Posts Tagged ‘Protest’

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No support for Hindraf rally from MIC and 25 NGOs

November 24th, 2007
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Cancel march, urge Indian groups

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KUALA LUMPUR: Community leaders from 25 leading Indian associations have backed MIC’s call for tomorrow's Hindraf march to the British High Commission to be cancelled because there are too many political, economic and social concerns at stake. 

“Investors are watching us closely, and if they do not have good vibes about this country, they will shift their attention elsewhere. 

“The country and its people stand to lose tremendously. If the intention is sincere, just get a few men to hand over the memorandum to the High Commission,” said Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry public relations and publicity chairman K. Ramesh. 

Media statement: Saravanan speaking during the press conference at the MIC office in Kuala Lumpur Friday.

Ramesh was one of 25 community leaders present at a press conference yesterday at the MIC office called by party information chief Datuk M. Savaranan to protest the gathering. 

Saravanan said calling off the gathering was the best approach to prevent any untoward incident. 

Like Ramesh, Saravanan questioned the motive behind the gathering. 

“The High Commission is not even open on Sunday, so why plan the march on a rest day?” he asked. 

Malaysia Hindu Sangam national central council member C.M. Kopalan said the MIC and the Government had helped to fund, build, repair as well as settle relocation and land issues for temples nationwide. 

Malaysia Punjabi Chambers president Datuk Daljit Singh said the group would not support any gathering with a hidden agenda to foster ill will. 

The leaders said they would advise their 500,000-odd members to steer clear of the gathering. 

In Putrajaya, Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the “silent majority” should make itself heard and stand up to people with their own agenda. 

He said racial and religious sentiments made for a dangerous cocktail that could spell disaster. He also cautioned Umno Youth members to remain calm. 

In Kangar, Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail advised the people not to join any illegal assembly.

No support for Hindraf rally from MIC, 25 NGOs
By : K. Harinderan

Representatives from 25 Klang Valley Indian NGOs voicing their opposition to the Hindraf rally yesterday at a press conference convened by Federal Territory MIC chairman and national information chief Datuk M. Saravanan (front row, third from left).

KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty-five Indian non-governmental organisations here deny that they will support the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally tomorrow.

Federal Territory MIC chairman and national information chief Datuk M. Saravanan said: "Hindraf's claims are baseless and the Indians here will not support the gathering.

"As Malaysians, we have lived in peace and street protests are not a part of our culture.

"I urge the parties to discuss and resolve the matter. History has shown that demonstrations always end in violence."

Saravanan was speaking yesterday at a press conference convened by the MIC and the NGOs, which claim to represent 500,000 Indians in the Klang Valley.

Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry vice-president for Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Ramesh Kodammal, said demonstrations would affect the business community and, on a greater scale, the image of the country.

Malaysian Punjabi Chambers of Commerce and Industries president Datuk Daljit Singh Dalliwal said: "Our message is clear, we support the Barisan Nasional government and do not support any element that goes against the peace and economic viability of the country."

The Hindraf rally outside the British High Commission is in support of a class-action suit against the British government for bringing Indians to Malaya as indentured workers, for exploiting them for 150 years, and for failing to protect their rights as a minority in the Federal Constitution when independence was granted.

The group is seeking STG4 trillion (RM27.7 trillion) in damages in a suit filed in Britain on Aug 30. They plan to petition Queen Elizabeth II for a Queen's Counsel to argue their case

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papers highlight traffic jams due to police roadblocks

November 23rd, 2007
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NST

Massive traffic jams leading into the city

source

It is a bumper-to-bumper crawl on the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Highway leading into the city. (Inset) Policemen manning a roadblock on the highway yesterday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic congestion has already started in the city as police mounted roadblocks in connection with the planned gathering on Sunday.

The roadblocks which began yesterday morning are expected to last till Sunday. Among the affected roads are Jalan Ampang, areas in Cheras, Salak Selatan, the Sungai Besi toll plaza, Seremban toll plaza, Jalan Kuching, Jalan Rawang, Gombak, the Karak toll plaza, Brickfields and surrounding areas.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Zulhasnan Najib Baharuddin said police were on alert for any untoward incidents.

