Posts Tagged ‘Hindraf’

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shah alam temple demolishment details

October 31st, 2007
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Thanks to Thanish for the following write-up which relates to the temple demolishment at shah alam.

Thanish Rama thanish@….
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From: Thanish Rama Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 02:22:07 +0000
Subject: [www.umic.org.my] Temple Demolished in Padang Jawa Klang
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Hello all,Let me tell you all the exact issue. This temple was headed by demised former Exco of Selangor state. It is being said a court order released on 2005. The order was then was brought to authorities by the Exco and decided not to touch the temple until a land is given to temple. The developer has allocated a portion for the temple but the land is not ready yet. How and where to move without a land is shown and given? The housing area behind the temple is being cleared out and the houses are being relocated. We are aware that the houses being demolished but NOT the temple. To be safe, selangor state and exco authorities was met and with the developers consent it was decided and ensured the temple will not be touched. All of a sudden on early morning on 30th October 2007 the so called authorities (MBSA) came into the temple with hammers and axes with their shoes ON without a respect to the prayers going on at the temple. (went into the inside deities’ place (karuvarai)). They was forcefully stopped and notice was asked to be shown, court order to be shown . But they can’t produce any. Only being told that it was decided to demolish the temple late night on 29th Oct. They very reluctant to hear any of the temple committees words. Finally after a long long talk, they decided to give the time until 2pm to remove the deities. They immediately went to demolish the kindergarten which belongs to the temple ( Class was going on at that time, the childs were rushed out from kindergarten ). The kindergarten was demolished with all valuable belongings of the temple and kindergarten. At 2pm sharp the so called BATTALION of MBSA, RELA, FRU, POLICE ( the situation was like a war zone ). Our Indian crowds gathered in front of the battalion. Hindraf and their lawyers, independent lawyers, some MIC reps tried to talk to them. Nothing could stop them. MBSA informed NO ONE could stop this as this is direct order from selangor MB. At 4 pm, they moved into the temple. This where when the free for all started. Exchange of stone throwing between the public and the force (peaceful priests and public was inside the temple) ended up in tensed situation. The scene was like racial tension. At the end, the force overpowered with the tear gasses, water jets, batons and with guns. Datuk Seri came to the scene too late at abu 5 pm after part of the temple already demolished. He informed nothing was be able to be done. The situation became even tensed then. Datuk Seri was rushed off then. Now, this has become a National issue and its not known what is going to happen? This is our fate of Indians even though a lot of NGO’s and the public protesting against Indian community discrimination. The date 30th Oct 2007 has changed entirely the life’s of some of the Hindus in the area. Some innocent members of the public and a temple committee was arrested. If this is happening tO Padang Jawa Indians, its not very far away to other places as well. There’s no say for our leaders. No respect for our believes, our faith, our rights !!!!

– t h a n i s h –

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Posted in BornInMalaysia, Indian

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shah alam temple demolished and media blackout

October 31st, 2007
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The temple demolishment in Padang Jawa area (Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Taman Karuppiah, Shah Alam) was first highlighted in the UMIC forum by one of the members. However, confirmation came in after 6pm, while SMSes started to arrive after 8pm.

I checked with an acquaintance in the print media yesterday night, who did not anything about it. Nothing was mentioned in the news at Vaanavil Bernama, TV2, TV3 buletin Utama, and Nightline. Nothing too in Star Online, NST, The Sun etc. Only report was in Malaysiakini. This was preceded by statements issued by Hindraf and MHS.

From what we have read, Hindraf paints a terrible picture of massacre level – equating MBSA with Myanmar's junta. Still, we have to take it with a pinch of salt.

Some reports mentioned that even MBSA staff were injured. Well, I guess the people didn't give any quarters.

Malaysiakini mentioned that the area was to be cleared – houses, temple and a surau as well. It also quoted DAP's representative saying that Samy Vellu mentioned Khir Toyo being stubborn (un-cooperative) and did not want to give any time for discussions. I suppose what made the people angry is the insensitivity shown by the government servants in dealing with the public.

MHS as usual issued a statement, which will be disposed into recycle bins as fast as they arrived in emails and print.  People may get fed up with this soon.

Since this was done in a hurried manner, I suspect money has a bigger role rather than an agenda  to get rid of Indians or to create racial tension. In the end, its all about the money trail or as it is often put "benefits to the rakyat" (read: certain rakyat only, especially those living in houses bigger than some schools). Of course, I have no proof. But if the law is on your side, would you still go bulldozing ahead and do things illegally?

The action by Khir Toyo does not bode well. After all the committees, discussions, task forces etc being created at federal and state level to amicably solve these kind of religious issues, he goes ahead and does as he likes. This flies in the face of MIC and MHS who called for restraint and asked the Indians not to retaliate in earlier cases throughout the country.

