MEMORANDUM DEMANDING REVOCATION OF THE BAN IMPOSED ON HINDRAF

FEDERATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS OF INDIA
8, Todarmal Lane, Bengali Market, New Delhi- 110 001Phone: 65288241, 23718929 Fax-0112371892926.10.2008


Duli Yang Maha MuliaAl-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal AbidinIbni Al-Marhum Sultan MahmudAl-Muktafi Billah Shah
Istana Negara
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia


Y.A.B. DATO’SERI ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI
Prime Minister of Malaysia


Subject:- IMPOSITION OF BAN ON “HINDRAF”

Your Highness,
The citizens and Human Rights organisations of India have taken a serious note of the ban imposed on Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDFAF) by the Government of Malaysia. We are equally concerned about the detention of five members of HINDRAF.
We feel that the sole reason for the imposition of ban on HINDRAF and the detention of five members of HINDRAF, was for expressing concerns about the marginalization of ethnic South Asians within Malaysian society and specifically for organizing rallies.It is disheartening to know that all the detainees are being treated like criminals, but they have never been charged much less convicted of a crime.
We have been informed that at least 65 people are being held at Kamunting Detention Centre under the administrative detention provisions of the ISA. The Internal Security Act allows the police to arrest individuals they believe have acted, or are "about to" or "likely to" act in a way that would threaten Malaysian security, "essential services" or "economic life" (Article 73 (1)(b) and the detainees can be held for up to 60 days for investigation by the police, after which time the Home Minister can issue a two year detention order under the ISA.
The two year detention can be renewed indefinitely without the detainee ever being charged with a crime or tried in a court of law. As such the ISA is contrary to fundamental principles of international law, including the rightto liberty of the person, to freedom from arbitrary arrest, the presumption of innocence, and the right to fair and open trial in a court of law.
We demand that the Government of Malaysia should start the process to abolish thisdraconian legislation. We also demand that the ban imposed on HINDRAF should be revoked immediately and the five members of HINDRAF should be released without any precondition.


Rajesh Gogna
Convener
(FHROI)

Press Release - Malaysia Government Bans Minority Human Rights Organisation

The Hindu community has been suffering systemic persecution at the hand of the Muslim majority Malaysia. Laws have been passed to discriminate Hindus in jobs and other economic benefits which have been exclusively reserved for Muslims. Having silently suffered since independence for over 60 years, the community had decided to form a non political organisation in the name of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) in order to raise a united minority voice.

Over 80 Hindu temples including one over 100 years old MAHA MARIAMAN TEMPLE at Padang Jawa have been demolished under fake reasons. No alternative facilities were given to the community for their religious rights. The Hindu priests were beaten up and the statutes of Hindu deities were dishonoured.

In November 2007 the community had decided to hold a demonstration in front of the British high Commission to hand over a petition demanding intervention of the British government acknowledging that it was the British who brought them to Malaysia under indentured labour policy.

The Malaysian government had then banned the demonstration and had fired tear gas and water cannons at over 20 thousands demonstrators who had gathered there. They had arrested many of them but owing to the intervention of international media they had decided to let them go except, however, more than 100 were charged with fake criminal offences. They also arrested the five leaders of the Hindraf and charged them under draconian ISA law, which is detention without trial for anti-state activities.

The Malaysian Government has also cancelled the passport of the chairman of Hindraf Mr. P Waytha Moorty who had come to the UK in order to draw attention for the plight of his community and have thus made Mr. Moorthy a stateless person without any passport. The atrocities of the Malaysian government are still continuing. Two weeks ago after banning HINDRAF, last week they arrested on remand eleven persons including a woman who had gone to convey Dewali greetings to the Prime Minister and to request him to release the arrested Hindus before Dewali festival.

Hindu Council UK severely condemns the actions of the Malaysian government and requests:
1. That the ban on Hindraf is lifted and the Hindu minority community should be accorded with legitimate human rights.
2. That the criminal cases against leaders of Hindraf should be withdrawn and the HINDRAF leaders released unconditionally.
3. That the UK government as head of the commonwealth should prevail upon the Malaysian government to adhere to the charter of universal human rights and safeguard the interests of the Hindu minority.

