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samy vellu at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas India

January 8th, 2008
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The MIC, he said, had submitted several memoranda to the Government on the issues even before the Hindraf rally. “We don’t go to the streets to demonstrate. They (Hindraf) submitted a one-page memorandum, alleging that the Indians were marginalised, without giving any specifics,” he said.

What memoranda and what is the status? Or is it OSA protected?

Samy Vellu said the Government had set up a committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to look into the problems of the Indians.

What committee is that? Surely it has a name right? Funny enough there was no mention of any committee headed by DPM Najib specially for Indians. Or did I miss anything?

Indian media 'grills' Samy Vellu

source

By A. LETCHUMANAN

NEW DELHI: MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu was “grilled” by the Indian media over allegations that Malaysian Indians were marginalised. 

While he was speaking to the Malaysian media, the local press as well as foreign media butted in and raised questions on the Nov 25 illegal rally by Hindraf and issues such as discrimination and marginalisation of Indians. Samy Vellu, who is also the Works Minister, patiently replied to the questions for more than 30 minutes. 

Later, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2008, he said there was no demonstration or violence in the country as claimed by certain quarters. 

“It was a gathering by a group calling itself Hindraf. It is not a registered body or a union,” he said. He said the organiser of Hindraf was not in the country while the others were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). 

Samy Vellu reiterated that the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had looked after the interests of the Indian community. 

The MIC, he said, had submitted several memoranda to the Government on the issues even before the Hindraf rally. “We don’t go to the streets to demonstrate. They (Hindraf) submitted a one-page memorandum, alleging that the Indians were marginalised, without giving any specifics,” he said. 

Samy Vellu said the Government had set up a committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to look into the problems of the Indians. “They (the Government) are giving more opportunities for Indians in civil sector employment, more funding for small businesses and other sectors,” he said. 

He also said a demonstration by 10,000 people did not mean the country faced an unrest. “Unrest means the whole community getting together and causing problems. This is not happening there,” he said, adding that the majority of the Indians were peace-loving and supported the Government. 

MIC also distributed copies of a booklet entitled Malaysian Indians — Then & Now, outlining the history and development of the community in the last 140 years to the 1,500 delegates of the conference as well as the Indian media. The colourful 20-page booklet also contains the Indian community’s representation in the government and civil service, education, Tamil schools, tertiary education and religion.

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PKR Gobala hits back at Nalla

January 8th, 2008
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Earlier, Nalla condemned Anwar. Now, PKR man Gobalakrishnan comes out with some truths on Nalla himself. How long will this drama last? Yaare vaithu yaaru komedi pannarange? (who is making a joke of who?)

'Hypocritical' Nalla rapped for changing tune
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/76806
Terence Netto | Jan 8, 08 3:38pm

The anti-Anwar Ibrahim tirade unleashed in recent weeks by MIC President S Samy Vellu, joined by the chief of the new formed Malaysian Indian United Party, KS Nallakaruppan, has drawn a scathing response from PKR supreme council member N Gobalakrishnan.

Gobalakrishnan, a staunch canvasser of Indian support for PKR, said Nallakaruppan’s latest salvo against the former deputy prime minister in today’s editions of Tamil Nesan and Makkal Osai was particularly hard to take because of what the MIUP leader has said in public and in private about Anwar in the past.

Among other criticisms, Nallakaruppan was reported by the two Tamil dailies as lambasting Anwar for hoodwinking the Indians by presently showing sympathy for their plight when he had nothing to display as proof of that empathy while he was the powerful finance minister and deputy prime minister from when he was in the government.

In remarks to Malaysiakini, Gobalakrishnan said he found this broadside by Nallakaruppan particularly galling because of what the latter had told him after one budget presentation in the 1990s by the then Finance Minister Anwar that exempted temple products from tax.

“He told me that Anwar had called him before tabling the budget to talk about the tax exemption. Nallakaruppan said that Anwar would call him before presenting the budget to parliament to chat with him about aspects of the budget that would help the Indian community,” said Gobalakrishnan.

In all, Anwar tabled eight budgets in Parliament between 1990 and 1997. He was sacked from the cabinet and Umno in September 1998, two months before what would have been his ninth budget.

Gobalakrishnan further disclosed that in 2004, he and Nallakaruppan met up in Munich while both were visiting Anwar who was in the Bavarian capital for surgery by a renowned orthopedic surgeon for a back problem.

“I remember what Nallakaruppan told me in Munich – that he believed Anwar would be the saviour of the Indian community in Malaysia,” recalled Gobalakrishnan.

“That is the same thing Nallakaruppan reiterated at the function PKR held at the Hotel Istana in Kuala Lumpur to welcome him into the party when he joined us in the later part of 2006. He told the gathering that he would get one hundred thousand Indians to join PKR. In the event, he barely garnered two thousand,” said Gobalakrishnan.

