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hishamuddin says Sembrong is example of racial unity

November 25th, 2007
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Hisham: Constituency a fine example of multi-racial cooperation

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KLUANG: The Sembrong parliamentary constituency is an example of racial unity and harmony where its Indian assemblyman receives the full support of people of other races, said Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein. 

He said Kahang assemblyman S. Ramis received the support of the people although 97% of the population were non-Indians. 

However, he said foreign news networks such as Al-Jazeera or CNN do not want to highlight such positive situations. 

“They prefer to focus on the bad things that do not reflect the true identity of this country,” Hishammuddin, who is Sembrong MP, said after launching the Think.Com programme at SMK T6 yesterday. 

At the Sembrong MIC Deepavali Open House, Ramis said the situation in the country, especially Sembrong, was fine without even a whiff of racial tension. 

On the planned rally by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) at the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur today, he said he was firmly against such actions, describing it as an exploitation of democracy. 

“These people are misusing the freedom of democracy to cause unwanted problems by staging the illegal rally or march,” he said.

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No support for Hindraf rally from MIC and 25 NGOs

November 24th, 2007
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Cancel march, urge Indian groups

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KUALA LUMPUR: Community leaders from 25 leading Indian associations have backed MIC’s call for tomorrow's Hindraf march to the British High Commission to be cancelled because there are too many political, economic and social concerns at stake. 

“Investors are watching us closely, and if they do not have good vibes about this country, they will shift their attention elsewhere. 

“The country and its people stand to lose tremendously. If the intention is sincere, just get a few men to hand over the memorandum to the High Commission,” said Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry public relations and publicity chairman K. Ramesh. 

Media statement: Saravanan speaking during the press conference at the MIC office in Kuala Lumpur Friday.

Ramesh was one of 25 community leaders present at a press conference yesterday at the MIC office called by party information chief Datuk M. Savaranan to protest the gathering. 

Saravanan said calling off the gathering was the best approach to prevent any untoward incident. 

Like Ramesh, Saravanan questioned the motive behind the gathering. 

“The High Commission is not even open on Sunday, so why plan the march on a rest day?” he asked. 

Malaysia Hindu Sangam national central council member C.M. Kopalan said the MIC and the Government had helped to fund, build, repair as well as settle relocation and land issues for temples nationwide. 

Malaysia Punjabi Chambers president Datuk Daljit Singh said the group would not support any gathering with a hidden agenda to foster ill will. 

The leaders said they would advise their 500,000-odd members to steer clear of the gathering. 

In Putrajaya, Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the “silent majority” should make itself heard and stand up to people with their own agenda. 

He said racial and religious sentiments made for a dangerous cocktail that could spell disaster. He also cautioned Umno Youth members to remain calm. 

In Kangar, Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail advised the people not to join any illegal assembly.

No support for Hindraf rally from MIC, 25 NGOs
By : K. Harinderan

Representatives from 25 Klang Valley Indian NGOs voicing their opposition to the Hindraf rally yesterday at a press conference convened by Federal Territory MIC chairman and national information chief Datuk M. Saravanan (front row, third from left).

KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty-five Indian non-governmental organisations here deny that they will support the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally tomorrow.

Federal Territory MIC chairman and national information chief Datuk M. Saravanan said: "Hindraf's claims are baseless and the Indians here will not support the gathering.

"As Malaysians, we have lived in peace and street protests are not a part of our culture.

"I urge the parties to discuss and resolve the matter. History has shown that demonstrations always end in violence."

Saravanan was speaking yesterday at a press conference convened by the MIC and the NGOs, which claim to represent 500,000 Indians in the Klang Valley.

Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry vice-president for Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Ramesh Kodammal, said demonstrations would affect the business community and, on a greater scale, the image of the country.

Malaysian Punjabi Chambers of Commerce and Industries president Datuk Daljit Singh Dalliwal said: "Our message is clear, we support the Barisan Nasional government and do not support any element that goes against the peace and economic viability of the country."

The Hindraf rally outside the British High Commission is in support of a class-action suit against the British government for bringing Indians to Malaya as indentured workers, for exploiting them for 150 years, and for failing to protect their rights as a minority in the Federal Constitution when independence was granted.

The group is seeking STG4 trillion (RM27.7 trillion) in damages in a suit filed in Britain on Aug 30. They plan to petition Queen Elizabeth II for a Queen's Counsel to argue their case

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Tamil and Mandarin class plan extended to more schools

November 23rd, 2007
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Chinese, Tamil plan extended

By KAREN CHAPMAN

PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry will introduce Chinese to another 100 national schools and Tamil to another 50 national schools from next year. This is an extension to a pilot project where Chinese is being taught at 150 national primary schools and Tamil at 70 national primary schools. Under the pilot project, the two languages are being taught through three models. The best model will then be identified and adopted for the teaching of the two languages in all primary schools. 

Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom said this was part of an effort to make national schools the school of choice, especially for non-Malays. “Parents have many choices when it comes to selecting schools such as vernacular, private and international but we hope they will pick national schools,” he said after opening a seminar on strengthening national schools. 

Asked how the ministry was dealing with worries from non-Muslim parents that national schools were too Islamic, he said headmasters and principals have been advised to be sensitive and not to cause unease among students.  According to statistics under the National Education Blueprint 2006-2010, 6% of Chinese pupils and 45% of Indian pupils are enrolled in national schools.  

Tamil, Mandarin to be taught in more schools

By : Deborah Loh

PUTRAJAYA: The teaching of Mandarin and Tamil to pupils of all races in national schools is set to take off after the success of the pilot project. 

Another 100 schools would introduce Mandarin while 50 schools would have Tamil classes, Education Ministry director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom said. He said the classes which began this year with 150 schools offering Mandarin and 70 schools Tamil, had met the objectives. The classes, which are optional, were part of the ministry's national education blueprint to enhance national schools and make them more attractive to Chinese and Indians.

The schools offering the classes are selected on the basis of having a multiracial student population.

Alimuddin said it had yet to be determined if the classes had led to more non-Malays joining national schools. "We can make a better assessment after two or three years," he said yesterday after launching a seminar by the ministry on strengthening national schools. The language classes use a simpler syllabus with a fun approach, compared with the pupils' own language classes of the past.

Racial unity among students was one of the topics addressed at the seminar. Alimuddin, when asked about non-Malay parents who feared national schools which highlighted Islamic or Malay characteristics, said school heads had been told to avoid implementing requirements which caused division. "We have informed school heads to avoid anything that raises sensitivities. "Schools should instead emphasise the quality of education."

On whether the ministry should produce guidelines on the matter, he said: "To go into the details would be difficult. We feel school heads would be able to understand what is sensitive and what is not."

  1. According to ministry statistics, enrolment in national schools was around 2.3 million, Chinese vernacular schools 645,000 and Tamil schools 98,000.

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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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Samy Vellu says indians are free to join the memo submission

November 21st, 2007
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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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