The gathering in front of the British High Commission is organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

Police have rejected the application for a permit to hold the gathering and if it goes on, it would be deemed an illegal gathering. The reason given for the rejection was that the gathering would disrupt public order.

Zulhasnan urged the public not to enter Kuala Lumpur during the weekend if they do not have any urgent matters to attend to.  "This is to prevent motorists from being caught in the congestion."

The traffic situation yesterday evening was bad at many main roads leading into the city. The areas affected were Sungai Besi, Federal Highway, the Middle Ring Road II, Cheras, Damansara and the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Highway.

The Star

Klang Valley chokes up

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By ANDREW SAGAYAM

KUALA LUMPUR: Round-the-clock roadblocks have been set up in the Klang Valley as part of crime-prevention activities in the lead up to the illegal assembly called by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) in the city this Sunday. The roadblock operations, which started yesterday, were to screen motorists entering the city centre and to identify troublemakers ahead of the planned mass gathering of Indians outside the British High Commission in Jalan Ampang. Police said suspicious motorists would be inspected and their vehicles searched. 

The public is advised to stay away from the gathering and police will not hesitate to take stern action against those who refuse to take heed of the warning. “We have received information that there will be criminal activities taking place right up to Sunday’s gathering. From our intelligence gathering, we found that riots and fights had been planned. We are now taking precautionary measures,” said city police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Zul Hasnan Najib Baharudin. 

He said the roadblocks had been set up at all entry points into the city centre. “We will continue the operations until further notice,” he said. 

DSP Zul Hasnan said Cheras police had rejected Hindraf’s application for a permit to hold the gathering. 

At least 20,000 people are expected to take part in Sunday’s gathering and the protestors had been told to dress in orange. The assembly is to submit a petition with 100,000 signatures to Queen Elizabeth II to appoint a Queen’s Counsel to represent the Indian community in a class action suit against the British government for bringing Indians as labourers to the then Malaya and exploiting them. The suit, filed at the Royal Courts of Justice in London by Hindraf chief P. Wathyamoorthy in August, seeks compensation of up to US$4tril (RM13.5tril), or US$1mil (RM3.4mil) for every Indian in Malaysia. 

In Malacca, Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said police had rejected the application for a permit for the Hindraf gathering because “undesirable elements” would be used to disrupt the assembly, STEVEN DANIEL reports. “I urge the public not to attend this gathering. We will take stern action against anyone who breaks the law,” he said. He also warned groups not to bring their children to such rallies as this could endanger the lives of the young ones. “Stern action can be taken against those who put their kids at risk,” he said.

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giant says got proof of theft

November 22nd, 2007
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this is related to the assault on customer by Giant's hypermarket guards.

Youth cries assault, protest held outside Giant
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75135
Syed Jaymal Zahiid
Nov 22, 07 5:11pm
About 100 people had gathered outside the Giant hypermarket in Section 13, Shah Alam, on Sunday to vent their anger.

The crowd had been irked by an incident where the hypermarket’s security guards had allegedly assaulted an Indian youth and insulted the Hindu religion.

Armed with placards, which among others read ‘Don’t insult our religion’, the demonstrators demanded that Giant apologise and sack the security guards involved.

In the Nov 16 incident, R Sashindran, 22, was allegedly beaten up by two security guards after they accused him of trying to steal car accessory products.

The technician filed a police report on Nov 19 with the Section 11 police station in Shah Alam after he was released. It could not be ascertained how long Sashindran was detained.

According to the report, a copy of which was obtained by Malaysiakini, Sashindran claimed that the security guards had also erased a religious marking on his forehead.

Apart from this, they also allegedly snatched his locket containing a picture of the Hindu deity, Lord Krishna, and threw it away.

‘Mental torture’

“I placed the (car accessories) on the counter to pay but then received a phone call from my uncle. I answered the phone away from the counter and upon returning was stopped by the two guards,” Shasindran stated in his report.

“Then I was brought into a room where they beat me up and forced me to confess to stealing (the car accessories) when I did not even do it,” he added.

However, Shashindran claimed that he made a confession after being subjected to ‘mental torture’ by the two security guards.

“That is when they placed the items which I had supposedly tried to steal into my sling-bag and took me to the police station,” he added.

