Waytha: Let Kajang be Indian referendum on BN- Malaysiakini

 

Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (PHM) chief P Waythamoorthy has urged that the Kajang by-election be a referendum on BN's contribution to the Indian community.

The proposal comes after Waythamoorthy drew flak from his former BN colleagues who dismissed his claims that the ruling coalition failed to help the Indian community.

"I now urge Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to join forces with their 'team players', MIC, and come up with a full report of what the government has done for the Indian community over the last 20 years.

"Both Khairy and Hishammuddin are most welcome to go around with their team players to the 10 percent Indian voters in Kajang and present their case.

"This exercise, if both the ministers dare do, would give them a yardstick to gauge what they and their team players have done for the community," he said in a press statement today.

Khairy (left) and Hishammuddin had critcised Waythamoorthy for attacking BN after quitting the government and accused him of not being a team player when he was deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

Waythamoorthy was appointed as deputy minister after throwing his support behind BN in the last general election in exchange for the ruling coalition's support of the movement's blueprint on helping the Indian community.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the two parties but Waythamoorthy resigned on Feb 10, after nine months in government, claiming BN had refused to uphold the agreement.

"Hindraf maintains its claim that the Indians in Malaysia have been marginalised from the mainstream development of the country," said Waythamoorthy.

He said there had not been any significant allocation for the Indian community for almost 50 years and any allocation in recent times have only come in the form of election goodies.

"All the so-called allocations that had come by in the last five years (were) in piecemeal manner manned by the existing political parties without much accountability, transparency or a monitoring process, except for rhetoric whenever aelection came by.

"The whole purpose of the Hindraf MOU with BN was to ensure that a special unit is dedicated to ensure that a fair amount of funds are allocated on a targeted basis for the uplifting of the Indian poor to resolve their issues permanently," he said.