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30,000 Hindraf protesters rally in KL streets

November 25th, 2007
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30,000 Hindraf protesters rally in KL streets
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75250
Nov 25, 07 10:22am

About 30,000 protesters demonstrated under the shadows of Kuala Lumpur’s iconic Twin Towers after their efforts to petition the British High Commission was thwarted by the police with tear gas and chemical-laced water cannon.

The protesters had attempted to gather outside the high commission early this morning but thousands were pushed back by the riot police to outside a two-kilometre radius of the venue.

Crowds quickly grew at various points in the city, and were blocked by police and Federal Reserve Unit officers.

At its height, there is an estimated 30,000 people scattered over a number of areas in the vicinty of the high commission.

An estimated 10,000 gathered along Jalan Ampang, near Hotel Maya, with a further 5,000 on Jalan P Ramlee just before Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).

Another 10,000 demonstraters were at the Jalan Tun Razak-Jalan Ampang interchange.

About 5,000 people were stopped at the Jalan Ampang and Middle-Ring-Road intersection.

The protesters – a mix of young and old Indian Malaysians – seemed to have come from all over the country.

At about 10am, the crowd along Jalan Ampang, near Hotel Maya, were addressed with loudhailers by Hindraf leaders, including P Uthayakumar. PKR information chief Tian Chua and DAP leader Ronnie Liu also addressed the rally.

, the Hindraf leaders ended their speeches. But thousands of protesters continue to mill around the KLCC areas playing a cat-and-mouse game with the police water cannon.

However at 11am, the crowd has moved from KLCC to edge closer to the British High Commission. Thousands faced off riot police at the key Jalan Ampang and Jalan Tun Razak intersection near Ampang Park. 

At 1pm, after negotiations with the police, Uthayakumar arrived to give a short speech and urged the crowd to disperse peacefully. The crowd was seen walking back down towards Jalan Sultan Ismail, away from the British High Commission. 

'This is outrageous'

Hindraf leader A Sivanesan condemned the police for turning Kuala Lumpur into a war zone.

"Things are getting out of hand. We blame the police. They have beaten women and children. This is outrageous," he told Malaysiakini.

Lawyer Haris Ibrahim, a member of the Bar Council monitoring team, was stunned by the heavy-handed police action against the protesters.

"I'm not happy with the way the police are handling the crowd,' he said. 

DAP member of parliament M Kulasegaran was also upset with the crackdown.

"Over the last 50 years Indian have been marginalised in this country. And we now want the same rights as enjoyed by other communities," he told AFP.

"They have no right to stop us from protesting today. This is the will of the people," he added.

Petition to Queen Elizabeth II

The planned protest is to support a US$4-trillion (RM14-trillion) lawsuit by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) against Malaysia's former colonial power for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years.

Furthermore, the suit sought a declaration that the Reid Commission Report 1957 failed to incorporate the rights of the Indian community when independence was granted, resulting in discrimination and marginalisation to this day.

The quantum being sought is about US$2 million for every Indian currently residing in Malaysia.

Following the filing of the suit, Hindraf held nationwide roadshows explaining to grassroots about the case.

Coupled with their work to prevent rampant state-sanctioned demolition of Hindu temples, Hindraf won over a wave of support for their cause.

Today's memorandum was to petition Queen Elizabeth II to appoint a Queen's counsel to argue the case on their behalf.

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NST editorial condemns hindraf rally

November 23rd, 2007
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I think if there was no police, it would have been more peaceful. many people are complaining of roadblocks all over klang valley, which is quite unneccesary. children nearly miss SPM exams, many people turn up late for work. Why have roadblocks two working days before the event? this is not like during Bersih campaign, which the preceding Thursday was Deepavali and many took leave on Friday. Thus, it looks like the police are the one causing distress, not Hindraf, which have a good record of gatherings, unlike political parties like PAS, PKR, UMNO etc.

Publicity stunt or not, it seems important enough for NST to comment on it. Syabas to Hindraf!

I don't think its a competition with BERSIH rally since these dates were announced much earlier and one can never predict how many people will turn up eventually. Oh..the editor forgot to mention the Bar Council's march. So, BERSIH followed the lawyers?

I suppose another pathetic attempt to pull wool over one's eyes.

Comment by NST editorial.

Editorial: Call off that rally

http://www.nst.com.my/Friday/Columns/2090881/Article/index_html

THE law is clear: no police permit, no public assembly. So the non-governmental group Hindu Rights Action Force appears prepared to break the law this weekend, declaring it will proceed with a planned rally at the British High Commission without a permit.

Ostensibly, the rally is to ask Queen Elizabeth II to appoint lawyers to represent the Indians of Malaysia in a US$4 trillion (RM 28 trillion) suit filed against Her Majesty's Government.

Already, Hindraf's suit – seeking damages of STG1 million for every Indian in Malaysia for 150 years of oppression – has been consigned to the "Odd News" bin of international coverage. To proceed with the rally this weekend, when the queen will be in Uganda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, smacks of a publicity stunt.

Surely, if Hindraf truly believed its claims have merit, it would see the process through the UK courts. Surely if it had genuine grievances, then patience, and some semblance of dignity, is really what is needed. Surely if there was really US$4 trillion in damages at stake, raising funds to cover the legal costs would be a cinch?

To gather 10,000 people to present a piece of paper in Kuala Lumpur taints the whole enterprise as frivolous. Why hold the rally? Why put thousands before police lines when its own leaders have warned of signs there are groups out to cause trouble?
No doubt that many Indians are not doing well, that an underclass, and not just of Indians, may be forming. No doubt Hindraf has the right to express its opinions in ways that do not break the law. This planned rally comes just two weeks after the Bersih demonstrations, the Pas-dominated show of strength which brought parts of the capital to a standstill, perhaps just to show it could. Civil groups should not be like children who on discovering their first swear word think it's exciting, and cool, to keep using it.

