Syed Hamid Albar lies through his teeth

It is so unbecoming of a Home Minister who has no account of accountability and transparency in the interest of public by claiming that P.Waythamoorthy had returned his passport to the High Commission in London.

It is a well known fact that based on a written instruction from the Malaysian authorities on March 14, 2008, the British government had retained P.Waythamoorthy’s passport on his return from Geneva on April 21, 2008.

It is also another fact that the Malaysian authorities had written to the UK government on July 2, 2008 to return the retained passport to them. Please see attached the letter from UK Border Agency.

These are factual events, not some unsubstantiated story telling to hoodwink the public. HINDRAF challenges the Home Minister to produce evidence to substantiate his claims rather than spinning the truth of the matter to the public.

Further, the Home Minister insinuates that "Despite returning his passport, he is still a citizen although he claims otherwise”.

P.Waythamoorthy has never claimed to be otherwise, and has always maintained to be a loyal Malaysian but forcefully prevented from returning to Malaysia for fear of unlawful persecution by the Malaysian authorities.

These lies are just blatant arrogance from the Home Minister against a Malaysian citizen.
Bearing his precarious medical condition, the Malaysian government should show their humanitarian side for once in allowing him to recuperate with his family and loved ones under the following conditions;

1. The Malaysian government to issue a new Malaysian passport to replace the revoked passport to P.Waythamoorthy and this to be made available for him or his representative to collect from the Malaysian High Commission in London.

2. The Malaysian government guarantees the safe return of P.Waythamoorthy to allow him to recuperate with his family members and loved ones.

3. The Malaysian government guarantees that P.Waythamoorthy will not be subjected to any arrest, harassment or charges upon his return including those under ISA.

4. The Malaysian government’s assurance and guarantee that he will be allowed to return to London for follow-up checks and possible further operations.

5. Lastly, the Malaysian government’s unconditional guarantee that his life will be protected from any form of persecution upon his return and no harm shall befall him.

Thank you.

By R. Shan (Hindraf – New York)

Unfounded allegation of terror links : FREE HINDRAF FIVE

It has been more than a year since the Hindraf Five have been detained under spurious charges of having links with the Tamil Tigers of Sri Langka. The Barisan Nasional Government has had all the time to substantiate this allegation and lay to rest their case in this sordid affair. But, to date, no evidence has been produced to convince doubting citizens that the government had not lied about this allegation.

In the absence of any proof, the government’s claim remains merely an allegation. That being the case, there is no justification whatsoever for holding them under the ISA. Their continued detention would be cruel, unjust and unwarranted.

Maaran Matters calls upon the BN government to free the Hindraf Five immediately and unconditionally as atonement for perpetuating a cruel and unjust act.

"Boy Speaker" says small boy in PM's Department

Minister in the PM’s Department Nazri Abd Aziz has labelled Perak State Assembly Speaker V Sivakumar a “boy speaker”. He says the Speaker “does not know what he is doing. He is not fit to be given such a heavy responsibility.” Alas, who has been acting like a boy? Of course, the small boy in the PM’s department dubbed "budak hingusan" by former PM.

Who is small the boy in the Prime Minister’s Department who treats and turns parliament into his personal playground where he proudly leaves a trail of his political pooh behind?

Who is the small boy who tries to act tough, talks big and throws his weight around and wants everybody to think that he is the PM and that he knows everything?

Who is the small boy who childishly threatens and taunts those who stand up to him, and refuse to tolerate his temper, tantrums and theatrics?

Who is the small boy who cannot take criticisms and goes into a fit or a foul frolic or flaunts his foolishness according to his whim and fancy?

Who is the small boy who said he would advise the Cabinet to replace the then ACA Investigations Director with whom he had a war of words with!

Who is the small boy who told Parliament that former Lord President Salleh Abas and other senior judges involved in the judicial crisis 20 years ago were not “sacked”?

