Marginalised minorities to form power bloc

(Malaysiakini) Smarting under the yoke of what they claimed to be the 53-year tyranny of BN's "majority rule" and whetted by the tsunami of 2008, minority groups have banded together, hoping to create a new power bloc in Malaysian politics.

What they are trying to recreate, though on a much grander scale, is the flashpoint ignited by Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) and the free and fair elections advocacy group Bersih, which many believed swayed the last general election.

Both NGOs were responsible for galvanising the groundswell of public support that was said to have helped reverse BN's once hegemonic hold on the two-thirds majority in Parliament and as well as wrest control of five states.

The 2008 experience has proven that small dedicated groups of minorities can cause a lot of waves if they work together.

It is towards this government-influencing, if not government changing critical mass that a collage of self-described "marginalised minorities" has decided to embark upon.

"We have suffered from the centrifugal force which continues to victimise us. We need a change," said moderator N Ganesan (left) at the National Human Rights Conference on The Future of Marginalised Communities in Malaysia at the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall today.

Hailing from the length and breadth of the Borneo isle and the peninsula, the panel for today's discussion included representatives of groups contending that they have been disenfranchised - the Indians, Dayaks, Orang Aslis and the disabled.

However, this time, they have decided not to peg their hopes on any political party but will look more to their own interests, aiming to hold whoever is contesting at ransom, their votes for solutions to their concerns.

'We need change'
"After 2008, we were hoping that Pakatan would improve things for us. But to be honest, Pakatan did nothing for the disabled. We need change, we need good leaders who can deliver," lamented Independent Living Training Center coordinator Francis Siva in his speech to the 150-strong audience.

His main grouse, something which he said is shared by the disabled community, is the indifference with which the authorities, even in Pakatan states, treat their requests and concerns.

On the other hand are there are the Dayaks and the Orang Asli whose main grouses are centred on their relationship with their customs, the land and surrounding forest.

They claim this is being denied to them by a federal government keen on developing and extracting natural resources, so much so that it saw no wrong in stealing land owned by the Orang Asli and Dayaks.

"Timber is extracted and nature's treasures destroyed," accused Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia Pahang chapter chairperson Yusri Jahut.

The government's hunger for land and resources, they said, is threatening their livelihood, and poised to sever the ties to those things they hold so dear.

"We are being treated like the Red Indians of America, about a hundred years ago," lamented John Ryan Anthony of the Sarawak Dayak National Union.

He was joined by Hindraf national coordinator W Sambulingan who criticised government policies of the NEP and 'ketuanan Melayu' which he said continue to cow the Indians, warning against a possible 'Tunisia' style popular uprising.

Memo to PM

The conference came up with a list of resolutions which they will compile into a memorandum that will be sent to the PM in a month's time.

The memorandum is but a starting point as the groups all agree to move forward into a collective response to encroachments into their basic rights.

"If you tell me to go to war, then we go to war. We just lack expertise, if you provide the expertise, we will provide the muscle," said Anthony displaying his commitment to the new alliance.

Former Sabah PKR leader Jeffrey Kitingan (right) joined the panel though he did not gave a speech. He was joined by another former PKR leader Zaid Ibrahim who made a cameo appearance, but just sat quietly in the audience.

"I am here just to listen," said Zaid when asked to join the panel.

The conference was organised by the Hindraf, jointly with Human Rights Foundation, Borneo Resource Institute (BRI), Common Interest Group of Sabah and Sarawak (Cigma), Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) and several other NGOs.

Hindraf shocks Sabah, S’wak reps

KUALA LUMPUR: Indigenous delegates from Sabah and Sarawak attending the National Human Rights Conference on the Future of Marginalised and Minority Communities in Malaysia were stunned when told of the conditions of the majority of Indians in Peninsular Malaysia.

Reacting to a paper presented by Hindraf national coordinator, W Sambulingam, one delegate from Sabah who declined to be named, told FMT: “I almost forget about my our own crippling conditions in Sabah.”

In his presentation, Sambulingam had described in detail, along with facts and figures, the striking conditions of the Indians in Malaysia.

He revealed that so depressed were their lives that suicide rates among the Indians were the highest at 21.1 suicides in every 100,000 Indians.

He also said that more than 30% of Indians do not own a house, compared to 25% Malays and 18% Chinese.

“Because of extremely depressed conditions, the suicide rate among Indians is also very high, that is 21.1 suicides in every 100,000 Indians, compared to 8.6 per 100,000 Chinese and 2.6 per 100,000 Malays.

“There are many Indians who live in destitution in urban squatter colonies. There are thousands of stateless Indian children and adults. We have a very low performance in life due to the systematic denial of opportunities in the areas of education, employment and business,” he said.

Indian youths in crime

But most worrying, he pointed out, was the fact that 40% of the Indian youths are involved in crime and more than 60% of inmates in detentions camps are Indians.

In addition, more than 95% of police custodial deaths are also Indians, he said.

“This is a burgeoning problem… Indians today are stereotyped and vulnerable to be linked to crimes. They are being relegated to all the low end jobs in society, very small involvement in development programmes in the country.

“Complete landlessness is overwhelming the community. The entire Tamil School primary system needs to be revamped. Land for Tamil schools, Hindu temples, and burial grounds need to be addressed but who is listening to our plight?” he asked.

He said the government must provide equal opportunities based on merit and reaffirm Article 153 and Article 8 of the Federal Constitution that guarantees equal rights for all.

Among those in attendance at the one-day conference here were Kita party pesident, Zaid Ibrahim, CigMa chief Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, well known Sabah social activist Patrick Sindu, and scores of social justice advocates. Also attending were 200 participants from various communities.

15 arrested over Interlok protest

KUALA LUMPUR: The police arrested 15 people, including a 61-year-old woman, for protesting against the controversial Interlok novel in Tasek Gelugor, Penang.

A Kalaimughilan, the son of Perak PKR member MS Arjunan, was among those arrested.

Contacted later, he told FMT that it was a peaceful protest held at a residential area this morning in order to create awareness about the book.

“Our aim was just to hold a peaceful gathering to inform the Indians in that area about the contents of the book,” he said.

However, he added that chaos erupted when some 30 policemen arrived at the scene and arrested the protesters, including members of the Malaysian Tamil Students Progressive Team (MTSP).

Meanwhile, more than 50 police reports had been lodged nationwide against the book, which was introduced in schools this year for the Malay literature subject.

The reports were filed in Jasin, Tasek Gelugor, Kota Bharu, Sentul, Ipoh, Port Dickson, Batu Gajah, Sitiawan, Taiping, Teluk Intan, Kuantan and Malacca.

Federation of Indian Organisations (Prima) president A Rajaretnam said that the high number of police reports reflected the Indian community’s anger and frustration.

“We once again urge the government to ban the book, or else we will be forced to campaign against Barisan Nasional in the Tenang by-election,” he added.

Indian organisations, including MIC, had called for the book’s removal from the syllabus because it contained inaccurate and disparaging remarks about the community.

Interlok was penned in 1971 by national laureate Abdullah Hussain

DAP wants BN to walk religion talk

Najib said the open celebrations of various religious holidays proved freedom of religion in Malaysia. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — DAP wants Putrajaya to resolve the country’s religious strife, in line with Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recent remarks that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government guarantees religious freedom.


DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua today reminded the prime minister that the practice of religious freedom should not only be skin deep, where celebrations are held in the open but both written and unwritten restrictions are placed on the various religions in the country.

He said if Najib’s claim were true, the premier should then instruct  Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to retract the government’s appeal against a December 2009 High Court decision permitting the Catholic Church to use of the term “Allah” beyond a Muslim scope.

“No such rule exists even in the predominantly Muslim Middle East, and history has shown the use of the term for centuries among Christians and Sikhs.

“However, the Barisan Nasional government has chosen to unreasonably restrict the religious practices of non-Muslims resulting in the suit filed by the Catholic Church against the former,” Pua said in a statement.

The Catholic Church’s newspaper, The Herald Weekly, had challenged the home ministry for the right to use the word “Allah” to describe God in the Christian context and had won in a landmark ruling at the High Court on New Year’s Eve in 2009.

Pua reminded Najib that religious freedom must go beyond appearances.

However, the paper remains barred from using the term pending an unresolved appeal by the home ministry.
 
On Thursday, Najib had joined the Thaipusam celebrations in Sungai Petani, where he said the freedom of religion practised in the country proved that the government is fair to all.

He also said the facilities and assistance provided to religious bodies also reflected the government’s aspiration in seeing the people live in peace and harmony.

But Pua said there is a growing list of cases where non-Muslims had to battle government officials and the Attorney-General’s Chambers, whom he described as having adopted the impromptu roles of Islamic religious authorities in Malaysia.

“These have included the cases of Tan Cheow Hong, Indira Gandhi, Nedunchelian, Shamala, and Genga Devi where their family lives totally disrupted when their children were converted to Islam without their knowledge or consent by a disgruntled spouse,” he claimed.

He then sought for the prime minister to expand the scope of the Cabinet-sanctioned Committee for the Promotion of Inter-religious Understanding and Harmony amongst Adherents and allow it to openly discuss critical issues affecting religious harmony in the country.

“The BN government has repeatedly postponed the inter-faith meetings which reflect the degree of intolerance among certain religious leaders in Malaysia, including a petty dispute over the name of the sub-committee,” he said.

He said while Pakatan Rakyat (PR) component parties had been active in convening such inter-faith dialogues, Umno had chosen to endorse a demonstration where protestors paraded a severed cow’s head to complain against the building of a Hindu temple in Shah Alam, on the basis that “a majority of the residents are Muslims”.

“It is hence completely hypocritical for Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman to call PAS extremists, and to claim that a vote for BN is a vote for moderation when it is clear that Umno today represents the voice of the religious and racial extremist.

“Moderate Malaysians must not be misled by the sweet rhetoric from BN leaders and instead make itself heard to protect the freedom of religion as enshrined in our federal constitution,” he said.

Algerians defy ban to protest government

Algiers, Algeria (CNN) -- Baton-wielding Algerian security forces clashed Saturday with protesters who defied a ban and took to the streets of the capital demanding political reform.

Eleven individuals and eight policemen were injured, two seriously, the official Algerie Presse Service reported.

Police arrested nine protesters, the news service said.

Algeria's largest opposition party, Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), last week called the demonstration to demand the release of detainees, the lifting of a state of emergency that has been in place for almost two decades, and the restoration of individual and collective freedoms.

"We asked to do a march, in a legal way, but they told us: 'You are the opposition and you don't have any rights in your country,'" said Said Saadi, head of the RCD.

Saadi said the government wants Algerians to "kneel in front of them. But we don't kneel."

The government called the demonstration "small" with about 250 people and said it was "unauthorized." Security forces prevented journalists from photographing the demonstration or interviewing organizers.

Anti-government protests erupted in Algeria in early January after weeks of similar demonstrations in neighboring Tunisia that eventually ended 23 years of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's rule.

In Algeria, the protests broke out over spiraling food costs. The opposition blames the government of failing to use the north African nation's energy wealth to better the lives of ordinary people.

A law adopted in 2001 indefinitely bans all demonstrations in Algiers, according to the monitoring group Human Rights Watch. A nationwide state of emergency in effect for nearly two decades allows the government to ban any event that is "likely to disturb public order and tranquility."

Family claims Krishnan's body

UMNO racist Traffic Police issued two summons each to Hindu devotes for parking along road side at Perak Thaipusam Festival but never summons Malay muslim parking on weekly Friday prayers.

Dhanaletchmy  was shock when she received two summons for packing at roadside. She said this is outrageous  because Thaipusam is celebrated once a year but Malay muslim Friday prayers they park their car at the road side weekly and don’t even get one summons.

Dhanaletchmy was accompanied by HRP Perak Chairman R.Ramesh and his committee, made a police report against the Traffic police on being racist to Indian devotes.

On 24/1/2011 at 7.00pm HRP Perak invites all those who received summons during the Thaipusam to come to HRP Perak Office at 66/1 Jalan Ng Weng Hup, Taman Pertama, Ipoh.  HRP will assist to compile this summons and make a formal complain on the injustices practiced by the UMNO’s racist Traffic Police.

For more information please contact Mr.Ramesh- 0195235528 and Mr.Nadesan 0125866774

“Rights not Mercy”

R.Ramesh

HRP PERAK Chairman

 

Singapore gags citizens’ criticism, says Dr M

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said last night that Singaporeans were not allowed to cast their government in a bad light.

The former prime minister was responding to Singapore Berita Harian readers who were reportedly unhappy with him for claiming that Singaporean Malays were marginalised.

“They have freedom of speech in Singapore where you can say what you like, so long as it is approving of the government,” Dr Mahathir told reporters after launching the movement Viva Palestina Malaysia here today.

“(You have freedom) as long as you don’t say something that the government of Singapore does not like,” he added.

On Thursday, national news agency Bernama reported several Singapore Berita Harian readers as saying that Malays on the island-republic enjoyed progress without subsidies and were on equal treatment with other communities.

One reader, Sallim Ahmad, reportedly said it had become Mahathir’s theme that “the Singapore Malays are being marginalised until the end of world.”

He also said the position of Islam was protected although it was not the official religion in the republic where Malays are the minority.

Another reader called Kamariah Lim Li Hwa was quoted as saying: “We the Malays of Singapore feel at ease and are grateful that the Singapore rulers execute our trust with transparency.”

Today, Dr Mahathir said Singaporeans were welcome to make such remarks, but that they were required to “be nice in Singapore”.

On Friday, Malay rights group Perkasa voiced similar sentiments in their defence of the former PM.

“No Malays in Singapore dare to talk the truth about the treatment they received,” Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali told The Malaysian Insider.

He had also claimed that the comments by the Singapore Berita Harian readers did not represent the Malay community in Singapore in its entirety.

Dr Mahathir recently warned against dispersing Kampung Baru’s Malay residents in the same way Singapore had scattered the Malay community and diluted its voice.

He wrote in his blog that while Malaysia is being governed by a Malay majority government that cares for the fate of Malays, “let us not be so sure that there will never be a government where the voice of Malay representatives is removed.”

