Kapitan Lim Guan Eng and his DCM II Indian mandore

The “DCM II” of Penang, the Indian mandore of Kapitan Lim Guan Eng said (cakap kosong) at his Deepavali lunch that the state had allocated land for the relocation of SJK (T) Ladang Batu Kawan and SJK (T) Azad which were now sited on private land.

“We will soon help acquire land to relocate SJK (T) Ladang Valdor and later look into land woes faced by SJK (T) Sungai Bakap and SJK (T) Rajaji.

He also said he was trying to help three Indian students from Kampong Buah Pala to obtain scholarships to further their studies in local institutions of higher learning (Sunday Star 18/10/2009 at page N18)

This is the exact piecemeal paper politics UMNO has been playing for the past 52 years since independence through their Indian mandores from the MIC. The latest example is the piecemeal paper politics by the UMNO Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir who on the eve of Deepavali announced (cakap kosong) that 800 hectres of land, the proceeds of which are to be for poor Indians students. (The Star 16/10/2009 at page N24). The only difference is that the UMNO Menteri Besar made the announcement on the eve of Deepavali but Kapitan Lim Guan Eng’s DCM II Indian mandore made the announcement on Deepavali day itself. Both statements are “cakap kosong” without anything at all in writing as usual. This announcement will never take off and will be forgotten in due course. But in the meantime both UMNO and DAP/PKR would have made their political capital by having played politics.

Kapitan Lim Guan Eng should instead of making piecemeal paper politics “cakap kosong” announcements and pronouncements should forward to us (HRP) as guardians of especially the working class Indians and also the Pulau Pinang Indians in writing an official letter under the Chief Minister’s letterhead (and not through his Indian mandore) that all 28 Tamil schools in Penang have been issued land titles for their respective school buildings and a further adjoining land of ten (10) acres each for their future development, school field (which most Tamil schools do not have) and an assembly hall which would also double up as the local Indian community hall cum centre which would also generate extra income for these schools. This could be done by the stroke of Kapitan Lim Guan Eng’s pen by virtue of section 76 of the National Land Code by compulsorily acquiring these Tamil school land and restoring them with the respective Tamil school. Then and only then are we on and DAP and PR would be seen to be different from UMNO.

Why should these five Tamil schools be relocated in the first place. By doing this it’s historical and heritage value would also be wiped out forever. Why are Malay and Chinese schools in Penang not relocated in the same way as these Tamil Schools? Why does DAP and PR pick on the Tamil schools? Because they are soft targets? Because they do not have the political and economical clout?

Any why “try to help three Indian students” to obtain scholarships. This Kapitan Lim Guan Eng and his Indian DCM II mandore must ensure that scholarships are awarded by Yayasan Pulau Pinang for all the hundreds of deserving Indian students in Penang and not for just merely “only the three students”. And that too merely “try to help”?

It is plain and obvious that DAP, PKR and PAS are merely continuing UMNO’s 52 year old piecemeal paper politics, racist policies and the politics of hoodwinking even the poor underprivileged and working class Indians in Penang. This Kapiatan has conveniently forgotten that it was these Penang working class Indians who were in turn instrumental in bringing him (this Kapitan) to the office of the Chief Minister. It is plain and obvious as it stands that both UMNO and BN and also DAP, PKR and DAP are only interested in the Indian votes but not their critical Indians problems. The Indians out of no choice (as 90% of them have lost hope and could no longer vote for UMNO,B.N) would be left with no or very little other choice or alternative but be forced to vote for DAP, PKR and PAS.

We now have the alternative – The Indian political empowerment strategy.