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Ponggal message from MIC and PPP

January 15th, 2008
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“When we speak with one voice, we will achieve our goals. When we act with one determination, nothing can stop us from fulfilling our dreams.”

– like what Hindraf rally did?

Palanivel said Indians came to this blessed country not hoping that someone would give them "free money", but to work hard and create a better future for themselves and future generations.

– meaning there are people in this country getting free money, but others cannot expect the same?

Speak with one voice, Indians told

source

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Indians must unite for the good of everyone because it is the key to their future, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said yesterday. 

He said they must work as a team and not allow themselves to become tools of those who wish to split the community for their own agenda.  “There are many more things to be done, many more challenges to overcome,” he said in a press statement in conjunction with Ponggal festival, which begins today.  

“When we speak with one voice, we will achieve our goals. When we act with one determination, nothing can stop us from fulfilling our dreams.”  

He added the party would never bow to pressure because the MIC existed solely for the well-being of the Indian community.  

Samy Vellu said the community must appreciate all opportunities given to them and make full use of them. “As we work towards attaining our dreams and goals, we must not forget those who are in need of help – the poor and the disabled,” he said. 

Samy Vellu: Let's unite to harvest good future

source

KUALA LUMPUR: Harvest a good future through unity.

That, in essence, is Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu's Ponggal message to Malaysians, especially those of Indian origin. As unity is the key to a good future, the MIC president urged them to be united and strengthen their ties to work as a team, and with one voice.

"We must not allow ourselves to become tools of those who wish to split the community for their own agenda," Samy Vellu, who is also works minister, said yesterday.

Ponggal (Harvest Festival), which will be observed by Malaysian Hindus today, is a celebration to thank God for a good harvest and offer gratitude to nature.

"There are many more things to be done, many more challenges to overcome. So, let us unite for the good of everyone. Unity is our strength. "When we speak with one voice, we will achieve our goals. When we act with one determination, nothing can stop us from fulfilling our dreams," Samy Vellu said in a statement.

In this context, he added, the MIC would continue to safeguard the rights and interests of all Indians in the country, and "we will never fall because we know the people are behind us".

He said the largest Indian-based political party in the country would not bow to any pressure from any quarters because it believed that its sole existence is for the well-being of Malaysians of Indian origin. "We will continue to fight for the betterment of our community and nation. This is our pledge, this is our mission and this is our destiny," added Samy Vellu.

Meanwhile, MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel, in his Ponggal message, urged Malaysians of Indian origin to work hard and strive for a better future, not just for themselves but also for the future generation. "You can only reap what you sow…if we work hard now, then this hard work will be translated into greater benefits and these benefits are not only for us, but the future generation, as well."

Palanivel said Indians came to this blessed country not hoping that someone would give them "free money", but to work hard and create a better future for themselves and future generations. "They believed in this principle. They did well and we are now enjoying a good life, but we must strive harder to create a better future for our children. "Apart from this, they also transplanted the Indian culture and traditions to this soil.

"Ponggal is such a festival brought by our forefathers to this land. All our festivals have taken deep root in this country, and let us continue celebrating these festivals as our forefathers did," said Palanivel, who is also women, family and community development deputy minister.

People's Progressive Party president Datuk M. Kayveas called on the Indian community to utilise opportunities provided by the government to uplift their standard of living. He said the community should not depend on others for assistance to succeed but instead be able to capitalise and seize the chances available. Kayveas advised Indians in the country to be wary of parties taking advantage of the situation on the pretext of championing the rights of the community. — Bernama

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more on Krishnasamy assassination

January 12th, 2008
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Tenggaroh state rep gunned down

By : Sheridan Mahavera, R. Sittamparam, Kamachy Habimanan and Dean Dinesh

source

JOHOR BARU: Tenggaroh state assemblyman and Johor MIC deputy chairman Datuk S. Krishnasamy was murdered gangland-style yesterday at the MIC headquarters here.