Suraj Sehgal
Director for Defence and Security
Hindu Council UK

Note : Hindu Council UK (HCUK) is the foremost and largest national network of the Hindu temple bodies and cultural organisations co-ordinating all different schools of Hindu theology within the UK. HCUK is the representative umbrella body for the British Hindu issues for which a UK wide mandate was received during a two year consultation with the British Hindu public culminating in its launch in November 1994.
HCUK Admin Office: Boardman House, 64 The Broadway, London E15 1NG. T: 020 8432 0400 W: www.hinducounciluk.org F: 020 8432 0393

HINDRAF may re-emerge as political entity

The federal government ban on Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) may pave the way for disgruntled ethnic Indians into championing their cause through political platforms.

The ban has resulted in Hindraf’s key leaders mulling how the movement and its 100,000 followers could play a role in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

It has been suggested that Hindraf followers can join either DAP, PAS or PKR en bloc or form a separate political entity and join Pakatan as equal partners. These suggestions were made during a meeting last week of some 100 Hindraf coordinators from across the country to discuss the post-ban scenerio.

It was agreed in principle during the meeting that the movement now needed a stronger platform to continue their struggle and air their grievances. Hindraf state coordinators are now gathering feedback from grassroots on the issue.

Although Hindraf followers are not completely satisfied with the performance of Pakatan elected representatives in handling problems faced by the Indian community, the coalition is still favoured against the Barisan Nasional. “Pakatan is the lesser evil than BN,” one Hindraf leader told Malaysiakini.

Pakatan not perfect Penang Hindraf deputy coordinator Sanjeeviramah Subramani noted that some Indian elected representatives in Pakatan-ruled states of Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor have failed to live up to expectations. "Penang reps fared the worst compared with others and some have even backstabbed and badmouthed Hindraf after riding on the Makkal Sakti wave to success in the last general election. "Nonetheless, Hindraf needs a platform to champion its cause and the current ideal solution is to join a vibrant political front like Pakatan," he said.Should Hindraf supporters join forces with Pakatan, the movement would still be guided by its 18-point memorandum submitted to the government last year.

Hindraf, which was never a registered body, was banned by the Home Minister early last month after its activists paid a visit to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Hari Raya open house. The ban was seen by Hindraf supporters as a form of revenge by the BN after the movement was widely credited to have triggered a revolt against the coalition during the March 8 general election.

Watha: Ban futile

It is believed that the majority of Hindraf supporters would prefer to form a new political party and join Pakatan, but they fear that a registration process would be hampered by the Barisan government. By joining en bloc in a single Pakatan coalition, Hindraf supporters are also hoping to break up Indian-based parties such as MIC, PPP and IPF by wooing their members.

In his email to Malaysiakini, Hindraf London-based leader P Waythamoorthy said the organisation cannot be stifled with a mere ban. He warned that Hindraf would follow the Hindu universal laws on darma, karma and reincarnation to re-emerge as a forceful movement for Indians and Malaysians in general. "Hindraf would soon emerge in a new body, a much energized and energetic human rights force which would lead us to greater democratic heights. "The government can ban Hindraf, but not the Makkal Sakti fervour," said the Waytha Moorthy who is in self-imposed exile in London following a government crackdown on Hindraf in December last year.

Indian marginalisation clear-and-present

So Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar – in a decision, as he puts it, of self-sacrifice for the sake of protecting society – has banned Hindraf.

Similar home ministerial valour must have been present when he chose to detain Raja Petra, Teresa Kok, Tan Hoon Cheng and hundreds of others under the ISA.

Many Malaysians have expressed their outrage at the latest cruel and callous act of repression against a civil group which has highlighted the continuing plight of marginalised Malaysian Indians.
I would like to examine an aspect: the assertion that Malaysian Indians are not marginalised and are actually doing better than Bumiputera Malaysians, and thus, they have no grounds to feel aggrieved, let alone angry. This is a cynical and specious claim.
We should first take note of the often ignored fact that the Malaysian Indian community is diverse, stratified and complex. Like any other.