In June, Dr Mahathir told a rally of Malay NGOs that Malays in Malaysia risked becoming marginalised like their Singapore counterparts because of political divisions.

The former PM had said: “If we do not think deeply about the future of our community then there is a possibility that we can become [like] the Singaporean Malays and have no power.”

Interlok: Prakata yang tiada

Yang Arif,
Sudah dihujahkan sebelum ini bahawa novel Interlok edisi murid (2010) amat perlu, amat wajar dan amat sesuai ‘dimurnikan’ dahulu sebelum kembali dijadikan teks Komponen Sastera Dalam Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Malaysia (Komsas) bagi pelajar Tingkatan Lima.
Sehingga kerja-kerja itu dilaksanakan, tidak menjadi dosa besar sekiranya novel yang dipilih sebagai teks Komsas sehingga tahun 2010 ‘dilanjutkan kontrak’ demi kebaikan bersama.
Debat dan hujah sama ada Interlok edisi murid boleh disunting, diubah, dibaiki dan dimurnikan tidak lagi timbul kerana Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan (Kavyan) sudah pun membuktikan perkara itu melalui hujah-hujah sebelum ini.
Maka, mari kita maju bersama dalam isu ini; bukan mundur dan terus bergelumang dalam lopak yang sudah sedia keruh dicemari lumpur.
Mari kita sama-sama mencari ‘kejernihan’; meminjam perkataan yang kini sering digunakan Profesor Madya Dr Lim Swee Tin, seorang sasterawan yang diakui ‘lebih Melayu daripada orang Melayu’.
Yang Arif,
Semasa pihak Kavyan meneliti novel Interlok edisi 2003, kami mendapati buku berkenaan disertai bahagian Prakata, Kata Pengantar dan Sepatah Kata yang mengandung begitu banyak maklumat berguna yang amat wajar diketahui bukan sahaja pelajar Tingkatan Lima di Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya dan Negeri Sembilan; malah oleh khalayak umum yang mungkin hanya berpeluang membaca Interlok edisi murid.
Dalam hal ini, jangan kita lupa bahawa apabila novel Interlok edisi murid dimasukkan dalam Skim Pinjaman Buku Teks (SPBT) dan pelajar tidak perlu membelinya, maka keluarga setiap pelajar itu juga berpeluang membaca novel berkenaan secara percuma.
Sayangnya, pelbagai maklumat penting dan berguna yang ada dalam edisi 2003 tidak ditemui langsung dalam edisi 2010 (edisi murid).
Maklumat penting ditiadakan
Pada pandangan Kavyan, antara maklumat penting pada Prakata, Kata Pengantar dan Sepatah Kata dalam edisi 2003 yang boleh membantu ‘menjernihkan’ keadaan adalah seperti berikut:
“Hasil kesusasteraan adalah sebahagian daripada warisan peradaban bangsa. Ia mencerminkan perubahan sosial sesuatu bangsa. … Secara keseluruhannya, warisan peradaban ini dihayati sebagai suatu kesatuan yang memperlihatkan perkembangan dan perubahan tema, persoalan dan teknik penulisan novel … Yang penting bukan sekadar dibaca, tetapi dihayati dan dikaji sebagai hasil kesusasteraan yang mencerminkan warisan peradaban bangsa Malaysia pada abad 20.” (Prakata)
“Abad 20 adalah abad perubahan dalam perkembangan sejarah Malaysia dalam segala bidang. Perubahan sosial pada awal abad 20 … telah melahirkan perubahan yang nyata kepada pertumbuhan genre baharu dalam dunia sastera di Malaysia. … Pertumbuhan dan perkembangan ini adalah gambaran perubahan yang dialami oleh bangsa Malaysia yang kemudiannya bertambah pesat setelah kemerdekaan dicapai pada tahun 1957. … Setelah abad 20 kita lalui, wajar kita melihat kembali apa yang telah kita capai untuk menjadi pedoman kita menempuh masa depan.” (Kata Pengantar)
“Dengan inisiatif Perdana Menteri Tun Abdul Razak Hussein (pada masa itu Timbalan Perdana Menteri), suatu peraduan mengarang novel telah diadakan bersempena dengan sambutan sepuluh tahun Malaysia merdeka. … Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka diarahkan untuk menerbitkan novel yang mendapat hadiah dalam peraduan tersebut. Novel Interlok ialah salah sebuah daripada novel yang tergolong dalam kategori pemenang sayembara.” (Sepatah Kata)
Yang Arif,
Bayangkan betapa rugi apabila begitu banyak maklumat penting dan berguna ditiadakan (dinafikan kewujudan) dalam Interlok edisi murid. Malah, novel terbitan 2010 langsung tidak menyebut – termasuk di halaman Hak Cipta – bahawa karya ini dihasilkan pada 1967 dan sudah banyak kali diterbitkan sejak 1971. Interlok edisi murid adalah Cetakan Pertama 2010 dan Hak Cipta dipegang DBP 2010.
Biodata Sasterawan Negara Datuk Abdullah Hussain (Pak Lah) hanya secara khusus menyebut novel Imam.
Cetakan Pertama 2010?
Kumpulan tertentu yang ghairah menjerit di pentas terbuka, sering menuduh mana-mana pihak yang tidak menerima seadanya Interlok edisi murid (termasuk Kavyan yang mahu Interlok edisi murid ‘dimurnikan’) sebagai tidak pernah membaca novel asal Interlok dan tidak tahu siapa Pak Lah.
Nah! Berdasarkan hipotesis (baca: tuduhan) yang dilontarkan kumpulan itu sendiri, bukankah sudah cukup untuk memberi gambaran amat jelas akan kemungkinan (andaian sahaja) bahawa khalayak yang berpeluang membaca Interlok edisi murid langsung tidak tahu bahawa ia adalah karya yang ditulis dalam suasana tahun akhir 1960-an?
Apatah lagi, Interlok edisi murid disajikan dengan perakuan ‘Hak Cipta 2010’ dan ‘Cetakan Pertama 2010’.
Yang Arif,
Kavyan berpegang semakin teguh pada pendirian bahawa Interlok edisi murid yang sudah diedarkan kepada pelajar ditarik balik dengan segera. (Atau hadiahkan sahaja kepada pelajar berkenaan dengan semangat sebenar slogan ‘kerajaan prihatin’.)
Novel Interlok edisi murid perlu ‘dimurnikan’ seperti yang sudah dihujahkan sebelum ini; serta diterbitkan semula dalam ‘edisi kedua’ (edisi dimurnikan) yang mempunyai Prakata, Kata Pengantar dan Sepatah Kata – khususnya petikan-petikan penting yang dikemukakan sebentar tadi. Ia lebih penting berbanding ‘kata-kata pujian’ dan ‘propaganda’ pada bahagian blurb novel Interlok edisi murid!
Tindakan dan cadangan yang dibentangkan Kavyan sedikit pun tidak memperlekeh kehebatan Interlok sebagai sebuah karya agung yang dihasilkan Sasterawan Negara kelapan.
Sebaliknya, cadangan ini membantu mengangkat martabat Interlok dan kedudukan Pak Lah sendiri sebagai seorang sasterawan yang menerima Anugerah Sastera Negara daripada Yang di-Pertuan Agong pada 1996.
Jika itulah juga yang sebenar-benarnya dan dengan seikhlas hati diperjuangkan pihak tertentu yang lantang bersuara di pentas terbuka, maka saya tidak nampak apa-apa alasan logik – selain habuan bersifat peribadi, mungkin! – yang memungkinkan mana-mana pihak menolak cadangan bernas yang dikemukakan Kavyan.
Yang Arif, I rest my case.

