MIC says Perkasa has the right to defend the Malays, but it must not cross the boundaries of civility, whereas Hindraf accuses the authorities of double standard.
KUALA LUMPUR: MIC has condemned Perkasa’s warning of another racial bloodletting in the country and urged the authorities to act against those who threatened national security.
Commenting on the movement’s protest outside the MCA headquarters yesterday, MIC publicity and communication chief S Vell Paari slammed Perkasa for making such provocative remarks.
He also questioned why the authorites appeared to be blind to Perkasa’s dangerous antics, asking if some movements had immunity and were regarded as being above the law.
“If Perkasa wants to protect the rights of the Malay community, that is fair. MIC does this for the Indians and MCA for the Chinese. But Perkasa must not cross the line of civility.
“Time and again, Perkasa leaders have made statements which undermine national security or in other words, statements which would have landed others under the Internal Security Act,” he said.
Vell Paari noted that in the past, Hindraf leaders, who staged a mammoth protest for the rights of the Indian community, were switfly labelled as subversive elements and locked up.
“Hindraf was regarded as an extremist outfit by the powers-that-be. The movement was banned and five of its leaders held under ISA. Isn’t Perkasa pushing the envelope too far as well?” he asked.
Perkasa had staged the protest to defend the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia after the daily was criticised by MCA leaders over its racially-slanted articles.
In the aftermath of the Sarawak state polls, which saw the Chinese community backing the opposition, Utusan had termed the Chinese as ingrates.
‘Government cannot distance itself’
Vell Paari warned that the government cannot distance itself from the actions of Perkasa and Utusan.
“Whatever said and done, Utusan is seen to be Umno-owned or Umno-linked, so naturally the people will get the wrong impression that its views received the sanction of its political masters.
“We cannot say that papers have the freedom to report when other publications have received warnings in the past for highlighting certain sensitive racial issues,” he said.
The MIC leader stressed that certain Umno leaders were also seen to be sympathetic towards Perkasa, and had even graced some of its events.
“While Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is working hard to make his 1Malaysia concept work, some quarters appear hell-bent on wanting time to remain still vis-a-vis May 13, 1969.
“Yes, the PM’s critics claim that 1Malaysia is just sugar-coated words, but we must understand that if it is said in the Bible that God himself took seven days to create earth, what more Najib, a mere mortal. He needs more time to realise his concept.
“But certain forces insist on burning the bridges and with the likes of them around, even 700 years would not be enough to bring us together,” he said.
Vell Paari also warned that Perkasa’s actions could undermine the economy as foreign investors would consider Malaysia a “racial timebomb”.
“If the FDI (foreign direct invesment) runs dry, even Utusan and Perkasa would be in a financial quandary,” he said, reminding them that both India and China were economic superpowers.
“So instead of trying to drive a wedge between the communities, they must use the Indians and Chinese to bring up this country. When the rest of the world cannot put a lid on the rise of India and China, does Perkasa think it could control us?” he added.
Vell Paari also pointed out that Malaysia was roping in investments from India and China using its cultural ties with the two nations.
“Like it ot not, after more than five decades of independence, we have become inter-dependent and one race cannot exist without the other.
“Gone are the days of threatening people. In this era of globalisation, it does not matter who has more parangs, it is economic strength which matters. The reality is that the Chinese wield the greatest economic strength in Malaysia. So is Perkasa prepared for an economic war?” he asked.
Quoting former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s accusation after the Sarawak election that DAP was separating the Chinese from the rest, Vell Paari said that Perkasa was doing the same with regard to the Malays.
‘One rule for them, one rule for others’
Meanwhile, Hindraf-Makkal Sakti leader P Uthayakumar also condemned the authorities for making “selective arrests” and pursuing “selective prosecutions”.
The former ISA detainee said in February, the police had swooped down on Hindraf activists when the movement organised a nationwide convoy in protest of the Interlok novel.
Following this, Uthayakumar said 123 people, including himself, were detained over the peaceful protest against the Interlok held in the city centre.
“The authorities then charged 54 Hindraf activists with being members of a banned movement. It was pointed out by an international human rights organisation that apart from Saudi Arabia, only in Malaysia were people charged with being members of a human rights NGO,” he told FMT.
On April 13, Uthayakumar said, Hindraf secretary P Ramesh was “rounded up and assaulted” by policemen when he participated in a peaceful protest outside the Perak State Legislative Assembly.
The lawyer said that in 2007, when he penned a letter to then British prime minister Gordon Brown on ethnic cleansing, where he mentioned the May 13 incident, he was charged with sedition.
“I am facing the prospect of a three-year jail term for this,” he added.
However, Uthayakumar said that when Perkasa threatened death and violence with a repeat of the May 13 incident, nobody was arrested.
“Article 8 of the Federal Constitution provides for equality before the law. This is double standard, there appears to be one rule for them, and another rule for others,” he added.
