Posts Tagged ‘Hindraf’

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roadblocks put up to deter hindraf rally and volunteer arrested

November 22nd, 2007
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Police roadblocks jam up roads, again
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75125
Soon Li Tsin
Nov 22, 07 2:45pm

Scores of police roadblocks have been sighted across Selangor on roads leading to Kuala Lumpur, causing major traffic jams.

Malaysiakini received information that roadblocks had been set up since this morning bringing the rush-hour traffic to a crawl.

Selangor Traffic and Public Order Department chief Supt Che Hussain Che Omar, when contacted, said roadblocks have been set up in all 12 districts in Selangor.

“It is for crime prevention. We have placed roadblocks in all major strategic area this morning. When it will end depends on the situation. We still study the situation,” he said.

Asked if the roadblocks were to prevent people from entering the capital to attend the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally scheduled to take place on Sunday at the British High Commission, Hussain declined to comment.

More than a week ago, similar roadblocks were set up to frustrate thousands of people from attending the Bershi rally demanding for free and fair elections. However, despite the lockdown, about 40,000 turned up in downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Show police presence

A police source confirmed that the roadblocks have been set up to block those attending the Hindraf rally.

“We just want to show police presence in the areas,” said the source, who requested anonymity.

Roadblocks were spotted on several highways including the Silk Highway (from Kajang and Semenyih to Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya), near Sungai Ramal, Sungai Besi Highway (photo) and Sungai Way on the Federal Highway.

Other areas include Ampang (at Taman Dato Ahmad Razali before Ampang Point and another at Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre), Jalan Puchong (near Bintang supermarket), Klang (Bukit Tinggi and Bukit Raja) and Bukit Mertajam in Penang.

Heavy police presence has also been sighted in Ampang and in Kampung Cheras, the latter being an Indian predominated area.

In a statement today, Hindraf chairperson P Waytha Moorthy advised those attending the gathering to leave their homes early.

“There may be roadblocks and the presence of Federal Reserve Unit. They may hinder you from proceeding to the venue," he said.

“Insist upon them that you are exercising your rights under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution and Article 20 (freedom of assembly) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948."

Volunteer arrested

Hindraf has not been issued a police permit for the rally after Cheras police chief Ahmad Amir Mohd Hashim rejected the application for technical and safety reasons three days ago.

Hindraf legal adviser P Uthayakumar told Malaysiakini that their appeal to Kuala Lumpur police chief Zulhasnan Najib Baharuddin was rejected today.

He also said that a Hindraf volunteer S Tanendran was arrested in Puchong at about 4pm for taking photographs of the roadblock.

“They have taken him to the Puchong Jaya police station now,” said Uthayakumar.

“Is it an offence to take photographs?” asked Uthayakumar, adding that he was not given a satisfactory response by the police office in charge of the district, ACP Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar.

“He merely said that he would investigate the matter,” said Uthayakumar, who also said that his staff and volunteers in his office have been receiving threatening phone calls over their involvement with Hindraf.

Petition to the Queen

The gathering is expected to attract 10,000 people, with Hindraf to hand over a petition addressed to the British Queen to support a class-action suit against Her Majesty's government for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years.

The quantum being sought is US$4 trillion (RM14 trillion) – or US$2 million for every Indian currently residing in Malaysia.

The gathering has sparked rumours via the short messaging service on mobile phones that Queen Elizabeth II will make an appearance at the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, but this has been dispelled by Hindraf.

Other rumours are that that Uthayakumar has been beaten up and the lawyers in Hindraf has been arrested. These have also been clarified as false.

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hindraf clarifies

November 22nd, 2007
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Rumours rife, Hindraf not amused
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75077
Soon Li Tsin
Nov 21, 07 4:21pm

If text-messages are to be believed, Queen Elizabeth II will make an appearance at the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. 

This and other rumours are spreading via the short messaging service (SMS) on mobile phones, either to encourage or discourage people from attending a mass rally being organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

When contacted today, Hindraf legal advisor P Uthayakumar said he is getting in more volunteers to deal with calls to his office from those seeking clarification.

“The Queen is not coming. I did not get beaten up and I’m not in the intensive care unit. Other lawyers in Hindraf are not arrested,” he said, responding at one go to the main rumours in circulation.

