COMMENT Right-thinking Malaysians should be aware that there are two points of disagreement that the Hindraf leadership has - the first with Pakatan Rakyat and the seat allocation controversy and the second, with Malaysiakini's coverage on the breakdown of talks.
The first point with regard to Hindraf's ‘demands' that it be given seats as the cause of the breakdown of talks is rejected emphatically by P Waythamoorthy, whom I spoke to yesterday. According to the Hindraf leader, yes, there was talk of seats but it was never a pre-condition for Hindraf to support Pakatan.
The only condition or perhaps more accurately, the main condition, was Pakatan endorsing the Hindraf blueprint. As to the parliamentary seats in question, Hindraf made it very clear that it would not contest against Pakatan incumbents but would like a straight fight against MIC candidates.
Hindraf proposed that they should battle for four seats which were held by the MIC and the remaining three would be decided by Pakatan leadership. As for the 10 state seats, the same formula would apply. Hindraf is adamant that this was not a pre-condition to Hindraf supporting Pakatan and these were confidential talks between Pakatan and Hindraf, with nothing set in stone.
Right-thinking Malaysians should bear in mind that the idea that the talks between Hindraf and Pakatan are breaking down because Hindraf is demanding seats is political spin. The most important condition has always been the Hindraf blueprint.
Furthermore, Hindraf made it clear that it wanted no funds (from Pakatan) for its vast network of volunteers who were willing to work for Pakatan in the coming general election. This was a form of ABUism (Anything But Umnoism) at work.
Highly confidential talks
It is regrettable that Pakatan has chosen to spin these highly confidential talks to further demonise a prospective ally with the old canard that ‘Indians' are demanding and ungrateful.
Although I am on record as far as my belief that Hindraf should play the role of an activist lobby, I abhor the propaganda that attempts to vilify them and the breaking of confidence that is explicit in secret negotiations.
Any political operative will tell you that secrecy even amongst political opponents is a primary tool which facilitates compromise and should never be taken lightly.
The second point is the semantic disagreement between the Hindraf leadership and Malaysiakini with regards to the first paragraph of the its news report, 'Hindraf: Talks with Pakatan heading for breakdown'.
Hindraf in a text message to Malaysiakini
said, "Steven, your 1st para on Hindraf news is misleading. Hindraf
never said it would WITHDRAW support for the opposition coalition. I
have doubled checked on the written statement of (P) Ramesh, the
secretary. Let us not derail the opportunity to work together, please
amend accordingly."I gather this message was also texted to various Pakatan leaders.
I reproduce here the last two paragraphs of the press statement in its entirety to allow readers to judge for themselves if "warning" (a rather provocative description) in lieu of "cautious", is an appropriately neutral/objective description considering the ire Hindraf raises in their adversaries who consider them "racist".
"In the excitement of a general election, Hindraf will advise the Indian marginalised and poor that they should not forget their denied rights and expect magic to happen after the GE just on a regime change. We will advise that we have to analyse how the last 12 GEs have brought changes in our lives. Hindraf has become wary of selfish politicians who use the elections as a tool to excite people and make empty promises for their votes and after having got their votes, forget their promises. Hindraf is not about to let that happen. Promises must be kept.
"Hindraf will not waiver from its path of getting for the Indian poor what is their long due right. We will push along this path in spite of the many difficulties along the way. As for the upcoming GE, Hindraf will be cautious in directing the people in how to cast their votes."
Indeed, I agree with the description of the disingenuous nature of certain politicians from Pakatan (and I should add BN) in the press statement.
MIC to be blamed
However beyond this semantic mess (depending of course on how one views Hindraf) as a Pakatan and Hindraf supporter, I would like to make my stand clear. Engaging with BN in any way if talks with Pakatan breaks down is an unacceptable option for Hindraf.
The reason why there is a large disfranchised segment of the Indian community is because of BN. I do not blame Umno entirely for this sad state of affairs. I blame the MIC. After all, Umno dealt us our race cards and who else is to blame if the hand was played badly. The MCA may be considered by a majority of the Chinese community as outcast but they shepherded the interests of the Chinese community far better and with far more obvious gains than the MIC.
Umno has given no indication to the Indian community that it views them as anything more than expendable votes who are content with the occasional displays of largesse that in no way amounts to the same attention that is given to the other non-Malay community.
Systemic
discrimination in the legal system and law enforcement has resulted in
the perpetuation of the stereotype that Indians are the criminal
underclass of Malaysian society, where even deaths in custody becomes
political propaganda by the racialists within Pakatan to harangue for
support of Pakatan.If BN is not an option, what then? Hindraf should make it very clear that they reject the racist policies of BN but since Pakatan has no interest in reversing those polices in the context of the Hindraf blueprint, Hindraf will abstain from participating in the upcoming general elections.