Krishnasamy, 61, was shot once in the neck at point-blank range by an unknown gunman just as he entered the lift on the ground floor of the building at 2pm. He had been dropped off by his driver and was on his way up to the second floor for a meeting. Witnesses in the building in Jalan Segget heard a shot that sounded like a firecracker but thought nothing of it.

Two party members waiting for the lift were shocked to discover Krishnasamy lying face down in a pool of blood as the doors opened.

V. Kamala, a secretary, was on the fifth floor with Johor MIC Puteri chief R. Vitiya Mohan. They were on their way down to the second floor for the meeting. “The doors opened and Vitiya almost fainted when we saw a man lying in blood. We did not know who he was as we could not see his face. We did not dare go near the body. “The doors closed and we took the stairs down,” said Kamala at the crime scene.

On its way down, the lift stopped on the second floor where Sri Gading division chairman V. Murugan also saw the body. “I thought it was Datuk (Krishnasamy) because I recognised his shirt. But I was not sure. I was in shock and before I could do anything, the lift doors closed and I took the stairs down.”

By this time, a small group of people had gathered around the lift as it had reached the ground floor. Krishnasamy’s driver confirmed that it was him and an ambulance was called. Another witness, Taman Datuk Chellam MIC branch chairman Arumugam Suppiah, said he could see a bleeding wound in Krishnasamy’s neck.

Johor deputy police chief Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said a task force of senior investigators had been formed. “What is important is that this matter is left to the police and I urge others not to speculate on the motive. Let us do our jobs. If anyone has information, please call us.”

Krishnasamy’s body was brought to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital for a post-mortem. His body was later taken to his home in Segamat.The funeral service will begin at 2pm. The cortege will leave the house at No 5, Jln Putra 1/40 Bandar Putra at 4pm for burial in Tangkak. For further details, contact 012-7205891 or 016-7289194

Johor rep was shot point blank in the eye

source

JOHOR BARU: A man in his early 30s has been identified as the main suspect in the murder of Datuk S. Krishnasamy. Johor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Hussin Ismail said the man is Indian, medium-built and about 152cm tall. An eyewitness saw the man, who was dressed in a black shirt and jeans, running away from the state MIC headquarters in Jalan Segget here, carrying a package and a helmet, he said. “The man fled the scene in a red motorcycle heading towards Jalan Wong Ah Fook,” he told reporters at a press conference at the state police headquarters here late last night. 

DCP Hussin said police recovered a slug believed to have been fired from the murder weapon. “We are analysing the slug to trace the weapon used. We are exploring all angles in the investigation,” he said. 

DCP Hussin said police also found no trace of a struggle during the incident. “Post-mortem results showed the victim was shot once below the left eyebrow and the bullet went through to the back of his head. “He was shot point blank,” he said, adding that nothing was taken from Krishnasamy. The police have blocked all exit points in the state to prevent the suspect from escaping. “The task force for this case will go all out to nab the suspect,” DCP Hussin said. 

He said a man who was about to enter the lift on the ground floor of the building found Krishnasamy slumped and bleeding when the lift doors opened.  The man called the police who arrived at the scene within minutes, led by state deputy police chief Senior Asst Comm I Datuk Mokhtar Mohd Shariff.  There were no closed-circuit television cameras installed in the six-storey building.  It is learnt that the security guard on duty was away delivering files to another building. 

DCP Hussin urged anyone with information to contact Johor Baru (South) CID Chief Deputy Supt Norhashim Mohamad at 07-223 2222 or the police hotline at 07-221 2999. 

Johor MIC deputy chief Krishnasamy killed by hitman

source

JOHOR BARU: Tenggaroh state assemblyman Datuk S. Krishnasamy was shot dead point blank by a gunman in a lift at the state MIC headquarters in Jalan Segget here.  

