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

Two female Hindraf activists released

Two women, who were among the nine Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) activists detained in yesterday’s protest in Seberang Jaya, were released at 2pm today after being held in police custody for nearly 20 hours.

The remaining seven, including Hindraf national coordinator TS Thanenthiran, have been shifted from the Central Seberang Perai district police headquarters to the North Seberang Perai district police headquarters this morning.KR Santhi, 30, and K Saratha, 34, were released on police bail after Hindraf Perak coordinator A Vethamurthy signed the documents as their guarantor.

When contacted, Santhi said the police recorded statements from all nine activists following their arrest over a protest against a splinter group, which also claimed to represent Hindraf, outside a Chinese temple.

She said the nine were questioned for nearly 12 hours before the women were locked up in a cell until their release.

The activists led by Thanenthiran protested against the splinter group, led by VK Regu and the saffron-clad M. Ramachandran, also known as Ramaji, for organising a Hindu religious prayer under Hindraf’s name at a Chinese temple in Seberang Jaya, which is under the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency.

Regu said the event was organised by a Makkal Sakthi movement in collaboration with an NGO to seek divine intervention to secure the release of the five Hindraf leaders detained under the Internal Security Act.It was also done to urge Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat to fulfil Hindraf’s 18-point memorandum on Indian affairs submitted to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last year.

Candlelight vigil
Hindraf’s self-exiled chairperson P Waythamoorthy told Malaysiakini via telephone that Regu and Ramaji were no longer involved in Hindraf activities for working against the minority rights group interests.

Hindraf legal advisor P Uthayakumar, T Vasantha Kumar and lawyers M Manoharan, R Kenghadharan and V Ganabatirau have been detained for two years under the ISA.During the protest, the activists called on Regu and Ramaji not to use Hindraf for their own interests.
Meanwhile, some 50 activists held a candlelight vigil against the arrest outside the SPT police headquarters in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam for nearly eight hours.

PKR parliamentarians Sivarasa Rasiah, Tian Chua and N. Gobalakrishnan, and Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar were present to give support.

They said that the arrest was uncalled for and could have been avoided.

How Permatang Pauh is spilling over on to all of us - a report of what happened at the Karu Mariamman Temple in Butterworth

Permatang Pauh is spilling all over in Penang.

First, the Prime Minister wanted to create a sort of a coup by upstaging Hindraf in appearing at one of their functions impromptu in Butterworth yesterday.

Just, what we did not know yesterday, but do know today is that this is another one of those staged events. The event was organised by two renegade Indians who go by the names of Ramaji and Regu. Ramaji was a founding member of HINDRAF but who has since strayed into treacherous territory. It looks like these two have been in contact with the PM on this matter before the event. Even though this is a bit of speculation on my part, events do definitely suggest it.

But boy, was the PM in for a surprise. The people who were there at the place gave Pak Lah a treatment he is not going to easily forget. Remember what Samy Vellu got just prior to the general elections in March.

I was not personally there but I did see two clips on the phone camera on a friends phone, which we will try to upload soon. The crowd that had gathered there quickly polarised on Pk Lah's entrance to the scene. The people immediately who felt violated by Pak lah's presence began a spontaneous protest . Pak Lah was booed. This was what was captured in the video clip. Quite some booing I must say. Pak Lah left soon afterwards after receiveing this rather unwelcome treatment.

Video: PM's unwelcome:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzml_rp-Ywc

Then a little later, after further protestation by the group, as the crowd was dispersing the National Hindraf Coordinator, the Penang State Hindraf Coordinator and several other Hindraf activists and supporters were arrested by the police.

While all this was happening there was a Jalur Gemilang launching event going on in the Island by Hindraf. The participants of that event were notified and many of them headed for the Bandar Perda Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah on the mainland. There were already many supporters gathered at the Police station by about 10 pm when they were joined from those on the Island. There were around 200-250 supporters outside the police station. Some senior PKR politicians were there - at least 4 of them. The press was abundantly present too, the people were milling about outside the police station, waiting for word about the release of those remanded. Finally at around 3.00 am word came out definitively that they could at best be released the following day. The group made a decision to disperse and reconvene at 10.am today to continue to show support for those remanded.