Some are rich, some are part of the middle class, some are poor; some are posited in the mainstream, some are at the margins – and some are beyond the margins, trapped in urban squalor. The imperative question is whether the concerns of the Indian poor are being addressed by our government's attitudes and policies.
But the ruling regime would rather treat groups as monolithic blobs, then go about brandishing statistics to preempt debate - and stamp the lowly back into their place.

And so, in dismissing Hindraf's cause, Syed Hamid invoked the reality of high proportions of Indians among registered legal professionals (21.4 percent) and among doctors (18.4 percent), and the ratio of Indian to Bumiputera household incomes, of… 1.20. That's right, according to 2007 household income survey data, Indian households on average have 20 percent more income than Bumiputera households.
Is there something wrong with these figures? Why has the message of Hindraf resonated when official data paint opposing images of social mobility and nice averages?

There is no need to question the numbers, but every need to handle them responsibly, within context and in recognition of their limited scope. These bits of information provide no basis to conclude that all of the community is doing well and should therefore shut up and get on with their happy lives.

In fact, we do have evidence that Malaysians Indians are struggling as much as others to earn a decent living.

Averaging numbers
Of course there are many Indian lawyers and doctors – who’s not cognisant of that? But there are far more Indian labourers, factory workers, and others at the low reaches of the labour market. It is highly probable that the household income of the Indian community is propped up by the high earnings of professionals and managers.
Meagre family incomes of displaced agricultural workers and urban elementary workers get shrouded in the process of averaging the incomes of all Indian families.
Consider some changes that have taken place in the past decade or so.

In 1995, 17.7 percent of employed Indians worked as agricultural labor, while 8.7 percent were in professional and technical occupations.
By 2005, only 4.9 percent of employed Indians were agricultural workers, but 20.1 percent worked as professionals and technicians.
Albeit rather cursorily, we gain some impression here of developments at two ends of the socio-economic hierarchy: the continuous urbanisation of a low-skilled former plantation workforce; a steadily growing presence in highly qualified jobs providing middle class living standards. In what sort of jobs are most Indians working? Within communities, Indians registered the highest proportion of persons classified as production workers.



In 2005, 45.8 percent of employed Indians fell in this category, compared to 33.8 percent Chinese and 34.1 percent Bumiputera. Due to the unfree state of information in this land, the most we can do with officially disclosed statistics is make deductions and inferences such as these. We are still left with a knowledge gap.

However, a study by Branko Milanovic, a World Bank researcher and renowned scholar of global inequality, helps fill the void¹.
He analysed Malaysia's household income data of 1997. This is from the national survey that the Statistics Department conducts twice in five years, from which all the inequality measurements we know are calculated.
One difference with the official accounts is that Milanovic focussed on individual earnings (wages, salaries and bonuses) instead of household income (the sum of household members' earnings, property income and remittances). His findings are therefore more reflective of the earnings capacity of Malaysians in the labour market.

The housewife factor
The study analyses inequality more generally, but in the process finds something very striking: in 1997, the ratio of Indian to Bumiputera individual earnings was 0.98.
The official figure for Indian: Bumiputera household income was 1.41. In other words, the average earnings of individual Indians was basically the same as the average earnings of individual Bumiputera, even though average household incomes were quite unequal.
How might this be possible?
In terms of the gap between individual earnings inequality and household income inequality, we could postulate that combined earnings of Indians, especially in households with both spouses in professional jobs, raised their income to levels significantly higher than Bumiputera households.
This is a guess, and that's as far as we can go with available data.
What's not a guess is this objective report that average individual earnings of Indians and Bumiputeras were equal in 1997.
In 2007, with an Indian-to-Bumiputera household income ratio of 1.20, what might the inter-group earnings ratio look like? We don't know, but it is more than likely that the ratio is less than 1.20.
It is possible that earnings are on average close to equal, or that Indian earnings are less than Bumiputera earnings.
Consider recent data on the distribution of employed persons by occupation.
In 2005, with 45.8 percent of the total employed Indians engaged as production workers and 4.9 percent as agricultural workers, it is plausible that average individual earnings are on par with the average among employed Bumiputera, of whom 34.1 percent are production workers and 15.2 percent are agricultural workers.
These two low-paying occupational groups account for about 50 percent of employed persons of both race groups.
Again, we won't have a clear picture unless we have access to data and can engage in constructive discussion.