Who is the small boy who shouted in parliament like some street bully “racist and “bloody racist” at DAP MP M Kula Segaran – 41 times in a space of five to 10 minutes?

Who is the small boy, who, without any sense and sensitivity, told wheelchair-bound Karpal Singh in parliament: “You are just jealous because I am standing!”?

Who is the small boy whom a then member to the ruling coalition in Sabah told to “shut up” because of his “ignorance” of the social, security and economic problems in the state?

Who is the small boy whose colleague Bernard Dompok said was taking a “cheap shot” when he responded to Dompok’s resignation as chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee?

Who is the small boy who said that two MPs who had made sexist remarks following MP Fong Po Kuan’s observations of leaks in the Parliament building should not apologise to Fong?

Who is that small boy who said “Singapore is not a real country” (and whose inference of larger countries being more prone to corruption was absolutely wrong)?

Who is that small boy who called Lim Kit Siang (LKS) “Stupid, stupid, stupid…!” countless times during a debate and got off scot free with his “stupid” salvoes grinning like a school bully?

Who is the small boy who looked so “stupid” when LKS produced a taped transcript of the then CJ advocating the abolition of Common Law, and on whose behalf the small boy had denied?

Who is the small boy who was speechless when Karpal Singh revealed the name of a Federal Court judge who had not written judgments in as many as 35 cases?

Who is the small boy who when explaining why he had issued a denial on behalf of the then CJ in connection with the Lingam video scandal, had very proudly declared: “I am his Minister”?

Who is the small boy who said that whistleblowers in the Lingam Tape scandal could be protected under a tabled Witness Protection Bill and later admitted there was no such bill?

Minister in the PM’s Department Nazri Abd Aziz has labelled Perak State Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar a “boy speaker”. He says the Speaker “does not know what he is doing. He is not fit to be given such a heavy responsibility.”

Alas, who has been acting like a boy? Of course, the small boy in the PM’s department! A glance at Nazri’s track record (out of which a few examples have been give above) shows a trail of evidence that Nazri is nothing but a loudmouth, loose cannon and a lowdown Umnoputra in Parliament! He is laughable!

As a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and the de facto law minister Nazri Abd Aziz is blind to the truth, biased, beholden to the Umno-dominated Government and begs and bends backwards to do its bidding. The boy Minister bulls, boasts, barks and brays, brazenly blunders, goes berserk and bullies…

In sharp contrast is Speaker V. Sivakumar – a man who has displayed such exemplary boldness and bravery. He has refused to be bribed, bought over or bullied and is ready to face the possible consequences in standing up to the powers-that-be.

Nazri has said that “the whole episode in Perak is a comedy”. It is the people of Perak who will have the last laugh!

Nazri has also called the fiasco in Perak a “mockery”. Was he referring to the jaundiced judgments delivered by the judicial commissioner who has chosen to remain cloistered enough in his chambers so as not to notice a clear “conflict of interest” in the matter?

Ciss......budak hingusan..............




Martin Jalleh.
Aliran

Are Malaysian Indian deserting Pakatan Rakyat?

Malaysians have indeed awakened. Indian Malaysians, for instance, voted in droves for the opposition in the last general election. It is time to tackle the root causes of their discontentment, says P Sivakumar.

Malaysia’s two million Indians, who make up less than 8 per cent of the population today have been largely sidelined by the NEP policy since 1971. Once traditionally very staunch supporters of the ruling Barisan National, the majority of them have switched camps following years of grassroots agitation concerning their neglect under the NEP, the demolition of historical temples and some sensitive religious issues.

We thank the Government for the immediate halt to temple demolition and the positive attention given to religious rights made possible after the outlawed Hindu Action Force (Hindraf) took to the streets with an unexpected turnout of some 100 000 Indian Malaysian supporters in November 2007.

