A breakaway group from the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has formed a political party to spearhead what they claimed to be “a political struggle for the betterment of the Malaysian Indian community”.
MCPX
In what is the first major split in the Hindu rights movement, the group led by suspended Hindraf national coordinator RS Thanenthiran is said to have submitted an application to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to register a party named as Malaysian Makkal Sakthi Party (MMSP).
The ROS, it is learnt had approved the registration last week for the proposed Indian-based MMSP, paving way for its official launching within the next one month.
Sources said Thanenthiran and company has decided to go ahead to set up the political party after the Bukit Selambau by-election in March.
Although sources said that initially the new political party would remain outside both the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat groups, a source close to Thanenthiran said that the party could join either coalition depending on which one could fulfill their wishes and demands.
Among the group’s major wish is Hindraf’s 18-point demand to upgrade the standard of living of Indians, ranging from housing, education, welfare, political, economic and employment rights.
‘They don’t trust Pakatan leaders anymore’
Thanenthiran’s group currently appeared to be happier and comfortable working with Prime Minister and BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak rather than Pakatan leaders such as Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, P Ramasamy and Abdul Hadi Awang.
“They don’t trust Pakatan leaders anymore. They believe Pakatan was only using Hindraf for their own selfish political gain,” said a source.
The breakaway group’s major grouse is that Pakatan-controlled states of Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan, and previously also Perak, have let down the Indian community and failed to implement any comprehensive policies to upgrade the standard of living of the community.
“They are upset that Pakatan governments have used Hindraf to capture Indian votes, but neglected them after achieving unprecedented electoral gains in the last general election,” said the source.
The breakaway former Hindraf leaders were obviously unhappy with the Pakatan decision to turn down their demand to nominate Thanenthiran as PKR candidate for the Bukit Selambau by-election in Kedah in March.
Thanenthiran claims to have many supporters
When contacted, Butterworth-based Thanenthiran confirmed the setting up of a political party under his leadership and claimed he has the support of many former Hindraf members across the country.
Thanenthiran and company decided to go their own way when Hindraf supremo, London-based P Waythamoorthy, expressed reluctance to establish a political party that would sever all links with Pakatan.
For Waythamoorthy – the founder member of Hindraf – and his brother Uthayakumar, Umno and Barisan Nasional were worse off than Pakatan.
The rift reared its ugly head when the Hindraf leader decided to back PKR in Bukit Selambau after Thanenthiran and company have openly called on Hindraf supporters to boycott Pakatan candidate S Manikumar.
Thanenthiran and his Hindraf colleagues were unhappy that Waythamoorthy had decided to back Pakatan without consulting them.
Waythamoorthy had then justified his decision, made after a long telephone conversation with PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim, was to get rid of Hindraf and Pakatan’s common political foes – Umno and BN.
Waythamoorthy also told his close friends that he was not worried with Thanenthiran’s intention to form a party but preferred to distance Hindraf from it.
Whether Thanenthiran’s new party will be able to gain support from Indian Malaysians, and to improve the living conditions and standard of this minority community remains to be seen.
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