Incidentally, Queen Elizabeth II is scheduled to open the three-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala, Uganda, which starts on Friday.

Uthayakumar also re-affirmed that Hindraf has not been issued a police permit after Cheras police chief Ahmad Amir Mohd Hashim rejected the application for technical and safety reasons two days ago.

“We have sent an appeal to the Kuala Lumpur police chief (Zulhasnan Najib Baharudin) as well as the prime minister. Even if it is not approved, we will still go on with the peaceful assembly as it is well within our right under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.”

Uthayakumar also said he has seen other text-messages claiming that hired gangsters will be present to disrupt the peaceful assembly, that police will set up roadblocks around the city and several bus companies have cancelled services to ferry people into Kuala Lumpur for the rally.

The gathering is expected to attract 10,000 people, with Hindraf to hand over a petition addressed to the Queen to support a class-action suit against the British government for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years. 

The quantum being sought is US$4 trillion (RM14 trillion) – or US$1 million for every Indian currently residing in Malaysia.

‘Prove it, Samy’

Uthayakumar was also asked to respond to a claim by MIC president S Samy Vellu that Hindraf has not filed a case in London, but had only given notice to file a case.

“We have filed the suit and we have proof […] complete with the Queen’s stamp, a civil suit number and the receipt of payment,” he said.

“We have never filed a notice. If Samy Vellu (photo) has the evidence of that notice, then we would like to ask him to show it to us. Samy Vellu has nothing to do with this. It is between Hindraf, the British government and the Malaysian government.”

The civil suit against the UK secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs – filed on Aug 30 at the Royal Court of Justice in London – took a month to prepare and was handled by Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy.

The claim for compensation is based on alleged “pain, suffering, humiliation, discrimination and continuous colonialisation” suffered by the Indian community in Malaysia.

Anwar: Let rally proceed

Meanwhile, former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim has urged the police to issue a permit allowing Hindraf to proceed with its rally this Sunday.

"It is the democratic right of all Malaysians to express their views and concerns peacefully. As the recent Bersih rally demonstrated, if the police decide to cooperate, the security and orderliness of any gathering can be guaranteed," said Anwar, who is also de facto leader of the opposition PKR.

"The Indian community has been suffering in silence and the time is most opportune to bring an end to the neglect and marginalisation of the poor of all races.

"I hope this rally will achieve its goal of affirming the interests of the Indian community as Malaysian citizens, and its right for a higher standard of living and quality of life."

Malay version:

Anwar gesa polis beri permit untuk perhimpunan Hindraf
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75105
Nov 21, 07 8:18pm

Bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menggesa pihak polis supaya mengeluarkan permit untuk membenarkan Barisan Bertindak Hak Hindu (Hindraf) mengadakan perhimpunannya Ahad ini.

Beliau yang juga ketua umum PKR berkata ia merupakan hak demokratik semua rakyat Malaysia untuk menyuarakan pandangan dan keprihatinan mereka secara aman.

Satu kenyataan hari ini, Anwar berkata, sepertimana perhimpunan anjuran Bersih baru-baru ini, jika pihak polis bersedia untuk memberi kerjasama, keselamatan dan ketenteraman sebarang perhimpunan boleh dijamin.
Menurutnya lagi, masyarakat India telah lama menderita secara senyap dan sudah tiba masanya untuk mengakhiri pengabaian dan peminggiran semua rakyat miskin.

Beliau berharap perhimpunan tersebut akan mencapai matlamatnya untuk mempertegaskan kepentingan masyarakat India sebagai rakyat Malaysia,dan hak mereka untuk menikmati kehidupan yang berkualiti.

Sementara itu, penasihat undang-undang Hindraf, P Uthayakumar berkata permohonan Hindraf untuk mendapatkan permit polis untuk mengadakan perhimpunan tersebut telah ditolak oleh Ketua PolisCheras, ACP Ahmad Amir Mohd Hashim dua hari lalu atas alasan teknikal dan keselamatan.

“Kita telah menghantar rayuan kepada Ketua Polis Kuala Lumpur (Datuk Zulhasnan Najib Baharudin) serta kepada Perdana Menteri. Jika tidak diluluskan pun, kami tetap akan mengadakan perhimpunan aman itu kerana ianya merupakan hak kami mengikut Artikel 10 Perlembagaan Persekutuan," katanya.

