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Uthayakumar arrested this morning

December 11th, 2007
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Uthayakumar arrested this morning
http://www5.malaysiakini.com/news/75895
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Dec 11, 07 10:18am

Lawyer P Uthayakumar was arrested this morning in Bangsar and taken to the Jalan Duta Sessions Courts in Kuala Lumpur.

His fiancee S Indradevi who was with him during the arrest told Malaysiakini that Uthayakumar was not informed of the reason of his arrest.

She said two police cars stopped Uthayakumar’s car at about 9.20am opposite the Bangsar Shopping Complex and four plainclothes policemen rushed at him before grabbing him.

“They just told us that he was being taken to Jalan Duta. I was really scared. I am still trembling in fear from what happened this morning,” she said by telephone.

Lawyer M Manoharan said the arrest could be related to Uthayakumar’s role in the rally organised by Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) on Nov 25.

“I believed he will be charged for illegal assembly. There could be more arrests coming later in the day,” he said when contacted.

At the same time, Manoharan is also not ruling out a charge under the Sedition Act for Uthayakumar, over a speech he had made in July at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. This was Hindraf’s first public gathering.

Uthayakumar is Hindraf’s legal adviser. The rally – to highlight the marginalisation of the Indian Malaysian community – attracted about 30,000 people.

Last week, 31 of the protesters were charged with the attempted murder of a policeman. They were also charged with causing mischief. Sixteen of them were charged with illegal gathering as well.

Another round of arrests has been threatened by the police.

Uthayakumar and two other Hindraf leaders – P Waythamoorthy and V Ganabatirau – are currently out on bail on a sedition charge. Yesterday, the Shah Alam High Court ruled that the discharge order for the trio made two weeks ago was made in error.

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Datin Paduka Mother Mangalam and Datuk Komala

December 11th, 2007
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Today being Sultan of Selangor's birthday, the list of award recipients includes Mother Mangalam, Sister Enda, and also Komala Devi. The latter is given Datukship while the others are award Datin Paduka titles. Excerpts from the news article below.

Selangor Sultan's Birthday: Mangalam and Sister Enda on honours list
Neville Spykerman
source

KLANG: Social worker Mother Mangalam Iyaswamy Iyer and former principal Sister Enda Ryan will be conferred the Dato' Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (DSIS) today.

The title, which carries the title of Datin Paduka for women, will be awarded by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah in conjunction with his 62nd birthday.

Mangalam, 81, is the president of the Pure Life Society and Enda, 79, is the founder and first principal of the Assunta Secondary School.

The sultan will be awarding only 34 Datukships.

Mangalam was born on May 17, 1926 in Singapore and educated at the Raffles Girls School and the Saradhamani Girls School.

She was conferred the honorary title of "Mother" by the Pure Life Society board in 1986, because she has been a mother to numerous orphans and underprivileged children who came to the society.

Sister Enda was born Eileen Philomena Ryan, in a village called Galbally in Limerick County, Ireland.

She entered the convent after finishing school at 18 and joined the Order of the Franciscan Missionary of Mary. She arrived in Malaya in 1954.

She was conferred Tokoh Guru Selangor in 1990 and was awarded an Honorary Master of Arts degree by the National University of Ireland, Galway, for her contribution to education in Malaysia in 2005.
….

Fifteen people will receive the Dato' Paduka Mahkota Selangor (DPMS) which carries the title Datuk for men and Datin Paduka for women.
…
Also receiving the award are state legal adviser Datuk Zauyah Be Loth Khan, Education Ministry parliamentary secretary P. Komala Devi and International Islamic University law faculty dean Professor Datuk Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin.

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khir toyo meets padang jawa folks

December 9th, 2007
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"Let’s put the Hindraf episode behind us and move forward to find a better life for all."

– and don't forget to vote for me or my friends in next election!

" Later last night, during a 60 minute live interview over RTM1, Dr Khir clarified that the Kampung Rimba Jaya Hindu temple was demolished after the Deepavali festival. “There is a misunderstanding. A lot of people thought the temple was demolished before Deepavali. But, it was demolished on Nov 15,” he said adding that the temple was built on private land."

Read what Thanish says on the events that took place on 30th October 2007. 15 November comes after 30 October, doesn't it? An article in my blog quotes Selangor State Govt's official website that says the date of demolition is 30th October 2007. There's another statement here too. Samy Vellu also nearly cancelled Deepavali open house. Did he get the dates wrong as well?

Move forward, Dr Khir tells Kampung Rimba folk

source

Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo greeting the residents of Kampung Rimba Jaya in Shah Alam yesterday.

SHAH ALAM: Let’s put the Hindraf episode behind us and move forward to find a better life for all.

This was the message Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo had for the people, especially those in Kampung Rimba Jaya here, yesterday. Meeting the people here for the first time since the controversial demolition of a temple in the squatter settlement last month, the Selangor menteri besar said the people should not be taken in by the claims of the movement. He said the people of Rimba Jaya were now staying in council homes provided by the state in Shah Alam and they could continue to do so until their low-cost homes were built. The council homes are flats owned by the state in Section 26 and the tenants could stay there rent-free, he added.

“Do not worry. I will not let anyone sleep under the bridge. It’ll be a shame for me if that happens. The government will never neglect the Indians.”

On the demolished temple, Dr Khir said the developer had given RM40,000 to the temple committee to build a new one at the site given by the developer.

