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I covered the media reports on HINDRAF at Hari Raya open house earlier. We can see how Utusan being the culprit, tries to stir the emotions by its choice of words and misleading statements.Today, Hindraf’s coordinator Thanenthiran announced that its members won’t be attending the Raya open house in Kepala Batas due to ” negative reports about their presence at Abdullah’s open house at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) on Oct 1.” He said 3,000 Hindraf supporter were expected, but will be informed not to attend.
HINDRAF was dissappointed that its trip to the open house was distorted by politicians when in fact, it had received approval from PM’s Department:
Its national co-ordinator R.S. Thanenthiran said Hindraf had sent an official letter to Abdullah’s office on Sept 22, stating that it members wanted to greet the Prime Minister and personally ask him to release all Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees during his open house.
“The Prime Minister’s senior personal assistant Datuk Ahmad Yaakob accepted our letter and told us that everyone was welcome at Abdullah’s open house.
“We told Ahmad Yaakob that apart from relaying Hari Raya greetings to the Prime Minister, we also wanted to personally ask Abdullah to release all ISA detainees,” he told a press conference here on Friday.
Thanenthiran said Hindraf members went to the open house to “mohon maaf, zahir dan batin” (seek forgiveness) from the Abdullah, and not to be disrespectful by creating a ruckus, as alleged by certain quarters.
He said it was not true that Hindraf sympathisers had jumped queue, noting that they patiently waited for about two hours to meet Abdullah.
He also said no memorandum was presented to Abdullah. Instead he was given a greeting card, flowers and a soft toy.
“We have always reminded our sympathisers to be patient and law-abiding citizens.
“But, we are disappointed with certain quarters who have given the impression that we are violent and provocative,” he said.
He was also quoted in Malaysiakini saying:
“Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a time to forgive and forget. Anybody can go (to the open house) regardless of what shirt we wear. We were not at all unruly,” said Thanenthiran.
According to the same Malaysiakini report:
Upon arriving at the PM’s open house, the Hindraf activists, all clad in their uniform orange T-shirts, were held back from the public
queue and led to a different dining hall to deter them from meeting the premier.
However a small group led by K Shanthi, wife of Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy, later ‘escaped’ and entered the correct entrance via the VIP entrance and managed to meet the prime minister.
“It came as a surprise to me. Foreigners are allowed to meet the prime minister but Malaysian citizens are not,” Shanthi told Malaysiakini.
She said police had also ordered her to change her T-shirt or otherwise face arrest but she refused.
Shanti said they had attempted to meet with the premier many times at the Prime Minister’s Department but failed and the Hari Raya open house promised them the only opportunity to come face-to-face with the premier.
“I asked him (Abdullah Badawi) why weren’t we allowed to meet with him but he replied saying that everyone can meet him,” she
revealed.
Below is an email from its Coordination Team Member:
Dear Prime Minister sir, why you did that to us?
There was never once we came without informing.
Every our visit to meet you Mr. Prime Minister, has been informed either thru an open letter or a personal letter to you. Your senior officers are well informed of our planned visits, be it in Putra Jaya, Parliament or in the latest development in PWTC on your Hari Raya Open House.
Malaysia’s (probably the world’s) youngest human right activist VWaishnnavi ( 6years old) approached your senior officer in Putra Jaya on 22nd September 2008 and informed him in writing that she will be attending the Hari Raya Open House function planned to be held at PWTC with some 10,000 Hindraf supporters .In return Mr. Prime Minister sir, your secretary thanked the delegation and assured us that this would not have the objections of the PM and the PM would be glad to welcome visitors to his open house.
Adding on to this, your press statement dated 29th September 2008 published by unit Komunikasi Pejabat Perdana Menteri , PUTRAJAYA, extended an open invitation to ALL the rakyat of Malaysia to attend the Hari Raya Aidilfitri Open House that to be held in Dewan Tun Razak of the 4th floor at PWTC on the 1st Syawal 1429, between 12.30 and 4.30pm.
What else needed for a Malaysian citizen who upholds the principles of Rukun Negara to accept and attend your Hari Raya Open House function?
