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Friday 15 August 2014

NGOs: Palanivel can’t see beyond his nose - Malaysiakini

Copingo, a coalition of Penang Indian NGOs, has accused MIC president G Palanivel of being a leader who peddles deception.

Copingo chairperson N Ganesan took Palanivel to task for describing the memorandum of understanding (MOU) inked between Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (PHM) prior to the last general election as a “mistake”.

"Does the Indian community need such a leader who cannot see beyond the tip of his nose?" he asked.

"Palanivel, is asking for fair share of the common wealth of one’s country a mistake, is requiring effective correction programmes for the growing underclass problem in the community a mistake?

"Is asking for a complete upgrade of Tamil primary schools in the country a mistake, is asking for fair living opportunities for the Indian poor a mistake," he added.

Ganesan (right), who is also a PHM leader, said when leaders like Najib and Palanivel "deceive endlessly",  the Indian community in the country would continue to be in the doldrums.

"The policies of Najib are nothing more than a cover for creating more profit opportunities for those already well-endowed, and often at the expense of the poor and vulnerable resulting in increasing marginalisation of those at the bottom," he told Malaysiakini.

Meanwhile Palanivel’s policies, he said, are there to provide cover for his boss so that the MIC president can keep his job.

MOU that wasn't

PHM chief P Waythamoorthy had been heavily criticised for the MOU with Najib in which the leader was subsequently awarded a deputy ministership.

He eventually quit his cabinet post after accusing the PM's administration of failing to uphold its end of the bargain after BN won the general election.

PHM is a breakaway organization from the Hindu Rights Action Force group Hindraf led by Waythamoorthy's brother P Uthayakumar.

In 2007, Uthayakumar's Hindraf shot into national spotlight when it staged a massive street protest in Kuala Lumpur over the plight of the Indian community.

The cornerstone protest is often cited as one of the key reasons in a swing of votes in favour of the opposition in the general election held the following year.

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