The police’s non-action, according to Uthayakumar, lent legitimacy to the Ketuanan Melayu or Malay supremacy concept.
“If it is a Malay issue, it is above the law. Perkasa is above the law whereas groups like Hindraf are victims of the law,” he said.
Commenting on the movement’s protest outside the MCA headquarters yesterday, MIC publicity and communication chief S Vell Paari slammed Perkasa for making such provocative remarks.
He also questioned why the authorites appeared to be blind to Perkasa’s dangerous antics, asking if some movements had immunity and were regarded as being above the law.
“If Perkasa wants to protect the rights of the Malay community, that is fair. MIC does this for the Indians and MCA for the Chinese. But Perkasa must not cross the line of civility.
“Time and again, Perkasa leaders have made statements which undermine national security or in other words, statements which would have landed others under the Internal Security Act,” he said.
Vell Paari noted that in the past, Hindraf leaders, who staged a mammoth protest for the rights of the Indian community, were switfly labelled as subversive elements and locked up.
“Hindraf was regarded as an extremist outfit by the powers-that-be. The movement was banned and five of its leaders held under ISA. Isn’t Perkasa pushing the envelope too far as well?” he asked.
Perkasa had staged the protest to defend the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia after the daily was criticised by MCA leaders over its racially-slanted articles.
In the aftermath of the Sarawak state polls, which saw the Chinese community backing the opposition, Utusan had termed the Chinese as ingrates.
‘Government cannot distance itself’
“Whatever said and done, Utusan is seen to be Umno-owned or Umno-linked, so naturally the people will get the wrong impression that its views received the sanction of its political masters.
“We cannot say that papers have the freedom to report when other publications have received warnings in the past for highlighting certain sensitive racial issues,” he said.
The MIC leader stressed that certain Umno leaders were also seen to be sympathetic towards Perkasa, and had even graced some of its events.
“While Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is working hard to make his 1Malaysia concept work, some quarters appear hell-bent on wanting time to remain still vis-a-vis May 13, 1969.
“Yes, the PM’s critics claim that 1Malaysia is just sugar-coated words, but we must understand that if it is said in the Bible that God himself took seven days to create earth, what more Najib, a mere mortal. He needs more time to realise his concept.
“But certain forces insist on burning the bridges and with the likes of them around, even 700 years would not be enough to bring us together,” he said.
Vell Paari also warned that Perkasa’s actions could undermine the economy as foreign investors would consider Malaysia a “racial timebomb”.
“If the FDI (foreign direct invesment) runs dry, even Utusan and Perkasa would be in a financial quandary,” he said, reminding them that both India and China were economic superpowers.
“So instead of trying to drive a wedge between the communities, they must use the Indians and Chinese to bring up this country. When the rest of the world cannot put a lid on the rise of India and China, does Perkasa think it could control us?” he added.
“Like it ot not, after more than five decades of independence, we have become inter-dependent and one race cannot exist without the other.
“Gone are the days of threatening people. In this era of globalisation, it does not matter who has more parangs, it is economic strength which matters. The reality is that the Chinese wield the greatest economic strength in Malaysia. So is Perkasa prepared for an economic war?” he asked.
Quoting former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s accusation after the Sarawak election that DAP was separating the Chinese from the rest, Vell Paari said that Perkasa was doing the same with regard to the Malays.
‘One rule for them, one rule for others’
Meanwhile, Hindraf-Makkal Sakti leader P Uthayakumar also condemned the authorities for making “selective arrests” and pursuing “selective prosecutions”.
The former ISA detainee said in February, the police had swooped down on Hindraf activists when the movement organised a nationwide convoy in protest of the Interlok novel.
Following this, Uthayakumar said 123 people, including himself, were detained over the peaceful protest against the Interlok held in the city centre.
“The authorities then charged 54 Hindraf activists with being members of a banned movement. It was pointed out by an international human rights organisation that apart from Saudi Arabia, only in Malaysia were people charged with being members of a human rights NGO,” he told FMT.
On April 13, Uthayakumar said, Hindraf secretary P Ramesh was “rounded up and assaulted” by policemen when he participated in a peaceful protest outside the Perak State Legislative Assembly.
The lawyer said that in 2007, when he penned a letter to then British prime minister Gordon Brown on ethnic cleansing, where he mentioned the May 13 incident, he was charged with sedition.
“I am facing the prospect of a three-year jail term for this,” he added.
However, Uthayakumar said that when Perkasa threatened death and violence with a repeat of the May 13 incident, nobody was arrested.
“Article 8 of the Federal Constitution provides for equality before the law. This is double standard, there appears to be one rule for them, and another rule for others,” he added.
The police’s non-action, according to Uthayakumar, lent legitimacy to the Ketuanan Melayu or Malay supremacy concept.
“If it is a Malay issue, it is above the law. Perkasa is above the law whereas groups like Hindraf are victims of the law,” he said.
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