So we came Mr. Prime Minister . We came with hopes and love. We came as citizens of Malaysia to wish our Prime Minister “Selamat Hari Raya” and in return instead of ‘Ang Pows’ we want to request for freedom of our innocent Hindraf heroes from the unlawful Barbaric and draconian ISA detention . What could be wrong in that sir? Instead what happened to us?
Why did you humiliated us ?
Why did you stopped us at the entrance of the PWTC ?
Why did you embarrassed us in the eyes of our fellow Malaysian brothers??
Why did you treated us as criminals ???
Why did you performed body search as if we were there to harm you????
Why Mr. Prime Minister ??? Why?…Why??…Why..????
Was that because we are poor Indians?
Was that because we are weak Indians?
Was that because we in your opinion untouchables?? !!
Why Mr. Prime Minister ? Why? Why you did that to us ??
Was that you or was it those around you in the name of advisors did all this?
We were consistently provoked ever since we stepped into the PWTC premises. You yourself saw how the hand made Hari Raya card by a six years old kid was torn by your officials . Imagine the time and the effort of that poor girl to get the card done. Imagine how she would have dreamt to pass it to you on your Open House. That wasn’t a petition or a memo. A simple hand made Hari Raya Wishing card !!! And dozens of police officers stormed in an attempt to confiscate and tear it of.
What? Is this necessary at all for a wishing card?
Mr. Prime Minister sir , we all know those were meant to provoke us and in return expecting us to retaliate , but we will never get provoked because Hindraf believes in Ahimsa and that is exactly how we are going to be in rest of our struggle.
Even then the Main stream medias under your control has blamed and accused us for unruly behavior and as trouble makers and said Hindraf supporters never respected the Hari Raya . God knows the truth and you too should attempt to seek for one.
Only if we were treated like citizens and were let to see you as the rest , our presence most probably would have went unnoticed. Too bad your advisors had decided otherwise.
One may ask why we chose the Open House, our answer , Prime Minister has avoided all our calls to meet him else where . We have no other choice but to accept his invitation to his open house, look into his eyes and tell him what we have to. That’s all.
Finally when we shook your hands Mr. Prime Minister didn’t you actually felt Hindraf guys are after all not that bad as been described to you all these while?
Indeed that is the truth sir. Our Hindraf leaders are innocent. Release them from ISA.
Our demands are basic needs of a poor community , fulfill them. Hindraf is done then.
Wake up sir, realize the truth and execute your power as Prime Minister to all..
Otherwise Hindraf never decided to stop.
Hindraf wishes you “ Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri , maaf zahir batin.
Vaazhge Hindraf…!!!
Sambulingam Wisvalingam
Hindraf National Coordination Team
2nd October 2008.
Meanwhile, Samy Vellu is worried that HINDRAF’s action will derail his plans to get the leaders released. He claims that the group acted as if they did not want the ISA detainees to be released because those in the group have ulterior motives.
“The MIC has taken several actions (to secure their release) but what the sympathisers did would jeopardise them,” he said Friday.
He was quoted in NST as saying:
“Actually, there are leaders who will be pressured if the detainees are released. Their aspirations to be respected leaders will be buried.
“I want all Indians who are in Hindraf to stop listening to these leaders’ insults and slander and leave the group.
On whether he was calling for the sympathisers to stop their actions, Samy Vellu said:
“I don’t want to advise them on what they should do. They can continue to beat their drums but their drums will not make a difference,” he said, adding that the longer the detainees were being held, the more someone was gaining from it.
“They are afraid if the five come out, everything will be peaceful. They don’t want that to happen,” he added.
Samy Vellu said he had spoken on the matter to Prime Minister Ahmad Badawi, Deputy Prime Minister Najib and Home Minister Syed
Hamid Albar, and said he had had many discussions with the Government and was optimistic of securing their release.
“You can’t talk to anyone higher than the Prime Minister. If he says he will look into the matter and talk to the Home Minister, we must listen to him,” he said.
“If we don’t want to listen to the Prime Minister, there is no way we can get anything done,” he added.
Seriously, I can’t remember if anything Samy Vellu said in recent times became real, so I’m not sure if anyone will believe his latest statements.
