FRIENDS OF MALAYSIA

Shri/Srimati __________________________________

You are earnestly requested to a meeting organised to express extreme concerns and opposition to highly arbitrary actions taken by Malaysian authorities against ethnic Indian leaders of Malaysia and their human rights organisation HINDRAF.

In presence of
Baroness Sandip Verma

Mike Gapes M.P., Chairman of All Party Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Commons.

On Saturday 22nd November 2008

From 4.00 pm to 6.00pm

At VHP Hindu Centre, Albert Road, Ilford, Essex

The meeting will also be addressed by a Malaysian Indian leader and leaders of the undernamed supporting organisations.

Hindu Forum of Britain, Friends of India Society International, Hindu Council UK, Vishwa Hindu Parisad UK, National Council of Hindu Temples, Hindu Swamyamsevak Sangh UK, Scotland Malaysia Students Association, Shri C. B. Patel Gujarat Samachar / Asian Voice & National Congress of Gujarati Organisations.

Light refreshments will be served after the meeting

VHP protests Malaysian ban on HINDRAF

Dated: Nov. 03Mon, 2008

Office of Ashok Singhal, President, VHP Int'L

E-Mails: vhpintlhqs@gmail.com , vishwahindu@gmail.com;

New Delhi Fax:011-26195527, Telefax: 011-26103495, 26178992; VHP URL: http://www.vhp.org

Advocate Dulal Sarkar

North 24 Parganas District General Secretary

All India Refugee Front

(Dedicated to the unfortunate persons who are victimised by the partition of India)

Room # 3, Block-E, Barasat Judges' Court,

P.O. & P.S.-Barasat, Kolkata-700 124, West Bengal

Cell: 098305 23539, E-Mail: adv.dulalsarkar@rediffmail.com

Aatmiiya Sri Dulal Sarkarji,

Namaskar!

We have received your letter dated 21.10.2008. The Malaysian Government - practising discriminatory policies against the Malaysian Hindus (PIOs) who account for about 1.8 million of the 27 million population of Muslim majority Malaysia - cooked up charges against the HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force - democratically championing the cause of the systematically marginalised, discriminated and alienated Malaysian Hindus) and banned it under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA). The Malaysian government has demolished an estimated 10,000 Hindu temples during the last 20 years in the name of development. The Hindus of Malaysia are not against development but they are rightly against targeting the ethnic minorities and their places of worship in the name of development. The PIO Hindus (Persons of Indian Origin) of Malaysia are denied equal opportunities in education and other fields and their plantations are acquired by government.

The atrocious ban on HINDRAF is definitely a great blow to the democratic rights of Hindus in Malaysia who have now no avenue left to air their grievances and articulate their voices, interests and also democratically protest against discrimination.

We have lodged our protests with the Malaysian High Commission at New Delhi. But, unless the Hindus are politically strong in their own country Bharat, the protests have little meaning. Hindus have to be politically strong in Bharat to compel the governments to safeguard the interests of the Hindus.

Thanking you for your concerns!

Yours in the service of

Maa Bhaarati and Dharma,

Sd/-

(ASHOK SINGHAL

Anwar's views on new SPR head

Cabinet may be more receptive to JAC now

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 - The proposed Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) could face an easier passage through Cabinet now that it has been tweaked and its main promoter – Datuk Zaid Ibrahim – is no longer a member of the administration.

Highly-placed sources told The Malaysian Insider that several Umno ministers – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and Datuk Rais Yatim – rejected the first draft of the Bill on the JAC because they did not agree with the size and composition of the commission and were concerned that the powers of the Prime Minister to make appointments to the Bench would be usurped.

Since the first draft was rejected, and Datuk Nazri Aziz’s appointed as Zaid’s replacement as the de facto Law Minister, several changes have been made, including reducing the size of the JAC from 13 to a more manageable nine members. Also, some changes to the composition of the commission have been proposed by Nazri.

Various stakeholders, including the judiciary and Bar Council, have been consulted on the changes to the first draft. The Malaysian Insider understands that Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi favours the setting up of the body to advise the PM on the selection and promotion of judges. Under the present system, the PM makes appointments to the Bench after being advised by the CJ.

But this system relies too much on the views and input of one individual – the CJ. Only the intervention by the Malay Rulers Conference blocked the promotion of a judge who had not written judgments for years. Also, testimony presented before the Royal Commission on the V.K. Lingam video clip confirmed that constitutional processes were not followed in the appointment of some judges during the Mahathir years.

Government officials believe that the Cabinet will approve the tweaked JAC Bill, which is likely to be presented to the ministers in several weeks.

Their optimism is also anchored on a less tangible factor – the individual who is promoting the legislation. Nazri enjoys a closer working relationship with the Umno ministers and is viewed as one of the boys. In contrast, several Umno ministers were unhappy that Zaid was appointed a Senator by Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi and then anointed as the reformer while they were painted as stodgy obstructionists.

A government official said: “To a certain extent, the lack of chemistry between Zaid and some of the Umno ministers made it difficult for anything which he proposed to be pushed through. There was envy and a feeling that only one person was enjoying the glory as a reformer. After a while, it became a battle of personalities.’’

Still, it will not be a walk in the park for Abdullah and Nazri. Anecdotal evidence suggests that conservative forces in Umno – serving MPs and former ministers – are still against the setting up of the commission, believing that it will cramp the ability of any PM to make important appointments to an important institution.

These forces also think that the setting up of a JAC will vindicate critics of the government who have lampooned the state of the judiciary.

RPK sedition trial postponed

Just received word that RPK’s sedition trial has been postponed to 16-19 Dec. Awaiting official confirmation.