Endorse 'withdraw Interlok' demand, MIC told

(Malaysiakini) The MIC representatives who attended a meeting at the ministry of education last Tuesday, over the controversial 'Interlok' for Form Five students, met again at the MIC headquarters yesterday to reiterate their demand at the meeting that the textbook be withdrawn.

Yesterday's meeting was chaired by MIC education bureau chairperson T Marimuthu. Also present were S Kumaran from the Indian Studies Department of University of Malaya, Aru Nagappan and SV Lingam, Krishnan Maniam, EM Sahadevan of the Curriculum Development Centre and a few other NGO representatives.

The purpose of yesterday's afternoon meeting was to reiterate their demands that the book be withdrawn from the Malay literature syllabus on grounds that it is unsuitable for students.

The discusion lasted more than two hours, during which they reiterated their unanimous demand for the withdrawal of the textbook.

The meeting also directed Marimuthu (below, left)to convey this decision to acting MIC president G Palanivel and deputy president Dr S Subramaniam. Kumaran and Aru, when contacted, confirmed this.

The meeting also decided that MIC should convene a central working committee meeting to endorse the demand for the book's withdrawal and that the decision be made public.

“MIC is a member of the ruling coalition. Its decision on this matter is important as it will make all the difference,” Kumaran said.

“This is a matter that concerns the entire community and as MIC claims to represent the community, it must make its stand on this matter public,” concurred Nagappan.

Both Kumaran and Nagappan had told the meeting that should MIC back down from the demand, they “will not attend any more meetings concerning this matter”.

'No consensus reached'

On the deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin's claim yesterday that "MIC and other organisations" had reached a consensus with the ministry, Kumaran denied it.

“That was the position taken by the ministry officers and the other representatives. It was not our view.”

“We were unanimous in our stand at the said meeting that 'Interlok' contains remarks that disparage Indians.

“It is not a question of this word or that word. There are more than 20 instances that are clearly derogative of Indians. I did refer to them at the ministry meeting”, he added.

Nagappan also confirmed that no consensus of any kind was arrived at during the ministry meeting.

BN Leaders Upbeat On Tenang Victory

LABIS, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders are upbeat the coalition front will retain the Tenang state seat with a higher majority, as initial findings indicate voters to be supportive of the BN candidate.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the party election machinery would try to meet as many voters as possible although the voter mood trend towards BN was positive.

"I have been here for sometime. I'm not alien to this place. I see the chances of wining are good. The mood is also good, especially in the past one year, following the announcement of the government transformation plan," he told reporters at the nomination centre.

MIC president Datuk G. Palanivel said MIC would deliver as many Indian votes as possible, capitalising on 1,410 MIC members in the Labis area.

"The Indian mood towards BN in the area is good. We are close to getting back the level of support which we enjoyed before. There have been a lot of allocations for temples here by the MB (menteri besar)," he said.

People's Progressive Party president Datuk M. Kayveas said BN was well-prepared for this by-election, with its election machinery more coordinated and focused.

"I believe we can achieve a healthy result in this by-election," he said.

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu senior vice-president Datuk Seri Awang Tengah Ali Hasan was also confident that BN could retain the Tenang seat as voters were more motivated by the 1Malaysia spirit.

Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said there were several factors which he believed, would see the people supporting the BN in the by-election.

Among them were support for the 1Malaysia concept, government transformation plan and choice of candidate, he said.

Meanwhile, Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim said his survey revealed a good chance for victory but the election machinery needed a boost to win the hearts of the public.

"We need to pay more house-to-house visits as ceramahs are not that effective. Although the opposition preaches on its manifesto, it is nothing we cannot handle," he said.

Sabah United Party deputy president Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili believed the straight fight between BN and PAS would work into BN advantage, especially among the non-bumiputera voters.

"The non-Malay has good reason to vote for BN. You ask me, the advantage is not on the candidate but on the BN itself. Since last year, BN leadership has come out with various trasnformation plan either on government or party level," he said.

Muhyiddin lied, say Indian groups

(Malaysiakini) The Federation of Indian NGO Associations has tagged Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin a liar and a traitor for suggesting that the ministry has reached consensus with the Indian community on the use of the Malay literature textbook 'Interlok'.

Instead, the federation's information chief AP Raja Retinam said, some Indian representatives who attended Tuesday's meeting had called for a total withdrawal of the book.

"Muhyiddin is a liar and a traitor for saying the ministry has reached a consensus, with making some amendments, as well as adding a glossary and teaching guidelines, as possible solutions.

"We, along with the representatives who attended the meeting, had called for the complete withdrawal of the book, not such solutions," Raja Retinam (left) said, adding that those who mislead the public would go to hell.

The federation, that had protested the Form Five textbook, had also earlier said it would put up a candidate in Tenang, but had not proceeded. 

Raja Retinam instead called on the Indian voters there to give their backing to PAS.

He has also called on the MIC, which sent its representatives to the meeting in Putrajaya last Tuesday, to hold a central working committee meeting to discuss Muhyiddin's statement and for the party to state its honest position.

Muhyiddin said yesterday the meeting, chaired by deputy minister Puad Zarkashi, had arrived at a consensus with possible solutions to end the 'Interlok' row, such as inserting additional footnotes, a glossary and teaching guidelines into the textbook.

Muhyiddin said the novel discussed national unity and integration among races, which were in line with the 1Malaysia concept.

The minister added that it was just that there were worries in the MIC and certain groups from the Indian community over a few words used in the novel.

Mass police reports

Raja Retinam called on the Indian community to join the move tomorrow to file police reports 'en mass' to put on record the Indian community's dissatisfaction with 'Interlok' and the ministry's insistence on using the book in schools.

"Go all out, in groups or as families, to every police station. Make sure everybody makes a report against 'Interlok'," he said.

Malaysiakini on Tuesday quoted a source who attended the Putrajaya meeting as telling the panel that 'pariah' and other words once used on low-caste people have been declared unlawful in India.

Therefore, teaching Malaysian students aged 16 and 17 years such things now would not be suitable. It could rekindle what was no longer prevalent today, and even create more tension amongst students, the source said.

Some 120,000 copies of 'Interlok' have been distributed in Selangor, Putrajaya, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Negri Sembilan, and there is worry about potential repercussions, the source said.

During Thaipusam at Batu Caves on Thursday, the Hindu Rights Action Force and members of the Human Rights Party protested against 'Interlok' just as Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak arrived at the venue, with the police making nine arrests.

Muhyiddin'missing the point'

Meanwhile, DAP national vice-chairperson M Kulasegaran (left) in a statement said his party would continue to pursue the Interlok issue throughout the Tenang by-election and after until the matter was resolved to the satisfaction of the Indian community.