Menyokong saman

Uthayakumar juga berkata, beliau juga mendapati pesanan SMS yang mendakwa samseng telah diupah untuk mengganggu perhimpunan aman tersebut, polis akan akan mengadakan sekatan jalanraya di sekitar bandaraya dan beberapa syarikat bas telah membatalkan perkhidmatan untuk membawa mereka yang mahu menghadiri perhimpunan di Kuala Lumpur Ahad ini.

Perhimpunan tersebut dijangka dihadiri kira-kira 10,000 orang, di mana Hindraf akan menyerahkan petisyen kepada Ratu Elizabeth ll untuk menyokong saman terhadap kerajaan British kerana membawa kaum India ke Malaysia sebagai buruh dan mengeksploitasi mereka selama 150 tahun.

Dalam saman tersebut, mereka menuntut AS$4 trillion (RM14 trillion) – atau AS$1 juta bagi setiap orang India yang tinggal di Malaysia.

Uthayakumar juga ditanya mengenai dakwaan Presiden MIC, Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu bahawa Hindraf tidak memfailkan sebarang kes di London, tetapi hanya memberi notis untuk memfail satu kes.

“Kita telahpun memfailkan saman dan kita ada buktinya […] siap dengan setem Ratu, nombor saman sivil dan resit bayarannya," katanya.

“Kita tidak pernah memfailkan sebarang notis. Jika Samy Vellu (foto) ada bukti mengenai notis tersebut, maka kita minta beliau menunjukkannya kepada kita. Samy Vellu tiada kena dengannya. Ia adalah antara Hindraf, kerajaan British dan kerajaan Malaysia,” katanya.
Saman tersebut difailkan terhadap setiausaha negara UK bagi halehwal luar dan komanwel – pada 30 Ogos di sebuah mahkamah di London – yang mengambil masa sebulan untuk menyediakannya dan diuruskan oleh Pengerusi Hindraf, P Waythamoorthy.

Khabar angin

Sementara itu, pesanan SMS dan khabar angin kini tersebar mengenai perhimpunan yang dirancang diadakan oleh Barisan Bertindak Hak Hindu (Hindraf) di ibunegara Ahad ini.

Ini termasuk pesanan SMS yang mendakwa Ratu Elizabeth ll akan berada di pejabat Pesuruhjaya Tinggi British di Kuala Lumpur Ahad ini.

Ketika dihubungi hari ini, Penasihat Udang-undang Hindraf, P Uthayakumar berkata, beliau sedang mendapatkan lebih ramai sukarelawan untuk menjawab panggilan di pejabatnya dari orang ramai mahu mendapatkan penjelasan mengenainya.

“Ratu Elizabeth ll tidak akan datang. Saya tidak dipukul dan saya tidak dirawat di unit jagaan rapi. Peguam lain dalam Hindraf juga tidak ditangkap," katanya ketika ditanya mengenai pelbagai khabar angin yang disebarkan.

(Ratu Elizabeth ll dijadual merasmikan Mesyuarat Ketua-ketua Negara Komanwel yang akan berlangsung selama tiga hari Kampala, Uganda mulai Jumaat ini.)

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tips on attending hindraf assembly

November 22nd, 2007
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well, i suppose many people will be going there. Mahendran has an entry that provides list of do’s and don’t which may be useful.

read it at http://www.bmahendran.com/blog/?p=208

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Samy Vellu says indians are free to join the memo submission

November 21st, 2007
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source

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Indians are free to join the demonstration planned by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) if they believe its claims are true, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said yesterday.

However, he described the statement by Hindraf that the status of Indians had not improved since independence and "our economic situation is likened to one living in the 19th century", as absurd . He was commenting on the planned gathering by the group in front of the British High Commission here this Sunday to hand over a memorandum to Queen Elizabeth II of Britain.

Hindraf was luring Indians with a claim that they stand to receive a compensation of RM1 million each from the British government, said Samy Vellu, who is also Works Minister. It was reported that on Aug 30, it filed a class-action suit against the British government for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years, and thereafter failing to protect their rights under the Federal Constitution on independence.

The sum sought was STG4 trillion (RM27.7 trillion) or about RM1 million for every Indian currently residing in Malaysia after paying for legal proceedings.