Hindraf has grounds
We have a clear enough picture, however, to affirm the plight of marginalised Indian households, whose tough circumstances in labour markets and poor living conditions are a shameful reality that cannot be garbed in middle-class statistics.
Hindraf has grounds for grievance – yes, even in the official data, if only we would take a more balanced and critical look.
And we could better understand this whole inequality thing, and devise fairer and more effective policies, if the ruling regime would release more information to our - um - knowledge society.
Resistance towards extending the same policies to members of the Indian community as currently provided to Bumiputera is partly predicated on official household income statistics.
But they give us an oversimplified and selective glimpse to a complex of problems.
It is high time to reevaluate the way we assess income and earnings and to aim assistance at the people who need or merit it most.
¹ Branko Milanovic (2006) "Inequality and Determinants of Earnings in Malaysia, 1984-97", in the Asian Economic Journal, 20(2).

ATTORNEY GENERAL SHOULD DROP ALL CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST HINDRAF SUPPORTERS

RE: ATTORNEY GENERAL SHOULD DROP ALL CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST HINDRAF SUPPORTERSCRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST HINDRAF SUPPORTERS POLITICALLY MOTIVATEDATTORNEY GENERAL PROMOTING HATRED AGAINST THE JUSTICE SYSTEM BY VIOLATING ARTICLE 8 OF THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.

HINDRAF calls on the Attorney General to drop all criminal charges against HINDRAF supporters arrested and charged for attending the peaceful gathering last November 25th.

Public confidence on the administration of justice in this country is seriously eroded with the selective arrest and prosecution of HINDRAF supporters.

The Attorney General is vested the highest prosecutorial power in the land by the DYMM Yang Dipertuan Agong under Article 145 of the Federal Constitution and it is incumbent upon him to exercise his duties judiciously without fear or favour and in the best interest of the Country.
HINDRAF questions the motive of the Attorney General in the selective arrest and prosecutions especially when it involved the ethnic Indian community. The recent Muslim mob, which confronted and disrupted the Bar Council forum, was aided and abetted by the Royal Police Force and the aggressive protesters were given full protection by the Police. None were arrested nor was there any criminal investigations instituted. It was obvious the Royal Police Force were acting against the spirits of Article 8 of the Federal Constitution for the simple reason that these protesters were Muslims.

Justice system should work in tandem with the democratic need of the rakyat (people) but if the rakyat began to lose hope and despise the system , the country would be lead in the dark alleys of anarchy.

The Malaysian public has not forgotten the sins of the Attorney General in vindictively charging 31 peaceful devotees of Batu Caves with attempted murder for the alleged assault on one policeman, linking them with terrorist organisations, and objecting bail on grounds of National Security. Finally when his thirst was quenched with the arrest of the 4 HINDRAF lawyers all that he could say was “it was only the fairest thing to do” to drop the attempted murder charge.

The Malaysian Indians had enough and do not let them despise you (Mr.AG) and the Justice system of this country.

It is now time to decide what is the fairest thing to do and it would be to withdraw all criminal charges against these more than 100 innocent people who have been made scapegoats by the political system of this country. They have suffered enough and do not oppress them any further.

HINDRAF calls you to exercise your utmost discretion and powers conferred upon you by the DYMM Yang Dipertuan Agong under Article 145 of the Federal Constitution to immediately withdraw all criminal charges against the more than 100 charged with various offences related to the November 25th peaceful assembly.

P. Waytha Moorthy

CHAIRMAN - HINDRAF

Currently in London

An open letter to all HINDRAF supporters

I refer to the various press releases issued by various quarters today in all 3 Tamil Dailies on the saga affecting HINDRAF.

For many Malaysians HINDRAF only gives an impression of a struggle on November 25th and the power of people's Makkal Sakti displayed on the day. It was a proud day for all Malaysian Indians as for once Indians in Malaysia were united for a single cause ie to make their plight known to the world.

But what people did not know that HINDRAF was initiated on a serious issue affecting the rights of non-muslims as a result of the M.Moorthy case in December 2005.