The State MIC deputy head was shot once below the left eyebrow, a mark of a professional hitman. The bullet went through to the back of his head. Police are looking at all angles and have not ruled out political or business rivalry, or even money lending and gangsterism as motives. The brutal murder occurred at 2.30pm just as Krishnasamy arrived at the party headquarters for a committee meeting and had entered the lift.  The killer is said to have followed him in and shot him while they were in the lift.  

Eyewitnesses saw a man, dressed in a black shirt and jeans, running away from the building carrying a package and a helmet. He then rode off towards Jalan Wong Ah Fook on a red motorcycle. 

Johor Police Chief Deputy Comm Datuk Hussin Ismail told a late night press conference that the suspect was in his 30s, medium-built, about 152cm tall and was an Indian. Cops have thrown a dragnet around the state to prevent the killer from escaping as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi expressed his outrage and demanded that the killer be caught quickly.

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Samy Vellu blasted by other Malaysian participants

January 10th, 2008
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Samy blasted for 'lies and half-truths'
http://malaysiakini.com/news/76916
K Kabilan | Jan 10, 08 4:49pm

Several Malaysian participants at a just concluded annual meeting of the Indian diaspora in New Delhi have expressed disappointment with the 'lies and half-truths' of MIC president S Samy Vellu on the Indian community’s plight in Malaysia.

They are dismayed with Samy Vellu, who is also the works minister, for portraying a positive picture of the Indian Malaysians’ plight to the other participants of the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas'. 

The two-day conference, which ended yesterday, attracted thousands of people of Indian origin to the Indian capital.

“He was asked by everyone here as to what is happening to the Indians in Malaysia. On every occasion he told them that everything was fine and that we are doing very well,” said S Nadarajah, a Kuala-Lumpur-based management consultant who attended the meeting in his personal capacity to represent the ‘India Baru‘ (community members with a new awareness).

“He told the participants and the Indian media that there were no cases of the Indian community being marginalised in Malaysia. He kept repeating these lies and half-truths throughout the meeting,” he told Malaysiakini today.

Nadarajah also said that Samy Vellu had played down the impact created by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), stating that the movement was only interested in 'creating trouble'.

“He refused to acknowledge that Hindraf had managed to create some awareness among the Indian community in Malaysia,” added Nadarajah, who is still in New Delhi.

Samy’s angry interview

Samy Vellu, who led a 70-member delegation from Malaysia, which included several MIC leaders and local businessmen, was a guest speaker in one plenary session and had various other speaking engagements and media interviews throughout the conference.

He was also constantly mobbed by the Indian media who were keen to find out about the true situation of the Indian community in this country. In several media interviews, Samy Vellu had said that the Indian community was not being marginalised and that they were 'misled' by Hindraf.

Yesterday, in an interview on TV3, he also lashed out at several Malaysians who were eager to dispute him in New Delhi.

“Here I am telling the Indians that we are all doing well and that the Indian community in Malaysia is well taken care of and yet there are some individuals who rebut me by stating the opposite,” he told TV3.

He even named Nadarajah as one such person, claiming that he (Nadarajah) was a PPP member who had deviated from BN principles by attacking the government in India.

Nadarajah denied today that he was a PPP member. This was confirmed by PPP as well.

“I am here on my own. I am not a PPP member. And there is nothing wrong in telling the world the truth about how the Indian Malaysians are being neglected,” he said.

“If Samy Vellu thinks he can get away with his lies by turning the table against me, he is very wrong. I might even sue him for defaming me,” he added.

MIC’s misleading booklet

Another Malaysian participant said that the MIC was on a campaign in New Delhi to portray a completely wrong picture.

“They have distributed a 20-page colour booklet to all participants here on the wonderful living conditions of the Indians in Malaysia,” he said, adding that the booklet had glaringly left out so many issues involving the community.

“MIC proudly claims to be the sole custodian of the Indian community in Malaysia in the booklet. Who gave them that right? After all, it is the failure of MIC and Samy Vellu which is the root cause of the Indian community’s problems today,” added the KL-based entrepreneur.