"No one should be surprised if this issue prolongs even to the (next) general elections. It will snowball to become the central issue of anger of the Indian community against BN," said the Ipoh Barat parliamentarian.

Muhyiddin, Kulasegaran said further, had missed the point if he thought grievances over the matter could be resolved with his statement that a consensus had allegedly been reached by Indian NGOs that the author of 'Interlok' had no intention of disparaging the Indian community.

"Such clarification or argument is actually missing the real point as no one is questioning the intentions of the author," he said.

"One would think that the meeting would have reached a consensus that the book has hurt the Indian community and that the controversy must be immediately resolved.

"The controversy has dragged on long enough and the federal government should focus on the real questions," Kulasegaran said further.

Among them, he added, were:

- Can such a controversial book be used as a school text book?

- Can it truly promote better racial understanding and forge unity?

- Why can't we just have a textbook that is non-controversial and acceptable to all?

- Why is it so difficult for the education ministry to right an obvious wrong?

Those who argue that the book must be read "in the right context or as a whole" do not understand why the Indian community is angry with and hurt by the inaccuracies and demeaning words found in the book, said Kulasegaran.

"It is disappointing that the federal government cannot even understand the sentiment of the Indian community.

"If the cabinet leaders do understand the sentiment of the Indian community, then they definitely lack the political will and wisdom to resolve the issue." he added.

Najib :Kita an example of thriving democracy.MMSP approved in 2 weeks But HRPs’ application not approved and waiting for 12 years.

Dear YB,

RE: Najib :Kita an example of thriving democracy.MMSP approved in 2 weeks But HRPs’ application not approved and waiting for 12 years.

We refer to the above matter and to the newsreport in The Star 22/1/11 at page N3 reporting “The emergence of a new political party is a clear indication that democracy in Malaysia is active and vibrant. The prime Minister said it showed anyone could form a political party.

But why has the Human Rights Party’s (HRP) application to be registered as a political party not had been approved despite having waited for twelve (12) long years.

The predecessor of HRP i.e. PRIM’s application for registration way back in 1999 was rejected, some 12 years ago.

HRP’s application was first submitted on 18/6/2009 and the full submission done on 25/11/2010 and duly acknowledged receipt by the Registrar of Societies.

But up to date HRP’s application to be registered as a political party is refused to be approved but “ Kita is a shining example of thriving democracy”.

Another UMNO/BN created political party MMSP had its application approved within two weeks. But why is HRP’s application not been approved despite pending over the last twelve (12) years.

After all Article 8 of the Federal Constitution provides for Equality before the law and Article 12 provides for freedom of association (for HRP to form a political party.)

Kindly therefore approve HRP’s application forthwith and in any event within two weeks from the date hereof.

“Rights not Mercy”

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

……………………………….

P.Uthayakumar

Secretary General(Pro tem)

MIC rep wants Interlok dropped, denies consensus

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — An MIC representative denied today there was consensus that the Interlok novel did not disparage the Indian community, and insisted that it should be dropped from the education syllabus,

Former Hindu Sangam Malaysia president Dr A. Nagappan refuted Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement that a discussion last Tuesday had reached a consensus that the controversial novel did not intend to disparage the Indian community.

“We had agreed that this novel should be withdrawn. There was no other suggestion other than to ask that it not be used in school,” Nagappan told The Malaysian Insider.

“So, Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s statement (that the novel should be used) is not true,” added the former lecturer who represented MIC at the talks.

The Indian-based MIC is part of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) federal coalition.

Nagappan stressed that all six MIC representatives had agreed that the novel should not be used as the Form Five literature text as it was not conducive in fostering the 1 Malaysia spirit and racial unity.

Yesterday, Muhyiddin (picture) suggested several solutions to the Interlok controversy, such as creating additional footnotes, glossaries and teaching guidelines.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said more discussions with MIC leaders would be held before deciding if the novel would be removed from the school syllabus.

He added that he had informed the Cabinet on Wednesday about the results of the discussion, which he said was conducted in a professional and friendly manner.

The education minister further claimed that Interlok encouraged racial unity and was in line with the 1 Malaysia concept.

“There were only concerns from MIC and some quarters in the Indian community towards certain words. This writer (national laureate Datuk Abdullah Hussain), when read in its entirety, has no intention of humiliating or disparaging any race in that novel,” Muhyiddin had said.

Abdullah’s novel, which was written 50 years ago, has come under fire from the MIC and several Indian groups who claim that its contents on the Indian caste system are offensive.

Besides Nagappan, the other five MIC representatives who attended the Tuesday meeting were Hindu Sangam Malaysia president R. S. Mohan Shah, Universiti Malaya Indian Studies Department head Professor Madya Dr S. Kumaran, MIC Education Bureau chairman Tan Sri Dr T. Marimuthu, former Education Ministry official G. Krishnabagwan and Tamil Bell Club president S. V. Lingam.

Nagappan also said the MIC representatives had met a few NGOs yesterday and agreed to urge the MIC central working committee (CWC) to take a stand that is in line with the conclusion at the Tuesday discussion.

“As long as the MIC CWC does not make a stand, we will not attend further meetings with the Education Ministry,” said Nagappan.

“It is pointless for us to talk to the Education Ministry if MIC does not accept our stand,” he added.

The discussion this week was chaired by Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi and attended by 22 representatives, including NGOs and academicians.

The meeting lasted for four hours and Education Ministry officials had explained the rationale in choosing Interlok as the Form Five Bahasa Malaysia literature text.

Last week, MIC president Datuk G. Palanivel said the controversy surrounding the word “pariah” in the novel should be ended.

He had said it was a sensitive matter to Indians in the country although it was not a political issue.

Normala ready to give a good fight

LABIS: Normala Sudirman, PAS standard-bearer, carries the “underdog” label as she enters the Tenang arena, but she is burning with determination and hope.

She today said that she was ready to give a good fight and was even hoping to pull off a “surprise” win.

“On Jan 30, hopefully there would be a surprise here and I can be the voice of the rakyat in Tenang,” the 38-year-old woman said at a press conference after she was announced as the only candidate going up against Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Mohd Azahar Ibrahim, 39.

“This is an acknowledgement of women and educationists. I hope the rakyat will vote for change. I believe they would make the best choice as they are smart voters,” said the former secondary school teacher who resigned her position to contest the by-election.

“I am optimistic,” said Normala, who is also popularly called Cikgu Mala here.

Meanwhile, her opponent Azahar was more reserved with his comments, leaving most of the talking to Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin.

“I thank the BN leaders for supporting me. Hopefully, with the combined strength, we’ll strive to win over the Chinese, Malays and Indians,” he said.

Asked about the fact that he was going against a woman candidate, Azahar said: “Each will have to prove his or her own capability; men have their advantages and women, too.”

He then declined to speak further, pleading hounding reporters to “give me some time to rest”.
It was announced earlier that the Tenang state by-election will be seeing a straight fight between Barisan Nasional and PAS.

The nation’s 14th by-election was triggered by the death of incumbent assemblyman, BN’s Sulaiman Tahar, 59, on Dec 17 last year from high blood pressure and diabetes.