Asked what action would be taken against MIC members who joined the gathering, he said the party would decide later.

Samy Vellu was speaking at the Tenaga Nasional Berhad Deepavali celebrations 2007 at TNB's headquarters here where 150 orphans from several homes in the city were given ang pow of RM50 each and guests entertained to traditional Indian dances and delicacies.

Later, after closing the 7th National Symposium of Tamil school headmasters in Seri Kembangan, Samy Vellu said his lawyers in London had told him that Hindraf had not filed a case but had only given notice to file a case.

"SMSes going around are saying that the British government wants the support of not less than 100,000 people to be able to take action against the Malaysian government. "I spoke to the British High Commission and they said they have nothing to do with this," he added.

Meanwhile, police have called on the public to stay away from the planned gathering. Cheras police chief ACP Ahmad Amir Mohd Hashim said yesterday that Hindraf's application for the gathering was rejected last Friday as it could lead to trouble and disrupt public order. However, he said the organisers could appeal to the Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Zulhasnan Najib Baharudin by today. Ahmad Amir also warned the public that action could be taken against those involved in an illegal gathering.

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hishamuddin says tamil schools not neglected

November 21st, 2007
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One good thing out of HINDRAF's actions, which no one can deny is the damage control by MIC. Suddenly, all kinds of statements are being issued. the latest by Hishamuddin at a Tamil Schools HM symposium.

I also heard Minnal FM's news yesterday night and today morning, in which it is claimed that RM16 million have been allocated under 9th Malaysian Plan for Tamil schools (16mil/523 = Rm30.592/per school/5 year) which in fact is not stated in the plan (read it here, here or here), while Komala mentioned a figure of RM64 million (read it here).

Todays NST and Star both quote Hishamuddin and give prominence Tamil Schools.

NST : Source

Minister: Tamil schools not neglected

KUALA LUMPUR: Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein yesterday lashed out at quarters who claim that Tamil schools are being marginalised, saying huge funds have been allocated to uplift the standard of vernacular schools.

He said if it was true that Tamil schools were regarded as a second-class institution in the education system, the government would not have introduced Tamil language in 70 national schools.
[70 out of ? schools? The issue is poor physical condition of the schools as well as provision of support materials etc., not just the language teaching]

"I would like to question these critics. If what they are claiming is true, why is it that Tamil schools have been chosen to be part of the cluster school project?
[Cluster school project has only 1 tamil school, no?]

 "Also, why did the government allocate huge sums to manage Tamil schools plus the millions under the Ninth Malaysia Plan?" he asked when closing a symposium for Tamil school headmasters in Seri Kembangan yesterday.
[RM30,592 per school/5 years or RM6118/school/year is huge sum?]

The minister also defended MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who had been accused of not doing enough for Tamil schools. "Every time we meet, he will bring up issues related to Tamil schools," he said.
[err…how many times is that?]

Hishammuddin said what needed to be addressed was the problem of low enrolment in some Tamil schools. "We have to look at how best to utilise the resources of these schools. It has nothing to do with wanting to close them down," he said, adding that the Indian community must be wary of attempts to politicise Tamil school issues.
[Sure, when the schools can't be relocated when estates close down, or better still located next to cemeteries and sewarage tanks, I'm sure parents will be competing to enrol their kids]

Hishammuddin said Tamil schools had progressed, as evident in the overall improved results in the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah examination this year.
[2006 was 568, 2007 is 571, an increase of 3 7As students. Well, still an improvement, I guess]

He said the number of trained teachers in Tamil schools had also increased, with 90 per cent of the 7,000 teachers possessing formal training.
[What training? – degree? diploma? short courses?]

The Star: source

Hisham: Up to under-enrolled schools to decide

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry has no plans to close under-enrolled schools. Instead it would leave it to the schools to decide on what they wanted to do.

[Err..we want to shift to better location, can or not?]

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said: "They know their abilities. It's not my job to ask them to close or move," he said. The minister added that he was prepared to consider options for such schools. "If they want to, they can see me," he said yesterday after closing the national symposium for Tamil school headmasters. 

Hishammuddin said the matter should not be politicised as the pupils who might suffer. He said that it was untrue Tamil schools had been marginalised.

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