PM finally to meet Hindraf leaders tomorrow

(Malaysiakini) Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has finally scheduled to meet leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) movement tomorrow, two months after the government lifted its ban on the group.

As Hindraf is one of the best recognised groups speaking up on Indian-related issues, the meeting is likely targetted to help Najib shore up his Indian support prior to dissolving Parliament.

"(Hindraf chief) P Waythamoorthy has received an invitation from the prime minister on March 22 for talks on Hindraf's five-year blueprint.

"This has been discussed within the leadership of Hindraf and it has been decided to accept the invitation," Hindraf advisor N Ganesan told Malaysiakini.

The meeting is scheduled to take place tomorrow at the Prime Minister's Office at 12pm.
Ganesan said Hindraf would be represented by a three-man delegation, but did not name whom.

The meeting comes as Waythamoorthy enters his 15th day of his solo hunger strike to highlight the movement's blueprint.

‘Pakatan talks stalled’

Hindraf had previously met with Pakatan Rakyat's leadership to highlight its blueprint to uplift the Indian poor, but talks have stalled after the movement demanded seats to contest in the next general election.

PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim has also appeared reluctant to give a full endorsement of Hindraf’s blueprint, although he has since added some demands into the Pakatan manifesto.

Waythamoorthy in a recent interview with Malaysiakini dismissed any possibility of an electoral pact with BN, saying that the ruling coalition has "a long way to come" compared to Pakatan Rakyat.

However, he had said that he would still submit Hindraf's blueprint for endorsement should Najib meet with the movement.

Najib has been working hard to court the Indian community since taking office in 2009 and on Jan 25 lifted the over four-year ban against Hindraf.

The PM’s agreement to finally meet Hindraf comes as time runs out on Najib to call the next general election.

While Parliament will only expire on April 28, Negeri Sembilan will be the first state assembly to be automatically dissolve next Wednesday and analysts predict that the premier may call for polls before then, in order to not appear weak.

‘Outlawed under Abdullah’

Hindraf was outlawed on Oct 14, 2008 by then Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar under the administration of former PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The government had then described Hindraf as a threat to public order, the security and sovereignty of the country as well as the prevailing racial harmony if left unchecked.

Hindraf had earned the ire of the government after it mobilised more than 30,000 Indians onto the streets of Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25, 2007 in a bid to highlight the marginalisation of the community.

The historic street protest is credited as one of the contributing factors for the March 8, 2008 electoral setback for BN that saw Indian support for the ruling coalition dramatically reduced.

The BN lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament that it had held since the coalition’s creation in 1973.

Some two weeks after the 2007 rally, five Hindraf leaders were detained under the Internal Security Act for two years.