Sulaiman beat PAS candidate Mohd Saim Siran by a majority of 2,492 votes in the 2008 general election.

Tenang has 14,753 registered voters comprising 7,014 Malays (47.5%), 5,766 Chinese (39%), 1,780 Indians (12%) and other races (1.5%). There are 18 postal voters.

Bi-Anne’s case: Technical hitches, so video-conference aborted

PUTRAJAYA: Mediation via video-conferencing, scheduled to take place today between the parents of a 11-year-old girl caught in a custody battle, failed to take place due to technical problems.

Mediation judge Low Hop Bing subsequently fixed Jan 28 for another attempt at mediation by video-conferencing between real estate negotiator Low Swee Siong and his ex-wife Tan Siew Siew who is a London-based restaurant manager.

It is believed that the court staff were unabled to reach Tan on two e-mail addresses given by her.

The parties had earlier agreed to mediate via video-conferencing after the court was informed that Tan could not be present in court because she had exhausted her leave.

Bi-Anne has refused to be with her mother in London, who in 2008 had succeeded in getting custody of her, and has insisted to be with her father.

The couple married in 1999 and divorced in 2006 with custody of Bi-Anne given to the father.

Two years later, Tan, 37, applied for and won custody of Bi-Anne while her ex-husband was given reasonable access to their only child.

n today’s proceedings, the judge suggested to Tan’s lawyer K Bowanes to persuade Tan to facilitate a conducive mediation process in the interest of her daughter by requesting the lawyer to e-mail to the latter a philosophical piece which reads ” family peace produces boundless fortune. People in harmony personify nobility”.

The judge also requested Bi-Anne to e-mail to her mother the same but the girl told the judge in Mandarin that she did not want to do so and besides, she also did not have her mother’s e-mail address anymore.

Bi-Anne, whom the judge described as a girl with exceptional and commendable intelligence, was in tears as she pleaded to the court to waive the RM400 fine per day imposed on her 40-year old father by the High Court for delay in handing over the child to Tan.

Hop Bing said as mediation judge he could not grant a stay on the RM400 fine as requested by Swee Siong without hearing submissions from parties in the matter.

Siew Siong’s counsel Sulaiman Abdullah then suggested that Tan give her connsent to stay the fine, but Bowanes told the court that she did not have any instruction on that matter from her client.

The judge then asked Bowanes if she could get some instruction from her client from today until next Friday to which the counsel gave here assurance that she would do so.

When asked by the judge on whether Tan would be returning to Malaysia before or after the Chinese New Year celebration next month, Bowanes said Tan could not confirm due to work.

The judge had granted a one-day interim stay on Jan 28 on the RM400 fine imposed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Sept 13 2010 on Swee Siong for disobeying a court order that he hand over Bi-Anne to his ex-wife.

The 40-year old real estate negotiator was fined RM20,000 for contempt of court and a fine of RM400 for each day of delay in handing over the girl to Tan.

- Bernama

Guru Yoga didakwa rogol pejalar 15 tahun

SHAH ALAM: Seorang guru yoga dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Sesyen di sini hari ini atas dua pertuduhan merogol pelajarnya yang berusia 15 tahun pada Februari dan November tahun lepas.

Abdul Malik Abdullah, 55, dari Batu Caves dekat sini, mengaku tidak bersalah selepas kedua-dua pertuduhan dibacakan terhadapnya di hadapan Hakim Latifah Mohd Tahar.

Tertuduh didakwa merogol mangsa di Kampung Dato’ Harun, Serendah, Hulu Selangor dekat sini, kira-kira 8 malam pada Februari tahun lepas.

Abdul Malik yang ditahan pada 2 Jan lepas, juga didakwa merogol mangsa yang sama di Kuala Kubu Bharu, Hulu Selangor, antara 5 petang dan 6 petang pada November tahun lepas.

Kedua-dua pertuduhan dibuat mengikut Seksyen 376 Kanun Keseksaan yang memperuntukkan hukuman penjara maksimum 20 tahun dan sebatan, jika sabit kesalahan.

Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Salwa Asmary Abdul Rahim membantah sebarang jaminan diberi kepada tertuduh dengan alasan kesalahan yang dilakukannya serius kerana membabitkan mangsa di bawah umur.

Beliau berkata hubungan antara tertuduh yang merupakan guru yoga kepada mangsa juga memungkinkan tertuduh menganggu mangsa, lebih-lebih lagi mereka tinggal berdekatan.

Abdul Malik yang tidak diwakili peguam memohon mahkamah membenarkan dia diikat jamin dengan alasan kesihatannya tidak berapa baik dan perlu menanggung enam anak angkat.

Latifah kemudian membenarkan permohonan pihak pendakwaan untuk tidak membenarkan tertuduh diikat jamin dan menetapkan 23 Feb depan untuk sebutan melantik peguam.

Terdahulu, Abdul Malik dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Majistret Kuala Kubu Bharu atas tuduhan memiliki dadah jenis syabu seberat 2.70 gram.

Tertuduh yang mengaku tidak bersalah dibenarkan diikat jamin RM3,000 dengan seorang penjamin dan mahkamah menetapkan 22 Feb depan untuk sebutan semula kes.

-Bernama

About gloved hands and chopped hands

Muhyiddin may now be challenged to state his stand on Islam. He has passed a remark that appears to be a challenge to Islam. Muhyiddin may have to categorically declare whether he accepts or rejects Islam and the laws that come with it.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The level of campaigning in the Tenang by-election has been reduced somewhat. It is now about the wearing of gloves and the chopping of hands.

The MCA President, Chua Soi Lek, ridicules the opposition candidate because she shakes hands while wearing gloves. The Queen (of England, that is) also does the same. In fact, the Queen Mother was once criticised for taking off her gloves before she shook hands. It is considered most unlady-like to do that. And the late Lady Diana too wore gloves. There is also an archive of her glove collection, which you can see here:

http://www.operagloves.com/Royals/Diana/diana.html

So, yes, the ladies of English Royalty would not be caught dead without their gloves. And there is a healthy debate amongst the English public as to whether the ladies of English society should or should not wear gloves when shaking hands (just Google it and you will be taken to these debate sites). And most are of the opinion that if they are ladies then they should wear gloves.

But the MCA President would probably not understand this because he does not consort with ladies. And ‘ladies of the night’ are not quite what I mean when I say ladies. ‘Ladies of the night’ are…well, you know what I mean if you were to watch his action-packed videos. I really do not need to elaborate on this matter.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, in turn, ridicules the opposition on the cutting of hands. He is actually not criticising PAS, the party from which the opposition candidate comes from, as much as he is criticising Islam.

This quip may come back to haunt him as it did Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who made a remark about the Prophet Muhammad’s beard. Until today this remark by Dr Mahathir refuses to go away and even Umno admits that this was probably one of the gravest mistakes he ever made -- making fun of the Prophet’s appearance.

The Deputy Prime Minister will of course be asked to explain his statement. And if I were PAS I would not allow this statement to pass unchallenged.

What did Muhyiddin mean when he said that if PAS were to come to power they would chop of your hands? Is he saying that all Malaysians are thieves and robbers and there is not an honest soul left in Malaysia?

