” he told Malaysiakini.

“Some of these participants were blunt with their assessment while there were others who used the Indian media to send a message that it was time for Samy Vellu to go.

“Generally they told about how economically poor the community was and how it was being pushed further down,” he added.

The Indian newspapers and television stations have given Samy Vellu a good coverage and to balance it up, they have also given his critics some coverage too, added the veteran journalist.

A MIC leader in the Samy Vellu entourage explained that his boss was duty-bound by BN and government principles to defend the government’s records in the international arena.

“Personally, he might feel otherwise but he can never say it out in the open as he is part of the government and he has to stand by the government,” said the leader who requested anonymity.

“He is doing his duty in explaining to the Indian government and others here that the MIC is taking good care of the community. At the same time, what many don’t realise is that on the ground, the party is working very hard to address all the community’s issues,” he said.

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