Some members of the movement are upset over their leader’s apparent support of the ruling regime.
KUALA LUMPUR: A group of Hindraf members today told the movement’s leader, P Waythamoorthy, to resign or withdraw his alleged support for Barisan Nasional.
Their spokesman, S Jayathas, told a press conference here that Waythamoorthy had “clearly shown” he was throwing his support behind BN in telling Indians in Gelang Patah not to vote for Lim Kit Siang as punishment for DAP’s “towkay” mentality.
“He now has 48 hours to decide if he is going ahead to support BN,” said Jayathas in the presence of about two dozen people claiming to be grassroots members of the Hindu rights movement.
He said his group had not decided what to do if Waythamoorthy failed to respond in 48 hours, but added: “He is more than welcome to leave Hindraf if he insists on supporting BN.”
Jayathas is a former information chief of Hindraf. He is now a PKR member.
He also said the Waythamoorthy faction of Hindraf had been distributing a CD recording telling Indian voters to boycott the election.
“How come the Election Commission and police are not taking action against a man who has asked the people not to vote?” he said. “This is clearly against the law.”
A lawyer who declined to be named told FMT that Jayathas was probably right in saying that Waythamoorthy was breaking the law. Quoting Article 119 of the Federal Constitution and Section 9a of the Elections Act, he said it would be unlawful to interfere with a citizen’s right to vote.
Jayathas said Waythamoorthy should be working towards Hindraf’s goals instead of creating confusion in the minds of Indian voters.
Jayathas and other members of his group said they were confident that Pakatan Rakyat was still amenable to negotiating with Hindraf on its demand for policies aimed at improving the lot of Malaysian Indians.
“Why should we go to BN when we can still negotiate with PR?” Jayathas said. “We have been against BN all this while. Why this sudden change?
“Waythamoorthy has never met us and continues to make decisions for Hindraf and the Indians within his faction of the movement. This has to stop.”
Hindraf’s coordinator for Kuala Lumpur, N Shanmugam, alleged that several members of Waythamoorthy’s faction had been kicked out of that clique for questioning his recent statements and actions.
“We are not his enemies,” Shanmugam said. “He is one of us. He should have worked together with our other four leaders.
“Instead, he is splitting the Indian voters.
“Hindraf has never supported Umno or BN and we will never vote for them.
“We have been deprived of our rights for far too long and we are not going to change our mind just because they accept our blueprint on the eve of elections.”
Jayathas said an Indian boycott of the election would give BN the advantage.
“This was what happened in Sri Lanka when the Tamil Tiger chief asked all Tamils not to vote,” he said. “In the end, they were all wiped out.
KUALA LUMPUR: A group of Hindraf members today told the movement’s leader, P Waythamoorthy, to resign or withdraw his alleged support for Barisan Nasional.Their spokesman, S Jayathas, told a press conference here that Waythamoorthy had “clearly shown” he was throwing his support behind BN in telling Indians in Gelang Patah not to vote for Lim Kit Siang as punishment for DAP’s “towkay” mentality.
“He now has 48 hours to decide if he is going ahead to support BN,” said Jayathas in the presence of about two dozen people claiming to be grassroots members of the Hindu rights movement.
He said his group had not decided what to do if Waythamoorthy failed to respond in 48 hours, but added: “He is more than welcome to leave Hindraf if he insists on supporting BN.”
Jayathas is a former information chief of Hindraf. He is now a PKR member.
He also said the Waythamoorthy faction of Hindraf had been distributing a CD recording telling Indian voters to boycott the election.
“How come the Election Commission and police are not taking action against a man who has asked the people not to vote?” he said. “This is clearly against the law.”
A lawyer who declined to be named told FMT that Jayathas was probably right in saying that Waythamoorthy was breaking the law. Quoting Article 119 of the Federal Constitution and Section 9a of the Elections Act, he said it would be unlawful to interfere with a citizen’s right to vote.Jayathas said Waythamoorthy should be working towards Hindraf’s goals instead of creating confusion in the minds of Indian voters.
Jayathas and other members of his group said they were confident that Pakatan Rakyat was still amenable to negotiating with Hindraf on its demand for policies aimed at improving the lot of Malaysian Indians.
“Why should we go to BN when we can still negotiate with PR?” Jayathas said. “We have been against BN all this while. Why this sudden change?
“Waythamoorthy has never met us and continues to make decisions for Hindraf and the Indians within his faction of the movement. This has to stop.”
Hindraf’s coordinator for Kuala Lumpur, N Shanmugam, alleged that several members of Waythamoorthy’s faction had been kicked out of that clique for questioning his recent statements and actions.
“We are not his enemies,” Shanmugam said. “He is one of us. He should have worked together with our other four leaders.
“Instead, he is splitting the Indian voters.“Hindraf has never supported Umno or BN and we will never vote for them.
“We have been deprived of our rights for far too long and we are not going to change our mind just because they accept our blueprint on the eve of elections.”
Jayathas said an Indian boycott of the election would give BN the advantage.
“This was what happened in Sri Lanka when the Tamil Tiger chief asked all Tamils not to vote,” he said. “In the end, they were all wiped out.
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