Well, I guess no one will be inviting Khir Toyo for Deepavali open house this year! Unless shameless Kamala Ganapathy, Komala, Samy Vellu, Palanivel etc. does an about turn and say that Khir Toyo is Pembela Rakyat India!

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Posted in BornInMalaysia, Indian

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Tamil schools with few pupils to be relocated

October 1st, 2007
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Its hard to evaluate. if MIC managed to do this now, then we can say that its due to the pressure and exposure of events like HINDRAF protests, SMS circulation, Kavyeas comment, etc. If MIC don't do anything, we say they are useless.

anyway, the keyword is "has agreed, in principle,". Everything in principle only. reality can be totally opposite.

On the other hand, in spite of calls for closure of Tamil schools, we have 52% of indians children enrolled in them! It means that one out of every two children aged between 7 and 12 you meet will be a tamil school student.

Tamil schools with few pupils to be relocated

source

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry has agreed, in principle, to allow for the relocation of Tamil schools, especially those from estates to “Indian-majority” urban housing schemes in the urban areas. MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who disclosed this, said Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein had given the green light following a request from the party.  

The relocation would involve Tamil schools with few pupils, especially in estates where the numbers were between five and 15 , he told reporters after chairing the Tamil School Action Committee meeting here. Samy Vellu, who is the Works Minister, assured that no Tamil school would be closed down “even if they face a student shortage”. He said there were now 12 such Tamil schools; five in Perak, Johor (three) Negri Sembilan (two) and one each in Selangor and Pahang.  

Samy Vellu said schools with a higher enrolment, such as the Kulim Tamil School which had about 1,000 students, would be divided into two and located side by side.  

He said 52% of Indian pupils were studying in Tamil schools.  “There are more than 105,000 Indian pupils studying in 523 Tamil schools nationwide,” Samy Vellu added.

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Samy says Indians are doing well

August 24th, 2007
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i'm not sure if "Malaysian Indians have shed their rubber tapper image for one of a community comprising the educated and urbanised" as claimed. Perhaps about 20 % fit the bill, while the rest may be either educated (another 20%) or urbanised (another 30%), or neither (the balance). Remember that 63% of malaysian are as said to be living in urban areas according to latest statistics. Anyway, being urbanised does not mean life is a bed of roses. Instead it will be a nightmare trying to live on a salary of RM800 in a town as compared in a kampung or estate surrounding.
 
Now, lets look a a bigger picture. nearly every country in the world reports healthy progress in terms of education, living standards etc, except for those ravaged by war or severe famine etc. The question is, are we on par with the rest? if not, why is it so? our fault – being lazy, complain but not intiative, begging for help; or the systems fault – discrimination, prohibitive policies, lack of opportunities etc. ?
 
And why keep harping on being rubber tappers? It is those jobs that helped the country and the descendents to prosper.
 
For MIC to gain back its name, it has to furnish statistics on all fields concerned to dispel or counter HINDRAF's claims. These statistics have to be back by its sources so that an independent body can choose to investigate if neccessary.
 
While I agree that not 3000 people attended the gathering as claim by HINDRAF, i am certain it is not 600 as claimed by Samy. I think it was more to about 1200 – 1600 people, as i counted the rows of people during the walk past the roundabout.
 
Also, even if the PM was there, would the people who gathered would have been entertained personally?
 
Its good that statistics on number of temples were furnished,(wonder what is the source of these figures). We have to assume that these are licensed temples. 24,000 temple for a population of 1.44 million (i assume 80% of indians are hindus) is about one temple for every 60 hindu. Quite a big number, but religion being a personal issue, a tree can also be a temple in hinduism.
 
I saw the speech  which he gave at the HYO's assembly which was attended by about 200 people (from i saw on TV3 news). He asked if Indians are backwards, would they be sitting there in the hall and listening to him. Those who attended are educated and doing well, which he imply represents indians in malaysia.
 
 
Indians today are ‘doing well’

By : June Ramli

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Indians have shed their rubber tapper image for one of a community comprising the educated and urbanised.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said this was the outcome of better educational facilities and jobs provided by the government over the past 50 years.

"Those who say the Indians are backwards are mad," he said during the Hindu Youth Organisation’s annual general assembly at the Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Jalan Kasipillay yesterday.

The works minister said that if Indians were 50 years behind other communities, many would still be working as rubber tappers.

"But that is not the case. Today, all Indians are educ-ated with some doing very well."
Samy Vellu chided the opposition for sending a memorandum of protest to the Prime Minister’s office recently, alleging that the Indians had generally been ignored.

He lambasted them for claiming that 3,000 people had gathered at the Prime Minister’s office.

"First of all, there were only 600 people and not 3,000.

"And the best part is that they chose to protest on the day that the prime minister was away in Brunei on a working visit."

