This is a response to Kenneth Eswaran’s interview on the 23rd of January 2009, to Malaysiakini on MkiniTV.
When a businessman comes out in the open and makes public statements on an issue of public interest in a rather controversial manner, there is a lot at stake for him. Given this, why is Kenneth Eswaran (who now goes by KK Eswaran) taking that risk, by projecting himself as a spokesman of sorts for the Indian community (though he vows that, that is not what he is trying to do).
If you look a little beyond his words, it is evident that he is taking a position that is totally against the interests of the vast majority of Indians in the country. A businessman is a businessman, he only cares for his own interests, but occasionally puts on a façade of speaking up for a community.
He talks about Tamil schools, he talks about youth training, he talks about petty traders interests. But what he is effectively saying is no different than what has been said for the last 50 years – we must do it in the proper way, we must do it in an appropriate way, we must do it this way and we must do it that way and so on – but not in a way that will yield a tangible difference to the entire Indian community.
In the process of the interview, he lambasts Waythamoorthy- quote from Malaysiakini “We regret Waythamoorthy's inconsiderate action in circulating a pamphlet tarnishing the image of his own country at a conference with seditious remarks and unjustified statistics, plus a call to the Indian government to impose trade sanctions against Malaysia such as to stop importing palm oil from Malaysia,” said Eswaran. This, probably is Kenneth eswaran's main purpose of the Malaysiakini interview.
A little bit of research reveals exactly why he takes this “patriotic” approach. He heads a company called Multi Vest Resources Bhd (MVest) whose primary business interest is Palm Oil. He owns just over 28% of the shares. MVest has 4000 hectares of oil palm plantation in Malaysia and 75,000 hectares more coming up in Kalimantan.
He is also wrapped in this business with UMNOputras. If you look at the register of shareholders you won’t necessarily see the UMNOPutra shareholding, you will see significant nominee shareholding (this is a known device for concealing who the real shareholders are). His Board of Directors are made up of 3 Bumiputra Directors out of a total of 5 Directors listed on the website.
So you can see, he seems to be in one of those chrony type of relationship.
Waythamoorthy’s request to the Indian Diaspora and the Indian businesses and government to review their purchasing policy on palm oil is clearly detrimental to Kenneth Eswaran's personal interests, besides the interest of his UMNOPutras overlords – there you have it. The real issue is just that, his own petty interests. So he calls for this sweeping interview!!
The rest of it is just a masquerade. he really only wants to push his main point and to discredit Waythmoorthy who is hitting him and his overlords where it hurts most – at the money. Not so easy, Kenneth. Not so easy.
Kenneth, to take care of your interests you should instead be talking to the UMNOPutras to change their policies towards the minorities in the country.
That way the leaders of the minority and marginalized community do not need to go outside to seek help, to bring about the political will to do something positive about the marginalization problem. They do not need to hit at your interest.
You should not be telling us what we should and should not do, because we all now are awakening to how this problem has occurred and all the stuff you talk about in yoru interview is old nonsense we have discarded.
You should be looking at your overlords and talking to them to stop their apartheid like policies, stop their encroachment on the rights of the minorities.
You should be doing this if you truly really cared. You should try and facilitate the change that your overlords so badly need. You should not be lecturing us – we have had 50 years of that already. Read the writings on the wall - it is becoming increasingly obvious - that change is around the corner..You know what Kenneth, you sounded exactly like Samy Vellu in that interview, so anchronistic. You are so out of touch with the times. Look where all that lecturing got your dear friend Samy Vellu - next to the dustbin of history (the next stop I guarantee you is the dust bin of history itself - it is maybe months away). We are no more the docile Indians everyone used to paint us out to be. We will continue until we get what is our right, what is guaranteed by the constitution that our forefathers signed up to.
In your interview Kenneth Eswaran you go on to say that all these people who are claiming to be leaders of the Indian community are doing so only for their own petty interest.
I can speak for myself with certainty, I have no interest in doing what I am doing other than to get the truth out. I think most of the people out there who are speaking out at great risk are doing for much the same reason.
Our interest is to show up the treacherous lies of the last 50 years and lay bare to the people the types of people and policies that have cheated so many generations of Indians from a decent life.
In that process we seek a better life for all.
Do not try to belittle all of that just for your own petty interest.
We are only asking for what we should be rightfully getting. In your interview , you asked one of the reporters, how large a community the Indians are in Malaysia - 8 percent was the answer. Then what did you say in response -, we are only a small community - if the others get a dollar, we cannot also ask for a dollar.
Kenneth, you really take the Indians to be so stupid as not to be able to see the nonsense in your argument . is that what the Indians are asking for? Do the Indians get 8% of the national income, do they own 8% of the wealth of the country, do they have 8% employment in all fields, do they have 8% public university and skills training institutes enrolments in all courses offered, do they get 8% of all the contracts awarded by the government – where do they get what they should get. We don’t want a dollar for dollar, we want 8% of every dollar . That is what you call a dollar for a dollar in your silly argument.
Kenneth Eswaran, the President of MAICCI, you are beginning to play the role of a new Mandore now, just like Samy Vellu has been doing all these years. We do not need another Mandore. If you want to take care of your interest then get your overlords to effectively sue for peace with the marginalized Indian people.
You say there is a meeting coming up soon to discuss matters of interest to the Indian community, if you really cared, invite Waythamoorthy and Uthayakumar (you have such a close relationship with the UMNOputras) for the meeting and start a meaningful dialog – not one for appearance sake only. If you really cared, we challenge you to do that.
United we will stand and united we will act till we get what is our right.
For the vidoe interview I refer to in the piece above, go to http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/16632
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