I myself was not directly involved in public life or on the forefront of defending Human Rights though Uthayakumar was well known then. At the most I was involved on the background in helping Uthayakumar in his cases particularly in the death in Police custody and the shoot to kill policy. I was a member of a social organization called Vivekananda Youth Movement in Seremban.

But the way the M.Moorthy issue was handled by NGO's in Malaysia including the MCCBHS was appalling that I decided that I was not going to let this pass like any other issues that went unnoticed and swept under the carpet. That was when with the help of Ramaji about 30 organisation representatives gathered at P.Uthayakumar's office and HINDRAF was formed as a coalition but unfortunately most of these organisations left within 2 weeks and I was left in the lurch without a committee. Despite this, single handedly I campaigned on the rights of non Muslims to practise their religion at the International level when I went on an international campaign in January 2006. I was the first person in Malaysia to raise these serious violations of Human Rights particularly religious freedom at the International Forum i.e. at the US State Department, US Foreign Relations Committee, US Human Rights Caucus, various Senators and Congressman, Human Rights Watch (the most powerful human rights organisation in USA). From there I came to London to lobby support from the Amnesty International which had its International Headquarters in London, UK Parliament and met various MP's. I made sure all these campaigns were published in the Malaysian mediabut because religion was a sensitive issue in Malaysia only malaysiakini carried the news.

All these I did at the expense of scarifying my legal practice for more than a month, and at my own expenses with the help of an individual who was kind enough to understand my financial burden. Most Indians never knew what and how I single handedly struggled during these times and the risk of being arrested under ISA for raising the matter at International level.

In March 2006 just after I returned I was approached by a small temple in Bangsar which was more than 100 years old which was demolished on 26th March 2006. Upon receiving call I attended to this temple and worked on the issue for more than 20 hours non stop and made sure this small poor working class temple demolition should not be swept under the carpet as usual and it became international news when wire agencies throughout the world picked up the news.

It was after this that Uthayakumar offered to help me and together we raise issues of thousands of Hindu temples being demolished in Malaysia. At the height of this I did a second International lobby for the issue. I and Uthayakumar can prove that we had written hundreds of letters/appeals/memorandums to the Agong,Sultans,PM,Attorney General,IGP, and world organisations. All these were done at our own expense which went into thousands of Ringgit. No one came forward to help us then. Demonstrations and protests were then pathetic with a handful of people beginning with about 20 people including me uthayakumar and my family members which included my only daughter who was only about 3 years old then. Demonstrations and protests were at its infancy stage.

Demonstrations in front of Bukit Aman were unthinkable. Demonstrations in the office building of the Attorney General (not outside) must have taken a lot of guts and to convince the handful of people to do it was a greater challenge. I can go on with the feats at Istana, sultans palace parliaments ect. Standing in front of the bulldozers at demolition of temple sites and getting manhandled by police and arrested was a norm then and we had good sympathisers like Manickavasagam and Jayathas who were equally roughed up. Where was the man who has been claiming he was the FOUNDER of Hindraf and where was the so called Secretary. I have evidence of photographs and video of these protests. On one occasion they attended, one was standing at the end of the crowd and another claimed he had headache and was sitting on the ground. It is only fair to say that while all these new kind of challenge was thrown at the Malaysian Government both Uthayakumar and myself had the genuine sympathy of two great personalities M.Manoharan and R.Kengadharan who had offered their legal services as their contribution to the cause. We were relieved that one big burden was taken off our shoulders by these 2 lawyers and wecould concentrate on the main issues.

But the point is most Malaysians never knew this history of HINDRAF. November 25th never came on its own. It came after I had decided to gamble all within myself to file a class action against the UK Government. Road shows we conducted throughout the country attended by thousands of curious supporters who wanted to know what the suit was about. The thousands who attended were impressed that we had a plan and vision for the Indian community. I had maintained that HINDRAF never had any political intentions, however we had political friends like Manoharan, Manickam, Jayathas and. It was during this time when suddenly Uthayakumar said we have the services of 2 new personalities Ganapathi Rao and Vasanthakumar. They joined us from September 2007 onwards (before we started the Roadshows) enthusiastically and we believed their sincerity. Ganapathi Rao being a lawyer was given opportunities to speak at our road shows on Malaysian Budget. Vasanthakumar had helped to organise printing and other ground work. Upon his suggestion I later appointed him (upon my honest trust) as the pro tem Treasurer after which he opened a bank account under HINDRAF ENTERPRISE.