Nearly 85 per cent of Indian Malaysians are ethnic Tamils, about 70 per cent of them are descendants of plantation workers. Of the 8 per cent of Malaysians who are Indians, 80 per cent of them are Hindus, 15 per cent Muslims among whom are Tamils and Malayalees who have wangled their way into the bumiputra preserve. The rest are Christians, Sikhs, Gujaratees and others.

Today after 51 years of Independence, the Indian definition has become a metaphor for backwardness. Even though the median family income of Indian Malaysians, according to official statistics, is higher than that of Malays, certain segments of the Indian Malaysians live in abject poverty and form part of the lowest strata in terms of economic ownership. The official statistics indicate Indians account for only 1.2 per cent of traded equity since 1971.

According to Hindraf, 15 per cent of Malaysian juvenile delinquents, 50 per cent of all convicts in prison since 2004 and 41 per cent of the beggars in 2003 were Indians. The percentage of Indians in the civil service fell from 40 per cent in 1957 to less than 2 per cent in 2005. According to official records, 30-35 Indians per 100,000 committed or attempted to commit suicide annually as compared to 10-12 Malaysians per 100,000 in 2006. In education they make up less than 5 per cent of the university intake of over 45,000 annually.

The current agitation in Malaysia by Indians is directed against discrimination and violation of human rights, which is evident in the piling up of complaints with Suhakam. Apart from the economic hardships, they have specific grievances. Their immediate concern is to be treated equally and offered business opportunities and government jobs. This is where their expectations are understandably high in the Pakatan controlled states because they had thrown in their lot with the Pakatan Rakyat and provided their crucial support to vent their frustrations and demonstrated their anger for the detention of the Hindraf leaders without trial under the infamous ISA.

A political awakening
The now outlawed Hindraf as you can see had provided serious data and hard facts that had baffled MIC, the 60-year-old Indian political Party. These data and facts were used to awaken the Indian ethnic minority in Malaysia regarding the root of their discontentment.

Many feel that if not for the actions of Hindraf, the Indian minority issues would not have received such an extensive national and international attention unheard of over the last 60 years of the MIC leadership which by and large depends on the charity of BN leadership for handouts.

Indian Malaysians are seeking equality after 51years of Independence. The people of the world are more affluent now. What Malaysia needs now is a sacrifice of the rich and super-rich of all races to refrain from grabbing everthing under the NEP and allow the poor of all races to benefit a little in order to move up and progress.

Pakatan supremo Anwar Ibrahim to his credit has pledged to cater for the needs of the Indians and all other neglected segments of our society and that is why he has won their support perhaps permanently. The BN may argue that the Indians are not a force when it comes to voting in any constituency. However the Indians would be the deciding factor in at least 40 to 50 constituencies s in the next general elections based on assumptions from the last general elections.

Thus the Malaysian Indian Business Association (MIBA) does not see many Indians deserting the Pakatan unless the BN comes up with something more tangible and meaningful rather than the same handouts.

The Hindraf Five must be released unconditionally and they should be allowed to form a public policy think tank which will contribute to the building of a strong and progressive Indian Malaysian community. Such a think tank will adopt a balanced and inclusive approach when addressing the community’s grievances.

BN leaders cannot avoid the changing patterns in the globalised world of today especially so when a coloured person has become president of the United States – something that was deemed impossible. If, Americans can set aside their prejudices, cross party lines and elect Barak Obama purely based on merit, why are we stuck with our narrow mindedness, bigotry and unfair policies? Why can’t we move on?

It is only proper for Malaysia to seriously promote a Malaysian national identity in order to unite all the people of the land. Malaysia, being a founding member of the Association of South East Asian Nations signed the Asean charter on 21 November 2007. Under the Asean Charter and also as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Malaysia is duty-bound to promote and protect human rights irrespective of race, religion and gender.

In keeping with this moral obligation, the MIBA humbly requests the Prime Minister of Malaysia to release all those languishing under the ISA or failing which they should be tried in a court of law so that we will be seen as a nation that honours and respects the rule of law.





P.Sivakumar
MIBA President