Cabinet to be briefed on Hindraf chairman's call for sanctions

Suriname Vice-President Ramdien Sardjoe (centre) lighting an oil lamp as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (left) and Indian Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi watch during the opening ceremony of the seventh Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2009 (Overseas Indians Conference) in Chennai yesterday. — AFP picture

HINDRAF chairman P. Waytha Moorthy's call to the Indian government to impose trade sanctions on Malaysia will be raised in cabinet, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

He said he would brief the cabinet on the issue which was highlighted on the sidelines of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas by the leader of the banned organisation, now in self-imposed exile in London.

"This is so that the government can take suitable action to explain the true situation in Malaysia to the Indian government," he said after attending the two-day conference of the worldwide Indian diaspora which has attracted 1,600 delegates from 46 nations.

On his part, the human resources minister said he had met Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi to explain the situation of Indians in Malaysia.

"They are committed to the good relations between both countries," said Subramaniam, adding that before he left for India, he had told Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of possible efforts to tarnish Malaysia.
"The DPM left it to us to handle it the best way we should," said Subramaniam, who is also the MIC secretary-general.

He said India knew the condition of Indians in Malaysia and would not act on the call by Waytha Moorthy who fled the country after four of his comrades in Hindraf were detained under the Internal Security Act in December 2007.

P. Uthayakumar (Waytha Moorthy's elder brother), M. Manoharan, R. Kengatharan and V. Ganapathi Rao have been held at the Kamunting detention centre from Dec 13, 2007, under a two-year order issued by the Home Ministry.

Subramaniam was commenting on Waytha Moorthy's call earlier in the day to the Indian government to impose trade sanctons against Malaysia, especially in not buying palm oil, as a form of "punishment" for the alleged ill-treatment of Indians here.

Waytha Moorthy, who had issued a booklet to journalists here entitled "Malaysian Indian Minority and Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2008", said he wanted India to pressure Malaysia into releasing the four Hindraf leaders.

He had also said that he would try to meet Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi later this week to explain his call for trade sanctions against Malaysia.

"I am trying to arrange a meeting with Dr Manmohan Singh so that the Indian Government can help us to free the four ISA detainees by using trade sanctions against Malaysia," he added.

Earlier, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Waytha Moorthy was "engaging in utter lies" by claiming that Malaysian Indians were being mistreated by the government.

"I am surprised that he has travelled 6,000 miles from London to drop a bombshell in India.

"His statement that 130,000 Malaysian Indians are stateless is an utter lie."

Samy Vellu, who earlier presented a paper entitled "India as an Emerging Power: The Diaspora Factor", said Waytha Moorthy was detached from the situation in Malaysia and out of touch with reality.

"His claim of ethnic cleansing in Malaysia is a lie. So is his claim that one Hindu temple is being destroyed daily.

"Everyone knows that no such things are happening."

Samy Vellu said the Indian government was led by capable leaders who would not be convinced by Waytha Moorthy's claims.
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The Star

Friday January 9, 2009

Samy: Hindraf leader spreading lies in India

By A. LETCHUMANAN

CHENNAI: MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu lambasted the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader, P. Waythamoorthy, for distributing a pamphlet containing seditious allegations at the ongoing Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here.

“All the allegations are lies. As a lawyer, he should know that he would have to pay for it if he tells lies,” he told reporters.

Samy Vellu said the Indian Government and leaders were wise and would not listen to their call for them to stop all investments in Malaysia and also refrain from buying palm oil.

He said Waythamoorthy was behind time when he alleged that Indian slavery, including sex and child slavery was rampant in Malaysia even after 51 years of independence.

Samy Vellu, who is leading a 150-member delegation to the three-day conference, said the claim that there were 150,000 Malaysian Indians who were stateless was an outright lie.

In fact there were only 21,000 people without birth certificates and the Home Affairs Ministry had been directed to attend to the problem, he said.

Samy Vellu said they would write to the Indian government to inform them that the allegations in the pamphlet were not true.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, who is also here, said he had briefed Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukerjee, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi last week about the situation faced by Indians in Malaysia.

“They value the good relationship between Malaysia and India and are aware of the tremendous progress of the Indian community in Malaysia,” he said.

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Hindraf Under Fire For Smearing Malaysia's Image

By P. Vijian

CHENNAI, Jan 8 (Bernama) -- The banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which had distributed pamphlets smearing Malaysia's image at an international conference attended by thousands of overseas Indians here, was flayed by MIC leaders today.

MIC secretary-general and Malaysian Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said he would raise the Chennai incident in the Cabinet next week, and added that he had also briefed several top Indian leaders about the status of Malaysian Indians during his visit to New Delhi last week.

"I will bring this to the Cabinet. I have also explained to several Indian leaders about the situation in Malaysia. All of them are committed to the good relations with Malaysia. They are aware of the tremendous progress achieved by Malaysian Indians," Subramaniam told journalists on the sidelines of the 7th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conference in Chennai.

Subramaniam met Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayal Ravi last week.

Several Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders and Hindraf leader P. Waytha Moorthy are in Chennai to attend the three-day conference which started today in this southern Indian city.

Several Hindraf members distributed their annual report to the local media and conference delegates at the Chennai Trade Centre where the meeting is being held.

A few local television stations also interviewed Waytha Moorthy who had flown in from London. It is believed that he does not hold a Malaysian passport anymore.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu described some of Hindraf's claims as "utter lies" and said the group disseminated incorrect information about the welfare of Malaysian Indians.

"That the 150,000 Malaysian Indians of the fourth and fifth generations are stateless is an utter lie. There are only 21,000 without birth certificates, and the Home Ministry has ordered that they be issued the birth certificates.

"Demolition of one temple a day is an old tune which he (Waytha Moorthy) is still singing. If one temple a day (is demolished), it means in the last 25 years there won't be any Hindu temple," Samy Vellu told Malaysian journalists.

On the calls by Hindraf to the Indian government to stop bilateral trade with Malaysia, Samy Vellu said the group failed to understand how two nations do business and that Indian leaders were wiser in dealing with such issues.

"We will reply to the Indian government on these utter lies. Indian leaders are very wise and they will not listen to this rubbish. They will go ahead with their arrangements," he retorted.

About 1,500 Indians from over 50 countries are attending the conference.

-- BERNAMA