Anwar sympathetic to all

As preamble, Gobalakrishnan, 48, said he had known Nallakaruppan since “our childhood days in Sitiawan in the 1960s.”

“Nalla was my senior in the youth wing of MIC,” said Gopalakrishnan who between 1985 and 1999 was secretary general of MIC Youth. Gopalakrishnan joined PKR in April 1999 when the party was formed.

“There was a rift between Nallakaruppan and Samy Vellu in 1987 over a corporate matter,” continued Gopalakrishnan.

“After that, Nallakaruppan was afraid for his safety and drew even closer to Anwar whom he has known for thirty years. For him to say what he has been saying about Anwar in recent weeks is hypocritical and shows his lack of integrity,” said Gopalakrishnan.

“Just because Anwar did not support Nalla’s aspirations for a vice presidential slot in the PKR hierarchy does not mean he should forget all what has transpired between him and Anwar and all what he has said and felt about Anwar in the past,” he added.

Nallakaruppan attempted last May to contest for a veep’s positon in PKR elections but withdrew when Anwar demurred. He left the party in a huff, muttering recriminations against Anwar and went on to form MIUP.

Gobalakrishnan asserted: “Anwar is not being hypocritical in the matter of his sympathy for Indians. As a matter of fact he is sympathetic to all, irrespective of race, who are poor and in need of state help to alleviate their plight.”

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mic youth rejected in kulim

January 8th, 2008
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It seemed that there were far more protestors than the supporters who attended the MIC Youth's talk/meeting.

'Opposition 'using Hindraf 'for own ends'

source

KULIM: Opposition parties are using Hindu Action Rights Force (Hindraf) supporters for their own political agenda, says MIC Youth. 

MIC Youth chief S.A. Vigneswaran said the Opposition, especially Parti Keadilan Rakyat, had never championed the cause of the Indians in the country and were using Hindraf supporters to garner support for the next election. 

"It is only recently after the Hindraf issue that they started speaking for the Indians. It is all a ploy to fish for votes," he said. 

"Indians must be very careful of their ulterior motives," he told reporters after meeting IPF Youth leaders and members from Baling, Kulim and Padang Serai here on Sunday night. Also present was IPF Youth chief R. Ravishankar. 

MIC and IPF Youth wings have recently joined hands to look into the problems of Indians in the country. 

Vigneswaran said the Indians must realise that it was only by consultation and negotiation that their grievances and problems could be solved effectively. 

"We are aware that there are many Indians who are unhappy over various things. But letting themselves to be used by the Opposition is not the right way to achieve their goals," he said. 

Earlier, more than 100 Hindraf supporters gathered with placards and banners along the road leading to the IPF meeting hall in Paya Besar here, shouting at Vigneswaran and his entourage when he arrived for the meeting. 

Kulim acting OCPD Deputy Supt Ghuzlan Saleh said more than 30 personnel members in four trucks from the Public Order Riot Unit were deployed there to be on standby, adding that a man in his late 20s was detained and released later for being unruly. 

He said the crowd dispersed at about 11.30pm

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MIBA Sivakumar talks about the positives of Hindraf rally

January 7th, 2008
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Silver lining of Hindraf rally

http://malaysiakini.com/news/76766

RK Anand | Jan 7, 08 3:45pm

On Nov 25 last year, some 30,000 people reportedly flooded the streets in Kuala Lumpur to participate in a rally. 

The massive turnout caught everybody by surprise, including the organiser – Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

In a knee-jerk response, government leaders called it an act of extremism, arguing that all is well with the Indian community and hence there was no other motive, except for a sinister one, for such a rally.

Scores were arrested, while five Hindraf leaders, four of whom lawyers, are being held under the Internal Security Act (ISA). The five were accused of having links with terrorist groups, a charge they have vehemently denied.

However, as the days passed, there seemed to be an official recognition of the problems faced by the Indian community. Suddenly, all was not well after all.

Even MIC and its leaders acquiesced, carefully pointing out the leaks that needed to be plugged.

Positive side

"This is the positive side of the Hindraf rally," argued Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) president P Sivakumar. 

"This must be acknowledged. It is because of the five individuals locked up under ISA that so many things are moving now," he told Malaysiakini today.

"These professionals, who could have led comfortable lives, were forced to shoulder this issue because the groups tasked with helping the Indians failed miserably. They have sacrificed their freedom for this," he added.

On the momentum of change stoked by Hindraf, Sivakumar said since the Nov 25 rally, there have been some positive developments.

The most notable, he pointed out, is that it has united the Indian community. Apart from this, he said numerous meetings and assurances followed.

"For example, the special meeting between Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Indian non-governmental organisations on Dec 14," added Sivakumar, who was present at the meeting.

He said MIC and its president S Samy Vellu, who have come under intense pressure, are now forced to act for the betterment of the Indian community.