So in total the contributions of these 2 personalities were for 2 ½ months prior to their arrests under the ISA. They were not even there at the forum which adopted the 18 points demand that were to be submitted to the PM on 12th August 2007.

If their contributions are more than this then they should put it in writing for all to see what they had actually contributed.

This doesn't mean I do not appreciate their contributions. They have no doubt done their part. Though inJanuary 2008 I discovered Vasanthakumar was planted by Police special branch to infiltrate HINDRAF I still took it upon me to campaign for his release as well for I appreciated whatever he had done during this short period. I had concealed the fact to protect the integrity of the new freedom movement which found genuine support from the masses who had placed their hope on this organisation to advocate their rights.

The two great personalities Manoharan and Kengadharan merely acted as Counsels and lawyers for Uthayakumar, I and the hundreds others who were later arrested on November 2007. For this there had to pay a high price i.e. arrest under the ISA. These were the information I had given to all my International lobby including the International Bar Association i.e. that Lawyers are detained for performing their duties.

HINDRAF's struggle is noble. I have always maintained my personal belief that this is a dharmic war and if it is indeed a dharmic war we would win eventually albeit all the backstabbing and badmouthing.

From September 2007 (road shows) thousands of well wishers had approached me for membership forms. I had always told them that if they were a true believer in the 18 point demands that we had submitted to the PM on 12th August 2008 and are willing to fight for their rights without fear or personal gain then they were members and there was no need for a registration form and subscription.

Though I left the country upon my release on 28th November 2008 I had done and am still doing all within my strength and capability to seek the release of the 5 detained. I had used my personal funds to travel throughout India UK Europe Geneva. The issue of the 5 HINDRAF leaders has been raised in the Tamil Nadu Parliament immediately upon my arrival in India thereafter in Parliament In New Delhi, Indian PM and Foreign Minister, Leaders of the opposition House of Parliament, Madam Jayalalitha, Vaico, The Dalai Lama, UK Parliament, British MP's, House of Lords, The Parliament at Scotland,The Foreign and Commonwealth Office,the Commonwealth Secretariat, Amnesty International., Human Rights Trusts UK, Minority Rights International, International Bar Association, UK Bar Association, Law Society for England and Wales, World Organisation against Torture based in Geneva, United Nations Human Rights Council, International Red Cross, FIDH in France, Human Rights Commission in Brussels, Human Rights Commission in Holland, European Parliament to name some of the work I have done.

By using my base in England I managed to get abriefing organised for the first time at the US Congress on 8th April 2008 which was attended by Senators and Congressman, Civil and Human Rights organisations in US and the Malaysian embassy which was severally embarrassed. This was seen as an act of betrayal by the UMNO Government and hence they revoked my passport immediately. I am now a stateless person for doing what I felt right for Malaysian Indians.
While doing all the above I also manage HINDRAF from London and wherever I travelled. I plan the campaigns in Malaysia for the release of the 5 and for the basic rights of Malaysian Indians as per the 18 point demands submitted. I not only plan but execute the campaign in Malaysia from where I am. For this I have thousands of well wishers on the ground who take instructions from me and my 10 member interim committee which I formed in February 2008.

Today we have been stabbed by many within us. To cover himself Vasanthakumar has made accusations via his wife attacking me as a coward who ran away from problems and Raidu who had accused me of using children.

I sympathise for Mrs Vasanthakumar and her family for the naive hope and belief that has been placed before the truth by sinister. I offer my apologies to her for having to expose her husband at this stage.

As for Raidu he is not worth my effort to respond as his statements are sheer evil and ominous statements. He was a boy sitting in the front row of every road shows and enthusiastically clapping hands whenever each speaker made their points as if he was enlightened for the first time.

I urge all genuine HINDRAF supporters to remain calm, focussed and let us maintain our phase to seek ourdemocratic rights. I maintain HINDRAF is not a membership seeking organisation nor is it keen to mislead the people.

