Neither coalition has shown any genuine interest in tackling their plight, say two Hindu American right groups.
GEORGE TOWN: Two Hindu American right groups called on Malaysia’s main coalitions of political parties to urgently address minority rights issues ahead of the 13th general election.
In a joint statement, Washington-based Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and California-based Malaysian American Foundation (MAF) pointed out that neither Barisan Nasional nor Pakatan Rakyat have initiated any pro-active steps to resolve inequality in Malaysia.
Despite its portrayal as a model Muslim democracy with a highly successful economy, HAF-MAF alleged that Malaysia had instituted deeply divisive policies that institutionalised discrimination against the country’s ethnic and religious minorities.
“The Indian-Hindu minority, in particular, faces systematic inequality, but neither political coalition has shown any genuine interest in addressing their plight,” said HAF director Samir Kalra Kalra, who is also a senior fellow for human rights.
Posted on the HAF website, the joint statement stated that Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy’s ongoing hunger strike was to draw national and international attention to the disparaging conditions facing the majority of the Indian-Hindu community in Malaysia.
Local Hindraf branches are currently holding candle light vigils across the country calling on either BN or Pakatan, or both to endorse Hindraf’s five-year blueprint, which outlines permanent solutions to end marginalised Indian plight.
“Ahead of the upcoming election in Malaysia, the hunger strike renews focus on religious discrimination in Malaysia,” stressed the HAF-MAF statement. “Waythamoorthy’s effort is a means to bring world attention to the suffering of the Indians.”
Article 153 of Federal Constitution
MAF co-founder Muralitharan Samy said that since independence in 1957, successive Malaysian governments had refused to provide basic civil rights to the Indian population.
Most of them who were originally brought to Malaysia as indentured labourers by British colonialists since early 1800s, remained politically silent until 2007 when they first challenged the Malaysian government’s discriminatory policies.
On Nov 25, 2007, a mammoth rally led by Hindraf was brutally suppressed by the government through use of tear gas and water cannons. Subsequently, Malaysian security forces cracked down on Indian-Hindu activists and several Hindraf leaders were arbitrarily detained.
HAF and MAF stressed that much of the inequality in Malaysia can be traced back to Article 153 of Federal Constitution which officially enshrined discrimination against minorities while providing benefits for the majority Muslim Malay population, including quotas in government jobs and educational institutions.
“Known as the bumiputera (son of the soil) policy, this constitutional provision effectively relegated Indians and other minorities to second-class citizens. Restrictions on religious freedom and the expansion of syariah (Islamic) law courts further marginalised non-Muslims,” said HAF and MAF.
Now, for the first time Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak held talks with Hindraf leaders in Putrajaya yesterday on possibility of endorsing the movement’s blueprint. More dialogues are expected to be held in coming days to reach a consensus.
Many fence-sitters are expected to back Najib if, unlike Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, endorses the blueprint. Najib can win over the “nambikkai” (trust) of Indian voters if he implements certain features of Hindraf’s blueprint agenda before the dissolution parliament.
If Najib can stage this pre-election “coup” and pull the carpet from underneath Pakatan, observers felt “the incumbent premier can retain Putrajaya with a comfortable victory.”
GEORGE TOWN: Two Hindu American right groups called on Malaysia’s main coalitions of political parties to urgently address minority rights issues ahead of the 13th general election.In a joint statement, Washington-based Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and California-based Malaysian American Foundation (MAF) pointed out that neither Barisan Nasional nor Pakatan Rakyat have initiated any pro-active steps to resolve inequality in Malaysia.
Despite its portrayal as a model Muslim democracy with a highly successful economy, HAF-MAF alleged that Malaysia had instituted deeply divisive policies that institutionalised discrimination against the country’s ethnic and religious minorities.
“The Indian-Hindu minority, in particular, faces systematic inequality, but neither political coalition has shown any genuine interest in addressing their plight,” said HAF director Samir Kalra Kalra, who is also a senior fellow for human rights.
Posted on the HAF website, the joint statement stated that Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy’s ongoing hunger strike was to draw national and international attention to the disparaging conditions facing the majority of the Indian-Hindu community in Malaysia.
Local Hindraf branches are currently holding candle light vigils across the country calling on either BN or Pakatan, or both to endorse Hindraf’s five-year blueprint, which outlines permanent solutions to end marginalised Indian plight.
“Ahead of the upcoming election in Malaysia, the hunger strike renews focus on religious discrimination in Malaysia,” stressed the HAF-MAF statement. “Waythamoorthy’s effort is a means to bring world attention to the suffering of the Indians.”
Article 153 of Federal Constitution
MAF co-founder Muralitharan Samy said that since independence in 1957, successive Malaysian governments had refused to provide basic civil rights to the Indian population.
Most of them who were originally brought to Malaysia as indentured labourers by British colonialists since early 1800s, remained politically silent until 2007 when they first challenged the Malaysian government’s discriminatory policies.
On Nov 25, 2007, a mammoth rally led by Hindraf was brutally suppressed by the government through use of tear gas and water cannons. Subsequently, Malaysian security forces cracked down on Indian-Hindu activists and several Hindraf leaders were arbitrarily detained.
HAF and MAF stressed that much of the inequality in Malaysia can be traced back to Article 153 of Federal Constitution which officially enshrined discrimination against minorities while providing benefits for the majority Muslim Malay population, including quotas in government jobs and educational institutions.
“Known as the bumiputera (son of the soil) policy, this constitutional provision effectively relegated Indians and other minorities to second-class citizens. Restrictions on religious freedom and the expansion of syariah (Islamic) law courts further marginalised non-Muslims,” said HAF and MAF.
Now, for the first time Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak held talks with Hindraf leaders in Putrajaya yesterday on possibility of endorsing the movement’s blueprint. More dialogues are expected to be held in coming days to reach a consensus.
Many fence-sitters are expected to back Najib if, unlike Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, endorses the blueprint. Najib can win over the “nambikkai” (trust) of Indian voters if he implements certain features of Hindraf’s blueprint agenda before the dissolution parliament.
If Najib can stage this pre-election “coup” and pull the carpet from underneath Pakatan, observers felt “the incumbent premier can retain Putrajaya with a comfortable victory.”
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