"Not to forget Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo meeting with Hindu groups over the issue of temple demolitions and the prime minister also giving an assurance concerning this.

"The premier, in his winding up speech during the special meeting, also acknowledged that help was not trickling down and promised to look into improving the delivery system.

"After three generations of Indian Malaysian parents selling off their assets to educate their children, there is now hope of more educational grants and loans coming forth.

"There is also hope that all races in Malaysia will one day be treated equally. Why did all of these happen? Because of the Hindraf rally," he noted.

'New champions' 

Sivakumar also pointed out that the rally gave rise to 'new champions' of the Indian community and some of them are branding the rally as a form of extremism.

"But where would these new champions be if not for the rally?" he asked.

In view of this, Sivakumar urged all parties, including the media, to stop using the word extremism to describe the rally.

"This is an unkind term which should not be used," he said, calling the rally a "just cause" born out of "bottled-up frustration".

"The rally, which was meant to be peaceful, was an eye opener, it got everybody talking. It even captured the world's attention," he added.

Critics have lambasted Hindraf and its leaders for making claims, which they said, bordered on extremism and could lead to racial tensions.

Chief among these are the claims that the government has marginalised the Indian community and subjected them to ethnic cleansing.

'No evidence' 

In a related development, Samy Vellu told Indian television station NDTV that the Hindraf five are held under ISA on 'suspicion' of having terrorist links, namely with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The veteran politician said this when asked if the government has evidence to back the accusation.

Below is an excerpt from the Jan 2 interview.

NDTV: Do you have any evidence to back your government's charge that Hindraf has links with terrorists?

Samy Vellu: Hindraf said they would fight like the Tigers (LTTE), the way the Tigers are fighting in Sri Lanka. It was by (Hindraf chairperson) P Waythamoorthy. After he talked like that, we did an investigation and it was felt that he may have gone there for training.

NDTV: Do you have evidence of this?

Samy Vellu: No. It is our suspicion.

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hindraf and war of roses

January 7th, 2008
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However, it is expected that the police will declare the gathering of 10,000 illegal – with or without roses.

without doubt, it will be not given a permit. national security, traffic congestion, application must be made by organisation, thugs may cause violence etc. will be the reasons. Valid reasons of course. if many policemen and FRUs are assigned to parliment, lack of security may increase criminal activities in other places; traffic jam due to roadblock and road closures; Hindraf is not registered organisation; anyone can join the crowd and cause mayhem.

anyway, i suppose being a non-working day and the parliment not in session yet, PM or his representative won't be around. Probably the organisers can ask everyone to pass by and leave the flowers there between 7am and 2pm or so. this will reduce the probability of traffic jam and violence instigated by other people. just put some large baskets to put the flowers in. later the Parliment police can easily dispose of it, or even resell it to the florists. make some side money la…

anyway, looking at the current support for hindraf, i think there will be much more than 10000 people wanting to give PM a rose. 20K? 30K? 40K?

Hindraf declares war… of roses
http://malaysiakini.com/news/76787
Syed Jaymal Zahiid | Jan 7, 08 7:18pm

Its leaders have been demonised and detained, its supporters labeled as misguided, and its grievances dismissed as ‘extreme’.

So what does Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) have up its sleeves to make known its plight and that of the Indian community?

Roses. Lots and lots of them. And for whom? Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. 

In a statement from London today, Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy said 10,000 Indians bearing red and yellow roses will converge in February at the Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur to petition Abdullah on issues affecting the Indian community.

Red roses to signify the ‘love and peace’ with which Hindraf brings its message, yellow roses to signify the demand for justice for five of Hindraf’s leaders – including Waytha’s brother Uthayakumar – who are currently held under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Waythamoorthy said the yellow roses also symbolise the ‘cry for justice’ emanating from the Indian community on the whole that ‘has been neglected for the last 50 years’.

Abdullah, as internal security minister, had signed the orders for the detention of the ‘Hindraf 5' under the ISA – which provides for detention without trial. They were accused of being a threat to national security.

‘The heart bleeds’

Waythamoorthy said Hindraf aims to unleash its ‘flower power’ and bring its message of love, peace and justice in conjunction with Valentine’s Day.

However, the roses for Abdullah will only be delivered two days later on Feb 16.

‘The heart of the Indian community bleeds on the incarceration of their leaders under the ISA. It is hoped by accepting the roses, the prime minister would be compassionate and understand the needs of the Indian community,” said Waythamoorthy.

Requesting Abdullah to “make himself available” to the petitioners, Waythamoorthy said Hindraf hopes the prime minister would be more compassionate.

“It is hoped that by accepting the roses, the prime minister would be compassionate and understand the needs of the Indian community,” he said.

However, it is expected that the police will declare the gathering of 10,000 illegal – with or without roses.

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