Malaysia is no dysfunctional state. The machinery of government works, excruciatingly slowly sometimes, but it is serviceable. The political process works, not painlessly but it is viable. It allows for reform and for change, through the ballot box and through dialogue.

So the country's laws are valid and should be respected – there's no such thing as "being forced" to hold an illegal assembly. Citizens cannot pick and choose which laws they find expedient to obey.

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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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MIC reacts

October 8th, 2007
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One good thing about the leaders fighting with each other, plus the efforts of various individuals and organisations, is the drastic action taken by MIC especially. The exposure on issues affecting the Indian community now sees MIC moving into hyperdrive (wonder how long that will last). They realise that the must be SEEN doing the work as well. For long periods of time, the leaders may be able to hoodwink the public, but not for all the time. Some of the suggestions (which hopefully will not remain as that) are:

set up a “road map” for Tamil schools

"submit our proposal to ask for 80 new Tamil schools"

single mothers would be asked to join cooking classes

Samy Vellu: Active, aggressive candidates to be chosen

source

By ZULKIFLI ABD RAHMAN

KUALA LUMPUR: The MIC will introduce many new faces in the next general election, party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said. He added that candidates chosen would be those who have been active and aggressive in their party work. “I don’t want to give any shocks, because the present MIC MPs have been there for one or two terms only. “We have not decided how many candidates will be chosen by the party,” he said after chairing a closed-door interactive session with MIC division and branch leaders on preparations for the general election here yesterday.
He said the party, which has over 650,000 registered voters, aims to get as many votes as possible for Barisan Nasional. 

On the closed-door session, Samy Vellu said he had advised them to accept differing views on improving the livelihood of the Indian community. He also directed them to set up a “road map” for Tamil schools in the country. “I’ve directed them to submit to me the names of Indian estate workers who have moved out to housing estates and who need to provide education for their children. “We will submit our proposal to ask for 80 new Tamil schools to be built in housing estates,” he added. Samy Vellu also said single mothers would be asked to join cooking classes to be set up by the party soon. “Many of them earn less than RM250 per month, and the classes will help them earn extra income by setting up businesses,” he added. 

On another matter, Samy Vellu said the MIC”s support from the Indian community would not waver even with the formation of new political parties to attract the Indians. “Many parties have come and gone, but MIC still remains the strongest Indian party,” he said when asked to comment on the formation of the Malaysian Indian United Party by Datuk K.S. Nallakaruppan, who left Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) recently. Nallakaruppan had quit PKR on May 25 following a rift with its de facto leader and his former best friend Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

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Nalla forms new party

October 7th, 2007
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MIC
IPF
MIUP

just for 1.8 million people (probably 900,000 voters)?

Nalla forms new party to ‘help uplift lot of Indians’

source

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk K.S. Nallakaruppan, who left Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) a dejected man, has formed a new political party for the Indian community. Known as the Malaysian Indian United Party (MIUP), the party aims to uplift the Indian community especially at the grassroots level by providing better living and health standards, helping youngsters and fighting corruption, he said. Nalla, as he is popularly known, quit PKR on May 25 this year following a rift with de facto leader and then best friend Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was also his former tennis partner. He left after being asked to withdraw from the race for the PKR vice-presidency despite having a high number of nominations. 

“I joined PKR in August last year hoping to serve for the betterment of the Indian community but realised it was not the right platform. “The party had limited or no interest at all in helping the Indian community,” he said yesterday during a press conference to announced the new party. Nalla said he had travelled across the country over the past few months and decided to set up the party following advice and suggestions from friends, supporters and the grassroots. “We feel there is room for another Indian-based party and the MIUP can fill that vacuum with great success,” said Nalla, who was MIC deputy youth leader in the 1980s. MIUP, he said, became a registered party on Sept 14 and would be launched next month when the party line-up and manifesto would be announced. 

The MIUP president said it had more than 100 registered members and was confident of recruiting 20,000 more over the next four months. Nalla said the party is independent but was open to discussions with Barisan Nasional or the opposition. Nalla said he was not forming the party because of the next general election. “I will contest only if my supporters want me to,” he said. Also present was former PKR youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor, who said he had turned up to support his long-time friend. “As the Gerak chairman, we are open to any party that fights corruption and we are confident this party will do just that,” he added.

Nalla sets up his party
source
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Parti Keadilan Rakyat Kepong division chairman Datuk S. Nallakaruppan announced the formation of a new party — the Malaysian Indian United Party (MUIP) — yesterday. 

The 61-year-old businessman named himself MIUP president and said he hoped to sign up 20,000 members within three months. The party was registered on Sept 14. Nalla said when the party is officially launched at the Putra World Trade Centre next month, it would have about 5,000 pioneer members.  “My aim is simple. I want to help and upgrade the Indian community in general,” he said at his Taman Duta home. Nalla said he was willing to work with any political party, be it from Barisan Nasional or the opposition.

“We feel there is room for another Indian-based party in our political sphere and believe MIUP can fill that vacuum with great success.” Asked if he was planning to stand for the forthcoming general election, Nalla said he was considering it. Nalla was at one time a close associate of Keadilan adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He failed to be nominated for the Ijok by-election in April and was instructed by Anwar to withdraw from the contest for the party’s vice-presidency despite obtaining the second highest number of nominations. On May 25, Nalla quit Keadilan along with eight others, claiming Indians were given less opportunity in the party and that promises made to him had not been honoured. Nalla was invited by Anwar to join Keadilan in August last year.

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