First of all, is this proper and correct Islamic law? Is Muhyiddin saying that the chopping of hands does not exist in Islamic law? Or is he saying that it does exist but he does not accept it and rejects Islamic law?

This, he needs to explain. He needs to tell us whether he disputes the existence of the law or he accepts the existence of the law but rejects its implementation.

It is one thing to make fun of PAS. It is another to make fun of Islam. Malays are extremely sensitive about their race and religion, sometimes to an extreme. Muhyiddin may be seen as making fun of Islam rather than making fun of PAS. He is walking on very thin ice here.

Muhyiddin may now be challenged to state his stand on Islam. He has passed a remark that appears to be a challenge to Islam. Muhyiddin may have to categorically declare whether he accepts or rejects Islam and the laws that come with it.

Of course, there is always one way out for Muhyiddin, so all is not lost. He can declare that the chopping of hands does not exist in Islam and that is why he spoke out against it and made fun of it. He can state that the Hudud laws never came from God and was merely a creation of man. He can quote verses from the Quran that argue against the Hadith. Muhyiddin can declare that all Hadith are false and were fabricated by enemies of Islam who wanted to corrupt Islam and mislead the people.

If Muhyiddin were to argue this then he could probably counter whatever PAS may say about him. Declare all Hadith as false and opposed to real Islamic teachings. Declare that the Quran never laid down the cutting of hands and those who propagate this are spreading false teachings of Islam. Declare that the Islamic law of Hudud was a law that was fabricated hundreds of years after the Prophet and were not what the Prophet taught Muslims.

Then maybe Muhyiddin will be able to counter any criticism to his remarks.

And I can only conclude by saying good luck.

Sabah and Sarawak are still colonies

What is the real meaning of Merdeka. Sabah and Sarawak are supposed to be Merdeka but are they or did they actually exchange one colonial master of white skins for anther colonial master of brown skins?
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin

 

DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE FILE. To play the recording, go to the link above and click the play button (RIGHT ARROW BUTTON) on the player icon (see sample below).

Concurrent Election Will Favour Sarawak BN, Confuse Voters - DAP

KUCHING, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- The possibility of a concurrent state and parliamentary election will give the Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) an edge over the opposition during the campaign period.

Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng said the concurrent election would affect opposition parties in Sarawak as the move would limit resources available for the opposing political parties.

"It's a ploy to ensure Pakatan Rakyat resources from Peninsula Malaysia will not come to Sarawak," he told Bernama on Saturday.

Wong, who is also Bukit Assek assemblyman and Sibu member of parliament (MP) claimed that if the prime minister and chief minister decided to proceed with such an idea, it would lead to confusion among Sarawak voters.

The last time Sarawak held concurrent election was in 1974, and went ahead holding its own state election in 1979, and the general election was held a year earlier.

Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) information chief See Chee How said PR would be ready to face any eventuality while state PKR women chief Nurhanim Mokshen, while echoing similar sentiments, said it would have minimal impact on opposition parties.

Chief Minister and Sarawak BN chairman Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud was quoted as saying he would discuss with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on the possibility of concurrent polling.

In an immediate reaction yesterday, Najib said the possibility of a state and parliamentary election was not being ruled out.

The leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, has called for the withdrawal of French troops from Muslim lands in exchange for the release of hostages, in an audio message.

Referring to French hostages being held in Niger, the speaker on the tape, who sounded like Bin Laden, says their release depended on moves by their own government.

He says France will pay dearly for its policy in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

"President Nicolas Sarkozy's refusal to remove his forces from Afghanistan is nothing but a green light for killing the French hostages," Bin Laden says in the recording, broadcast on Al Jazeera on Friday.

"We repeat the same message to you: The release of your prisoners in the hands of our brothers is linked to the withdrawal of your soldiers from our country."

This is the second tape that Bin Laden, believed to be hiding in the mountainous border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, has released an audio recording attacking French policy and linking the French presence in Afghanistan to the kidnapping of its nationals in Niger.

Seven foreigners, including five French nationals, were kidnapped in Niger in September, with the group's north African wing Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claiming responsibility.

AQIM also claimed responsibility for two Frenchmen found dead last week after a failed rescue attempt in Niger, but the group did not say how the men died.

Following the kidnappings last year, an AQIM spokesman, Salah Abi Mohammed, said in an audio message: "We inform the French government that the mujahedeen will later transmit their legitimate demands."

The September kidnapping was an escalation of hostilities between AQIM and France.

AQIM killed 78-year-old Frenchman Michel Germaneu last July after French commandos took part in a failed raid to free him.

France has eight hostages held across the world, five held by AQIM in Niger, two in Afghanistan held by the Taliban, and one in Somalia.

Bin Laden's last audiotaped message to France, released on Al Jazeera in October, attacked France's planned ban on full-face Islamic veils, a subject also latched on to in reported demands made by the AQIM kidnappers for its repeal.

In August 2009, al-Qaeda's number two, Ayman al-Zawahri, criticised France over what he called its hatred for Muslims and issued a list of historical grudges he said Muslims should feel for France's colonial actions in the Middle East and Africa.
Source:
Agencies

Second post-mortem on custodial death victim

P. M Najib instructs Malay muslim police to attack and arrest Hindus at Batu Caves Hindu temple @ Thaipusam to assert malay muslim supremacy.

A Press conference on degrading the Malaysian Indians as Pariahs in the UMNO Interlok book was scheduled at 10.00 a.m on 20/1/11.

The Hindraf and HRP activists only went to the Batu Caves temple main entrance after Prime Minister Najib Razak had gone inside the temple.

The Malay-sian Polis Raja Di Malaysia started attacking ,beating up and stomping on the spot the Hindraf activists as soon as S. Jayathas and Hindraf activists peacefully distributed their media statement and started addressing the media.

Raja (Taxi) was injured on the head, C.F Mani on the leg and S. Jayathas and others on the body. All in broad daylight, before the eyes of thousands of helpless and defencless Hindus and with impunity.

P.M Najib had ordered the Malay-sian police to take the opportunity and beat these Hindraf activists up and stomping on them with police boots while arresting them. The police used force to block the media from filming these beatings.

HRP supporter Nathan had recorded some of the beatings but the racist Malay muslim policemen confiscated his camera, deleted all his recordings and returned his camera to him.

UMNO’s One Malay-sia!

(see Utusan Malaysia 21/1/11 at page 16)

Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

Second post-mortem on custodial death victim

(Malaysiakini) The body of the wireman who was found dead in the Bukit Jalil police station on Jan 7 was officially sent in for its second post-mortem at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)at 12.09pm, after it was re-identified by a younger brother, M Panirselvam, 32.

The hospital's Pathology Unit head Dr K Mathiharen was then given the green light to proceed with the post-mortem on M Krishnan, 37, with the POL61 Form from the police force.

Mathiharen said the process would take six to seven hours.

"We will wait for the outcome of this second post-mortem. But no matter what, we still have an eye-witness to the assaults, and of Krishnan not getting medical treatment while he was still alive and in pain," the family's lawyer N Surendren said.