Now for some this would not be such a big deal. Hindraf and the Indian community are mocked routinely in the alternative media, so their non-participation would be an insignificant event. Pakatan are convinced they have the Indian vote locked down and so does BN with the publication of numerous polls results crowing the return of the Indian vote to BN, thanks to the ‘efforts' of the MIC.
Both underestimate the disenfranchised of the Indian community. I have no doubt that Pakatan has locked down the middle class (or at least a significant majority) Indian vote who have drunk deeply from the kool aid well, but who are clueless of the reality Hindraf and the Human Rights Party shine a light on.
Why the delay in endorsing blueprint?
Umno, which has always taken the Indian vote for granted, believes that it has done enough for the community to rejoin the fold, but the truth may be far more disastrous for Pakatan than Umno.
The great misconception is that the disenfranchised of the Indian community are blind devotees of Hindraf. What people do not seem to understand is that Hindraf works hard for the support it receives. Abstaining from the political process is a very real option for the disenfranchised of the Indian community who have yet to see the practical benefits that Pakatan supporters claim they see under the Pakatan administrations they live under.
Recently Waythamoorthy and journalists from various Tamil language newspapers who were covering him on his fact-finding forays across Indian villages across Selangor were told that they (Indian villagers) would not support BN but they would abstain from voting if they felt their communities needs were not being addressed by Pakatan.
These "messages" were of course not reported in the mainstream Tamil press. However, it was very clear to Hindraf that in order for Hindraf to be effective facilitators of change, they would have to offer credible evidence that Pakatan was serious about addressing the concerns of the disenfranchised of the Indian community.
I
have no idea why Pakatan does not want to drop the multiracial/cultural
spin (because I can cite plenty of evidence to the contrary) and engage
in some old fashion realpolitik. The perception that this is a Chinese
versus Umno election is a meme, which is either willfully ignored or
dismissed, in the alternative media. Marginalising a group like Hindraf
merely adds to this perception.Hindraf is accused of being "stubborn". However, has Hindraf not refined its original demands and made a compromise in the form of the blueprint that has been endorsed by like-minded oppositional personalities and groups? Has not Hindraf acknowledged that Anwar Ibrahim as the "prime minister in waiting"? Has not Hindraf publicly said it would campaign for Pakatan with its cadre of committed grassroots activists?
Why the delay in endorsing the blueprint? If as some Pakatan leaders have told me that the "demands" are similar to Pakatan's own goals, then why not agree to them in principle in writing or get back to Hindraf who have publicly stated that they would consider whatever amendments that Pakatan feels is necessary?
The answer is simple. Pakatan feels that it does not need Hindraf and they have the Indian vote locked down. The Kampung Buah Pala fiasco may be a non-issue as far Pakatan is concerned, but Waytha has made it clear that he would be willing to debate any Pakatan representative with the goal of establishing another narrative besides the one propagated by Pakatan.
Psy blunder may help Umno
Moreover, if Pakatan thinks that the recent Psy games boosted its stock amongst undecided voters, I say think again.
The Chinese community may have made their stand and a certain section may be gulping down schadenfreude over Prime Minister Najib Razak's blunder, but anyone with an ounce of political practical understanding would know that the longer this election foreplay drags on, the more likely the ground-level sentiment might change.
Take this Umno MP, who gleefully told me that the constant attacks by the "Chinese dominated alternative media" especially about the Psy blunder might actually be working in favour of Umno.
Undecided
Malay voters, who see that the Najib administration is bending over
backwards to accommodate the Chinese community, whether in matters of
education (according to the Malay Mail, Najib will attend
the Dong Zong open house), religion (the ‘Allah' controversy which the
DAP relit) and generally pandering to the Chinese community which is
mocked as "demeaning", may just get tired of this nonsense and vote
Umno.Concerning Dong Zong, the standards are different. A hardline Chinese education group consorting with an Umno PM is not considered treacherous behaviour but the same does not apply to Indian rights groups. That is fair play for you from Pakatan supporters.
These undecided Malay voters are not Umno stooges like the Pakatan kool-aid drinkers and DAP apparatchiks like to portray them but rather middle-of-the-road types who are appalled by the way how politicians from both sides of the divide behave.
These voters will retreat to their communal cages, especially when they see that the same old race game is played and that their values, be it religious or cultural are constantly mocked. Why switch teams when on the surface the devil you know is showing signs of compromise?
This election is going to be one of the most bitterly fought elections in Malaysian history. For Pakatan, up against an Umno state that has stacked the deck, every vote counts. It would be a shame if a significant section of the Indian community abstained from voting or worse voted for Umno because the Pakatan leadership refused to see the big real politick picture.
For Hindraf, the painful lesson is that being on the cutting edge of racial politics sometimes means you bleed.
S THAYAPARAN is Commander (rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy.
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