On the rationale behind the demolishing of several Hindu temples, Samy Vellu said this was done as they had not received approval from the authorities.

"As they have been built near drains and next to roads, these structures will definitely be brought down as they have not received approval from the authorities."

He said the number of temples had mushroomed from 17,600 in 1979 to 24,000 this year.

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Samy ready to meet HINDRAF to iron out community problems

August 19th, 2007
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Hindraf, said to be aligned to an opposition party?

 
I thought HINDRAF supports BN? At least that's what a few of their banners/posters mentioned.
 

He said of the 523 Tamil schools in the country, 180 are fully-aided schools, while the remaining were partially-aided, of which 66 schools have been rebuilt through government and private funding.

 
523 schools in 2007. How many have been closed down? How many in process of relocation? How many have been rejected when approached for relocation? One school rebuilt via private funding is SJKT North Hammock in Setia Alam, due to estate being redeveloped as housing area. Out of 180 schools, how many were turned to fully-aided schools in the last 10 years? in the last 20 years? When will the rest (343 schools) will be converted to fully-aided? Is there a timeline or plan? Rather than looking at schools as physical infrastructure, they should also look at overall education improvement in the last 50 years in Tamil schools – number of students, dropouts, passing rates, facilities (library,science lab, computers, internet, tables/chairs) available at all 523 schools, student-teacher ratio, promotion and career prospects for teachers etc.
 

“We are going to rebuild another 160 Tamil schools with the help of the government,” he said.

 
What is the time frame for these 160 schools to be rebuilt? 20 years? 50 years?
 

On temples, Samy Vellu said only temples that were built or extended on private land without government approvals were demolished and not hundreds of temples as claimed by Hindraf.

If temple already existed before indepedence, can application be made after building constructed? How many application has been made and rejected so far? What happened to the committee to monitor temple issues under DBKL and Perak govt?

On allegations of mistreatment of estate workers, Samy Vellu said the number of Indian estate workers had dwindled drastically, with only about 20 per cent still engaged in the plantation sector, while the rest have migrated to urban areas. “The MIC has been helping these people to get jobs and houses in towns,” he said, adding that in Kuala Lumpur alone, out of 5,000 squatters, the MIC, with the help of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, has secured 2,000 units of houses.

 
according to latest statistics, 63% of malaysians are in urban areas – meaning more migration and also transformation of rural areas into urban areas through redevelopment. That's why we have more urban poors now. Did they focus on reskilling these migrating or displaced groups so that can adopt to new environment? Anyway, HINDRAF made comparisons on what other community gets as compensation and what the Indians get as compensation. Everyone get house, but what house and where? And how about the issues where some estate folks don't have IC, marriage certs, and are illiterate?
 
Perhaps the comparisons and facts should be linked with similar statistics of all communities so that we can get a fairer picture?
 
 
 
Samy Vellu ready to meet Hindu NGO to iron out community problems

BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Sun.:

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is willing to meet the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), a non-governmental organisation, to iron out Indian community issues and unresolved matters.

He said he was ever ready to meet any individual or organisations who were unhappy with the alleged shoddy treatment accorded to the Indians or wanted to resolve the community’s problems.

“I am always ready to listen to their views and explain to them the efforts taken by the government in resolving the woes of the Indian community,” the Works Minister said when asked by reporters if he was willing to meet Hindraf officials.

Hindraf, said to be aligned to an opposition party, submitted an 18-page memorandum to the Prime Minister’s office last Sunday on what it alleged as the marginalisation of the Indians by the government.

It also called for an end to the special privileges given to the Malay community.
While stressing that Hindraf had not approached him for a meeting, Samy Vellu said he was willing to meet them to discuss only matters concerning the Indian community.

Samy Vellu also rebutted some of the allegations made by Hindraf that the government had neglected Tamil schools and demolished hundereds of Hindu temples.

“There is no truth to such thing and I have the figures to substantiate them. Please do not make wild allegations,” he said.

He said of the 523 Tamil schools in the country, 180 are fully-aided schools, while the remaining were partially-aided, of which 66 schools have been rebuilt through government and private funding.

“We are going to rebuild another 160 Tamil schools with the help of the government,” he said.

On temples, Samy Vellu said only temples that were built or extended on private land without government approvals were demolished and not hundreds of temples as claimed by Hindraf.

“There is a limit to accusations. We must have an open mind and see things clearly,” he said, adding that the MIC has sought fresh applications for government grants to build and rebuild more temples.

On allegations of mistreatment of estate workers, Samy Vellu said the number of Indian estate workers had dwindled drastically, with only about 20 per cent still engaged in the plantation sector, while the rest have migrated to urban areas.

“The MIC has been helping these people to get jobs and houses in towns,” he said, adding that in Kuala Lumpur alone, out of 5,000 squatters, the MIC, with the help of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, has secured 2,000 units of houses.

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