Contacted today, Giant marketing director Ho Mun Hao denied Sashindran’s account of the incident.

He claimed that the CCTV recording at the outlet “clearly showed” that the technician was attempting to shoplift the items.

“If he wants to bring it to court, so be it. We have evidence that he did steal those items. He is cornered and (that is why) he is trying to turn the matter into a race issue now,” he said.

‘Death threat’

According to Sashindran, his ordeal did not end with the security guards. He alleged that a police officer at the Section 11 police station had also threatened him when the security guards took him there.

In his Nov 19 police report, the youth claimed that “Sergeant Azami Saari” had threatened to kill him if he did not confess.

“He (Azami) said he can shoot me and dump my body anywhere and my family or friends will not find out about it. It was an attempt to get my confession and I did (confess). I feared for my life,” he said.

Shah Alam district police chief Noorazam Jammaludin told Malaysiakini that he would call for an internal probe to determine if Azami had acted irresponsibly when questioning Sashindran.

“We also sent Sashindran to the Klang Hospital to do a medical check-up to see if he was indeed assaulted by the two Giant security guards,” he said.

Sashindran has since been charged with theft and is currently on bail pending trial.

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200 protest assault by giant security guards

November 20th, 2007
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The assault at Giant appeared in NST yesterday.

200 protest guards' assault on man

By : Neville Spykerman

SHAH ALAM: About 200 people gathered outside a hypermarket here yesterday to protest the the assault on a 22-year-old man by two security guards on Friday.

Technician R. Sashindran claimed the guards hit him on the head and body repeatedly with a plastic stool until it broke and then forced him to write a confession that he had shoplifted some items from the hypermarket. He claimed they then forced him to pay RM30 for the items he allegedly stole.

Sashindran claimed the guards later put several items into his bag and took pictures of him holding the bag before calling the police, who he claimed also assaulted him. "One hit me on the back with his hand while the other used the butt of his gun."
 

Sashindran later lodged a police report, claiming he was taken to the Section 11 police station where he was forced to write another confession. The protesters, who included members of non-governmental organisations, later met representatives from the management, who promised to investigate the claims. District police chief ACP Noor Azam Jamaludin said police were investigating the case.

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MIC says ignore calls to attend rally

November 20th, 2007
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source

MIC: Ignore calls to attend rally

KUALA LUMPUR: The Indian community has been advised to ignore calls by certain groups urging them to attend a rally at the British High Commission this Sunday to protest against the demolition of an Indian temple in Klang. 

MIC secretary-general Datuk S. Veerasingam said the party had informed its members not to attend the gathering. He claimed the event was being held for the benefit of the Opposition. 

“There are SMSes calling participants to go against the authorities. Such matters will create a tense situation and innocent people will get caught while the perpetrators will walk free,” he added. 

Veerasingam said the MIC would discuss what action to take against its members who attend the gathering. He added that several social activists had acted irresponsibly by inciting the Indian community to hate the Government. 

“These people are not assisting the Government in solving problems affecting the Indian community. We have no problem with social activists. But this past week, the community has been confused by the actions of this group, including four lawyers, which we believe will only help the Opposition,” said Veerasingam at the Parliament lobby yesterday. 

He added that problems could be settled through proper channels in the coalition government.  

In SEREMBAN, police raided the office of lawyer and Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) head P. Waythamoorthy at Kemayan Square yesterday for allegedly possessing seditious materials. 

The 10-man team arrived at Waythamoorthy’s office at about 3.30pm and spent more than an hour searching for documents. 

Waythamoorthy said the police had a search warrant, but the raid was an attempt to intimidate him and others not to attend a mass gathering this Sunday outside the British High Commission. 

Waythamoorthy said the policemen took away several documents from his office including copies of letters he had written to the United Nations secretary-general, the Prime Minister and the Inspector General of Police on matters relating to the plight of the Indian community. 

He said the police also took photographs at this office, adding that this was not provided for under the warrant conditions. 

His brother Uthayakumar’s office in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, was also raided at the same time.  

City CID chief Senior Asst Comm 11 Ku Chin Wah said: “The raid follows a report lodged by a civilian at the end of July regarding a book deemed to be seditious.” 

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