"I also suggest the home minister himself smells out death-in-custody bodies himself, to see what the police force has done... you won't know the hurt until it hits your family."

He wants the home minister to explain the tortures inflicted on and the deaths of detainees in police custody.

Surendren also said if the on-going post-mortem showed police brutality as the cause of Krishnan's death, he would demand immediate action from the attorney-general.

"If (this is) proven, the family will sue the government of Malaysia and the PDRM. The AG must take immediate action against those involved," he added.

Kapar MP S Manikavasagam, who also turned up at the hospital, said Krishnan's body would be taken to the Bukit Jalil police station for prayers on Sunday, before proceeding to the Cheras Crematorium in Kuala Lumpur.

"I warn the police force... do not intimidate or create any problems on Sunday, especially when the family wants to perform prayers for Krishnan at the site inside the Bukit Jalil police station where he was found dead.

"I am warning them not to intimidate anyone or cause problems, such as in Kugan's case before. I believe a lot of people will turn up to give their support for Krishnan. Their job is to just watch the traffic," he said.

Meanwhile, widow P Revathi said she was glad that the second post-mortem was finally taking place.

Post-mortem ends at 3pm

The second post-mortem done on Krishnan ended at approximately 3pm at UMMC today.

Surendren had informed Malaysiakini at 7.30pm that there are several test pending pertaining the post-mortem and Dr Mathiharen will be meeting Revathi on Monday.

“There are several things the doctor wants to discuss with us on Monday at UMMC... So we will have to wait until then,” he said.

Krishnan's body will be claimed by the family members tomorrow as scheduled and all preparations for his cremation are going on as planned.

“On Sunday, as planned, we will bring Krishnan's body to Bukit Jalil police station for prayers and then to the Cheras crematorium in Kuala Lumpur. There are no changes in that,” Surendran added.

Both the police and the attorney-general two days ago allowed the family's request for the second post-mortem, in a settlement recorded before High Court judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah.

The first post-mortem, conducted at HUKM, concluded that complications related to a stomach ulcer was the cause of Krishnan's death.

The family, on the other hand, claims that Krishnan's body was covered with bruises, and also had an open cut on the right abdomen and contusion on the right eye.

Najib praises Zaid’s Kita

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak welcomed today the formation of Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (Kita) and said that the new political party showed that democracy in the country remains vibrant.

Kita was launched on Wednesday by Datuk Zaid Ibrahim who promised the party would bring political transformation to Malaysia and revive the spirit of Merdeka as envisioned by the nation’s founding father, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Zaid (picture), a former Cabinet member, had left Umno to join PKR and was touted by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as a reformist.

But political differences led to Zaid quitting PKR recently to form his own party. He is now seen by PR as a potential spoiler in its rivalry with Barisan Nasional (BN).

Najib said today that he had no problems with Kita contesting the next general election.

“If there is a new political party, then it shows that democracy in this country is active and fresh.

“Anybody can form a new political party as long as it is in accordance with the law, then they stand during elections. There is no problem,” he told reporters at a press conference here.

He said it was not a problem for PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas to have attended Kita’s launching.

“It’s okay, we don’t fight with everybody. Sometimes we can be civil with one another,” he said.

Zaid, whose political career saw him leapfrog from Umno to PKR and now Kita, a rebranding of Kelantan-based Akim, pledged to use his new platform to restore national unity while leaving his political equivalents in BN and PR to their own machinations.

The maverick politician claimed that Kita would stay on the middle ground in politics and only pay attention to pertinent issues that plague the community, instead of engaging in heated political debates with its foes.

Zaid had also said that Najib was the best person in Umno to lead the nation but was being held back by extremists within his own ranks.

‘Interlok’ protesters lodge police report

KUALA LUMPUR: HRP infromation chief S Jayathas, who was arrested for demonstrating against the controversial use of the “Interlok” novel as a school text, has lodged a report against the police for abuse.

Jayathas along with seven others were arrested at Batu Caves for carrying “Say No to Interlok” and “People Don’t Want BN” placards during Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s visit to the Thaipusam celebrations yesterday.

They collectively lodged the report against the police at the Selayang station.

“We have lodged a police report against the police and federal government for misconduct. We lodged the report at 5.45pm, while we were still in custody.

“We were in Batu Caves not to provoke the crowd but to show our disatisfaction against the book and Umno,” said Jayathas when contacted by FMT.

Explaining his police report, Jayathas said the police had publically whacked them on temple grounds eventhough it was a peaceful demonstration.

Makkal Sakthi

He also said another Malay individual who was among the crowd of protesters was also arrested but declined to lodged a joint police report.

“I think maybe he is from the Special Branch,” Jayathas said, adding that they chose Batu Caves to protest because HRP “wanted to show the Indian community the real face of Umno”.

Describing his ordeal in the police station, Jayathas said all eight of them were ordered to take off their shirts and hand them to the officers.

“The police tried to seize the T-shirts that we were wearing. It had the words Makkal Sakthi (people’s power) printed on it.

“When we asked the police what we were being charged with, one of officers said ‘no charge’. They wanted all of us to take off our T-shirts and give it to them.

“They said the shirts were banned in Malaysia because it belonged to Hindraf. But we told them there was no ‘Hindraf’ word on the shirts.

“They kept insisting we take it off, but we refused. They finally relented and allowed us to wear it,” he said, adding that they were released at 11.40pm the same night without charges being filed.

WikiLeaks: Samy to blame for BN’s 2008 debacle

PETALING JAYA: Former MIC president S Samy Vellu cost Barisan Nasional its victory in the 2008 general election, according to Internet whistleblower WikiLeaks.

In a meeting with former US ambassador to Singapore Patricia Herbold on March 12, 2008, Singaporean Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Peter Ho Hak Ean said that Samy Vellu’s neglect of the Indian community led to BN’s losses in the election.

“The MIC’s Samy Vellu bears a large share of the responsibility for the BN’s poor showing in the election,” the WikiLeaks cable said.

“The Indian community’s unhappiness, which helped create the current political dynamic in Malaysia, reflects the fact that Samy Vellu neglected the interests of the Indian community, even when its temples were being destroyed, focusing instead on his business activities in India,” it said.

This statement is in contrast with Samy Vellu’s defence of BN in 2008, where he said that all political parties in the ruling coalition were to blame.

Samy Vellu also tried to shift much of the blame on former Selangor menteri besar Dr Khir Toyo for destroying Hindu temples in Selangor.

The WikiLeaks cables were made available through online Hong Kong-based news portal Asia Sentinel. However, Asia Sentinel did not reveal how it came by these cables.

Meanwhile, the cable also said that Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin would find himself in political trouble, because of his ties with former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“The political knives will be out for Abdullah’s son-in-law, Umno politician Khairy Jamaluddin, whom nobody likes because he got where he is through family ties,” the cable said.

“Abdullah is probably done for politically, despite having been sworn in again as PM on March 10. Former PM Mahathir Mohamad will keep throwing stones at Abdullah,” it continued.

This coincided with the rise of current Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, whom the cable described as an “opportunist”. It added: “Although he has not been critical of Singapore, he will not hesitate to go in that direction if it is expedient for him to do so.”