He said the people should not fret about having to move into low-cost homes, saying it was a first step towards better things. For those who were not eligible for bank loans, he said there were other avenues such as the Housing and Local Government Ministry, state Islamic Religious Council and other state agencies.

Speaking on the impact of the recent illegal rallies in the city, Dr Khir said two Taiwanese investors had put on hold their plans to come to Selangor.

Later last night, during a 60 minute live interview over RTM1, Dr Khir clarified that the Kampung Rimba Jaya Hindu temple was demolished after the Deepavali festival. “There is a misunderstanding. A lot of people thought the temple was demolished before Deepavali. But, it was demolished on Nov 15,” he said adding that the temple was built on private land. He said the temple committee had agreed with the relocation and added that: “The temple issue had been settled.” “The problem is Hindraf followers instigated others to take the law into their own hands and did not allow the priest to go into the temple.”

He said the squatters in the area would also be moving to their new homes by end of this year or beginning of next year. They will move to low-cost units with proper kindergartens, Hindu temple, surau, community hall and other facilities, he added. “So there is no issue of the temple or not helping the community. The state government helps all races,” he said. He also said the politics of hate should be rejected by all.

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US panel expresses concern over discrimination

December 8th, 2007
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US panel concerned over temple demolitions
http://www5.malaysiakini.com/news/75763
Dec 7, 07 11:06am

A US Congress-appointed commission has expressed concern over the destruction of Hindu temples and other forms of alleged discrimination faced by religious minorities in Malaysia.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom urged the administration of President George W Bush to raise the matter with Kuala Lumpur and "insist that immediate measures be taken to protect sacred sites and prevent further destruction".

It expressed concern over recent Malaysian government actions against the Indian Hindu minority "curtailing their human rights, including the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion".

"Continued discrimination against members of the ethnic Indian Hindu minority, including the destruction of sacred places and images, only fuels religious unrest and intolerance," said commission chairperson Michael Cromartie.

At least 30,000 Indians protested on the streets of Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25 to highlight racial and religious discrimination by the Muslim Malay-dominated government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The Hindu Rights Action Force, which organised the rally, has claimed that, on average, one temple is demolished every three weeks.

Police dispersed the crowd with water cannon and tear gas, and witnesses said some demonstrators were beaten with batons.

The ISA threat

Abdullah has since accused Indian activists of stirring up racial conflict and threatened to use a draconian security law to detain protestors indefinitely without trial.

The US commission, a non-partisan panel appointed by the US president and leaders of Congress, noted that in late October, Malaysian authorities demolished a 100-year-old temple in Selangor.

The panel asked the Bush administration to get an assurance from the Malaysian authorities that no charges would be filed against the organiser of the demonstrations.

"Malaysia should ensure that internationally protected rights to peaceful assembly, expression, and freedom of thought, conscience and religion are protected," it said.

The commission also noted that Kuala Lumpur's Syariah courts have expanded their jurisdiction in recent years, threatening secular civil courts and the country's commitment to religious pluralism.

"[…] the Syariah courts have weighed in on a number of high-profile cases involving conversion, marriage, divorce, child custody, and burial rights of non-Muslims," it added.

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Hindraf should get its language right

December 8th, 2007
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Ethnic cleansing: Hindraf should get its language right
http://www5.malaysiakini.com/letters/75796
Josef Roy Benedict | Dec 7, 07 5:30pm

The debate and the government’s harsh response to the Hindraf rally continues. In my opinion, it is important for Hindraf to get its language right before they embark on a global campaign to highlight their concerns about the discriminatory treatment of Indians in Malaysia.

For example, their memorandum calls for Malaysia to be referred to a world court and the International Criminal Court. Firstly, a world court does not exist. The closest we have to a world court is the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which is located in the Hague. It settles disputes between states in accordance with international law.

Only states can bring cases before the ICJ. Individuals, groups and NGOs are excluded. Even state parties have to consent before being brought to the court. The ICJ has no special mandate to adjudicate claims involving human rights violations. It deals with the rights of individuals only to the extent that they are implicated by an interstate dispute.

Secondly, the International Criminal Court (ICC) deals with issues of crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and crimes of aggression. It can only exercise jurisdiction if the accused is a national of a state party or if the crime was committed on the territory of the state party. Therefore, no state or even the United Nations would be able to take the case to the ICC as Malaysia has not ratified the Rome Statute and is not a state party.

Thirdly, ‘ethnic cleansing’ is a strong claim to make. They need to show that there has been an attempt "to remove a people and often all traces of them from a concrete territory" or "rendering an area ethnically homogeneous by using force or intimidation to remove from a given area persons of another ethnic or religious group." I believe this would be impossible to prove and that "dramatising” the issue would not help the cause of Indians in Malaysia.

If there is sincerity to bring substantive change to the situation of Indians and other marginalised groups in Malaysia, we must use a rights-based language and approach. We must show how Barisan National's policies have systematically violated the principles of non-discrimination and equality enshrined in international human rights standards. Through well-researched reports we need to show how these policies have affected a range of vulnerable and marginalised groups in Malaysia. With this research, we can then start lobbying, campaigning and mobilising people at the national level.

Only then can we also go to the international community and NGOs to make a credible case for international pressure on these issues. Once again, it is crucial for Hindraf to get its language right and to use a rights-based approach. Any allegations or assertions should be backed up with credible research. Or else it will undermine all those who have supported their cause as well as make it hard to convince, not just the international community, but even Malaysians to support its cause.

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