Speaking on behalf of several other like-minded individuals, the participant also accused Samy Vellu of misinforming the Indian media.

“When the rest of us are asked about the plight of the community, we tell them the situation as it is. We tell them what Hindraf is and what happened during the Nov 25 rally. We tell them that there are areas which the Indians have been ignored by the government,” added the businessman.

He said that when Samy Vellu spoke to the Indian media, he merely brushed aside these issues and would keep repeating that the Indians in Malaysia are doing well.

“His often repeated mantra is that the government is doing all that it can to help the community, that the MIC is the sole representative of the community and that Hindraf is an irrelevant force,” he said.

Duty bound to defend

Makkal Osai‘s assistant news editor SV Muthamilmannan, who is in New Delhi for the conference, said that Malaysian participants were a hot favourite among the Indian media.

“The journalists were not just after Samy Vellu but were also interested in knowing the real situation from non-political Malaysian participants,” he told Malaysiakini.

“Some of these participants were blunt with their assessment while there were others who used the Indian media to send a message that it was time for Samy Vellu to go.

“Generally they told about how economically poor the community was and how it was being pushed further down,” he added.

The Indian newspapers and television stations have given Samy Vellu a good coverage and to balance it up, they have also given his critics some coverage too, added the veteran journalist.

A MIC leader in the Samy Vellu entourage explained that his boss was duty-bound by BN and government principles to defend the government’s records in the international arena.

“Personally, he might feel otherwise but he can never say it out in the open as he is part of the government and he has to stand by the government,” said the leader who requested anonymity.

“He is doing his duty in explaining to the Indian government and others here that the MIC is taking good care of the community. At the same time, what many don’t realise is that on the ground, the party is working very hard to address all the community’s issues,” he said.

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we expect better of our politicians says Zainul

January 9th, 2008
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he hit the point by saying:

Some say it is unfair that politicians are judged by different standards than us mere citizens, but that should be the only way to go. We are not hypocritical, nor holier-than-thou. We have been made to believe by the public figures themselves that they are good people with strong values, religious or moral.

Politicians on the stumps tell us to vote for them because they are better than the person running against them, and some even suggest that they are better than us in looking after our interests. And as such, we expect them to be so. We grant them privileges and positions, and our respect, too.

ZAINUL ARIFIN: We expect better of our politicians

By : Zainul Arifin

"CHUTZPAH", which is pronounced "hoot-spuh", is a Jewish word that suggests gall, over-confidence and utter nerve.

The meaning is best understood by an example I read somewhere — you gatecrash a party and then complain to the host that the food is not up to your standard.

I was reminded of the word as I followed the travails of former health minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, which has surely raised the level of excitement and political pulse in this new year.

What he did is now clear to everyone, even for those who have not inspected the video evidence. There is no need to since he confessed, which is an amazing event, I must say.

There was no teary-eyed confession like from some US preachers when caught breaking the commandments. It was a confident, back straight, eye-on-the-camera, "I'm the man in the sex video" performance that took the breath away.
But what was more amazing was that he inferred and suggested, in not so many words, that he was a victim of political conspiracy. He had worked hard and met a lot of people and as a result, he was seen as a threat to others, he suggested.

Dr Chua, who initially did not want to resign, said he had to, since Malaysians wanted him to leave. Their holier-than-thou attitude meant that his party and government posts were no longer tenable, he said.

Someone caught with his pants down, going after society, and playing the victim? Now that's chutzpah!

What is also amazing is the support he has been getting since his very public mea culpa. Banners and posters greet him, in Hugo Chavez-like manner, in Batu Pahat, his former constituency, and the locale of his misdemeanour.

He has also received considerable support from people extolling his exemplary behaviour by confessing to his indiscretion and betrayal to his family.