We are here to advocate our basic rights even if it means permanent incarceration.

P.Waytha Moorthy

Chairman HINDRAF

Currently in London

Two artificial Malays and A Indian Villian

Things in Malaysia are surely becoming bitchy.

First and foremost, a Malay UMNO Bukit Bendera, Ahmad Ismail (A.I) and his 'pendatang' remark. My, how this issue has exploded. First his disappearance, then Pak Lah telling 'I'll tell him no to do it again', then Najib publicly apologizing for A.I's remarks and on behalf of UMNO, to A.I's press conference yesterday where he flatly refused to apologize.

Here, another Malay, a blast from the past, wades in, Tun Dr.M, the guy who does not seem to realize he has already retired (Perhaps old age contributes to amnesia?). At 83 years old, when most of his age would already be in a coffin six feet under, the former Prime Minister thinks he is still the Prime Minister and thus needs to comment on ever issue affecting Malaysia every 3 seconds. Perhaps due to old age and declining mental faculties, he does not realize the meaning of the word 'former'.

Anyway, the jolly old Dr.M gives his ever flowing comments from his never wrong, know it all 83 year old mind. He said that A.I does not need to apologize, in fact ex-Prime Minister asked why must Malay leaders say sorry. Of course, the old man thought this was still the time when he reigned supreme over the land, where once his word was the law.The old man didn't expect the backlash from the blogosphere and the Internet over his comments. People expressed disgust at him (once an offence punishable by ISA) and called him a racist and even questioned Dr.M (once, you could have been hauled up in court and charged with sodomy for that)

Of course, once his mind came back to 2008, he realized the mistake and backtracked, saying that he was not defending A.I and he didn't like what Ahmad had said. He explained he was merely expressing disgust at the Malay leaders' s inability to control racism and the culprit should be hauled up to the UMNO Disciplinary Committee if he refused to apologize. (Where I'm guessing he'd probably be awarded with a keris and celebrated with a kenduri)Yeah, right......Is this a case of one Ultra defending another Ultra?There is an interesting parallel.

Remember what Mahathir said about George Soros, the Jewish American investor/financier, whom Mahathir blamed for the Asian Economic Crisis? Remember how he ranted and raved against Soros? He blasted Soros, accusing him of this and that and maintaining that Soros was to blame. Look at the picture below, funny how old age affects your mind doesn't it?

You know, a lot of accusations has been hurled at Anwar that he has the support of the US and he was going to 'sell' the nation to the US after he becomes PM. Much has also been bandied about that Anwar was close to Wolfowitz and many Jews.Now, look at the picture above. That is Dr.M and the man supposedly responsible for the Asian Economic Crisis of 1997, George Soros. Look at the picture... Awwwww... Doesn't Dr.M look so happy?Remember that Dr.M once said in a speech that 'the Jews rule the world by proxy'? If Dr.M's 83 year old mind has forgotten, George Soros is Jewish, he is a Jew. So, Dr.M is shaking the hand of a Jew, taking into consideration his own speech, does this mean he is also a proxy of the Jews?

Hilarious!Anyhow, we passed the two Malays and now we come to the Indian in question. No good story would be complete without a Tamil film villain. Who is he? Probably the most famous Indian ever in Malaysia. A man dubbed 'The Lord of the Indians', he is none other that Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.Of course, the former Works Minister and the still reigning MIC supremo has been out of the news a while after his thumping and utterly humiliating defeat in the last general elections, where, even for his considerably bloated girth, he too was uprooted by the political tsunami.

Why is he in the news?Malaysia today had an article on it, 'How Samy made 50 million with a stroke of a pen'. Of course, for us common folk who have to languish and work hard just for RM 50, we thought this was a heartfelt public tip provided by Samy Vellu on how to increase our income in face of tough times.Turns out it was a report on how Samy allegedly bought a state owned land for RM 3.8million. The problem was the land was worth RM 52 million, not to mention it was slated for a school. Bought under the MIC's name, Samy was named as the beneficiary on the title and the MIC as only trustee. Don't take my word for it, look at the documents.

Where is our nation heading to?

Into the pockets of our politicians?

One wonders what is Pak Lah doing...

courtesy of lost*3