Perhaps Dr Chua's predicament reminded us that we are all sinners, and that some of us might just be a step away from public humiliation. We can only imagine what he had to go through for the public confession. Perhaps he had suffered enough when he had to face his family.

But are we so desperate for accountability from our public officials that we became too ready to credit Dr Chua for doing something that he had no choice but to do anyway?

There was video evidence — your friendly neighbourhood DVD guys were hawking it at RM50 per copy, and images and videos were zooming in cyberspace via mobile telephones and the Internet. In fact, a denial would have been readily dismissed and worked against him.

If we were ticketed for double parking, should we be commended for paying the fine for an earlier infringement of the law? Do we have a choice anyway?

Many people said Dr Chua was not the first, and certainly not the last. People I know started reeling off names of public figures past and present and their sexual indiscretions, but at least Dr Chua confessed, they said. Would he have confessed if there were no videos?

This is not an indictment against Dr Chua, whom I am beginning to understand was a good boss, minister and politician. We all have our virtues and vices, the latter of which could come back to haunt us when we least expect it.

Some say it is unfair that politicians are judged by different standards than us mere citizens, but that should be the only way to go. We are not hypocritical, nor holier-than-thou. We have been made to believe by the public figures themselves that they are good people with strong values, religious or moral.

Politicians on the stumps tell us to vote for them because they are better than the person running against them, and some even suggest that they are better than us in looking after our interests. And as such, we expect them to be so. We grant them privileges and positions, and our respect, too.

While individually we would fail our own criteria and standards, we expect better of them, hence our anger when they misbehave and break our trust. It is never anything personal.

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batu caves improvements for thaipusam

January 7th, 2008
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Batu Caves gears up for Thaipusam

By : Veena Babulal

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 1.5 million people are expected to converge on the Batu Caves temple here for the Thaipusam celebration.

With two weeks to go before the festival on Jan 23, preparations are in full swing to ensure better crowd control and facilities.

Among others, the temple committee will be spending about RM20,000 a day during the festival to treat the "prayer milk" which coagulates in the drain.

There are also 25 new permanent toilets near the Sri Venkatajalapathi temple.

These will complement the 80 toilets at the Sri Sanes-warar Temple located 500 metres away.

The temple committee has also come up with a better rubbish collection system.

Thirty cleaners will be hired on two-hour shifts throughout the five-day festival period. The rubbish will be placed in three stationary compactors which are able to crush up to 24,000kg of rubbish an hour.

The crushed waste will then be stored at a transfer station where it would remain until it is sent to the landfill.

The temple committee is also seeking the help of the Selayang Municipal Council to keep the beggars away from the 6.5ha temple complex during the festival.

"We have so many things to deal with to ensure that the celebration proceeds smoothly.

"Text messages calling for a boycott of the celebration is the last thing on our minds," said Sri Maha Mariamman temple chairman Datuk R. Nadarajah.

He was referring to text messages that have been circulating urging Hindus to boycott the Thaipusam celebration at Batu Caves.

The text messages claimed that the temple committee had allowed the police to enter the temple complex during the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally in November to disperse the supporters who had gathered there.

"This is propaganda against Hinduism. No one from any religion will call for a boycott against a temple or any religious place," Nadarajah said.

"You do not have to support me or contribute to the temple but don't boycott the temple.

"Don't worry or panic and spread rumours. There will be two FRU (Federal Reserve Unit) trucks as usual and the Selangor police force will be here on Jan 23 to handle the crowd," he said.

Yesterday, the temple committee started registering traders who would be setting up shop during the festival. By noon, some 260 of the 345 lots had been snapped up.

A successful applicant, Ka-thirasan Kannusamy, said he had faith that it would be business as usual during the festival.

"I've also received the text message but I consider it a rumour.

"In my six years of trading in textiles during the Thaipusam celebrations here, the crowd has never gone down and it's more likely to increase this year," said the 56-year-old.

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