All of this is just the personal side of the how the system in our contry really operates.The people are increasingly become aware of the reality of the system. All these days the people have been cheated and lied to and made to feel as if the problems they faced were all of their own making. The reality is that a coterie has taken hold of the reins of power in our country and through treachery want to continue their control with brazen acts of power.

The people at times like this are directly confronted with the truth and awareness is growing. The Indian people of Penang are awakening with every such event to a better understanding of what this system really is like. The people of Permatang Pauh are recently getting a strong dose of this reality too daily, which spills over to all the rest of us in incidents like what happened at the KaruMariamman temple in Butterworth yesterday

But the people will ultimately and surely prevail.
United we stand
United we act.




courtesy of nayagan

HINDRAF BETRAYED FROM WITHIN

HINDRAF135-3 JALAN TOMAN 7KEMAYAN SQUARE70200 SEREMBAN
BRIEF PRESS STATEMENT 23RD AUGUST 2008-08

RE: ISA DETAINEE VASANTHAKUMAR A SPECIAL BRANCH PLANTRAMACHANDRAN MEYAPPAN & V.K.REGU HAVE BEEN RECRUITED ASGOVERNMENT AGENTS TO BETRAY HINDRAF CAUSE.

ISA detainee Vasanthakumar had volunteered to join HINDRAF in September 2007 and according to him at that time he was “waiting for someone to do something drastic” and the fact that I had filed an action against the UK Government attracted him to join HINDRAF. He had then served as a volunteer and I offered him to undertake the post of pro tem treasurer.
It came to my attention in January 2008 that Vasanthakumar has been planted by the Police Special Branch to infiltrate HINDRAF and upon further investigations the fact became apparent.
In March 2008 I was informed by two top Government officers on separate occasions confirming Vasanthakumar was assigned to break up HINDRAF lawyers in detention and the organisation from his detention. He had since met with various people from within HINDRAF to break the organization.

V.K.Regu though was a Pro tem Secretary of HINDRAF but was removed personally by me in October 2007 for undertaking activities against the interests of HINDRAF.
Upon the arrest of the 5 I had appointed a 10 member interim committee of which Tanendran was made the National Co-ordinator and Ramachandran Meyappan alias Ramaji was made the Spiritual Advisor of HINDRAF.

Recent events have shown that Ramaji and Regu had made frequent visits to KEMTA prison to meet Vasanthakumar secretly and they had colluded to break up HINDRAF and take over the registration of HINDRAF as an organization.

Ramaji and Regu had various secret and unauthorised meetings with the Prime Ministers Department, the PM’s Private Secretary and top MIC leaders over the last 5 months and I have evidence of this. It is now clear that all their activities thus far is to break up HINDRAF and take over the leadership of HINDRAF together with Vasanthakumar upon his release from ISA

It wouldn’t be a surprise that the Government would approve the registration of HINDRAF as a legitimate organisation but the approval would be handed over to Regu Ramaji and Vasanthakumar and other MIC proxies so that the unity and power that HINDRAF has displayed under the MAKKAL SAKTI would be permanently be damaged and shattered.

I apologize to all HINDRAF supporters for concealing these crucial facts all these while. I did this solely to protect the unity and integrity of HINDRAF and to avoid the breakup of HINDRAF. I sincerely believed that the release of the 5 including Vasanthakumar is of utmost importance for the sake of HINDRAF’S struggle.

What transpired today at Butterworth is a blatant insult to the intelligence of all HINDRAF supporters. Ramaji and Regu had placed various advertisements and news in the local tamil daily over the last few days about gathering 20 000 people for a Yaagam for the release of the 5 HINDRAF and for the promotion of the 18 demands submitted by HINDRAF in August 2007 under their organisations ie HSS (Hindu Sevai Sangam) and an organisation loosely named Makkal Sakti.

This event that was organised deliberately in the Permatang Pauh Constituency where there the Ex deputy Prime Minister is contesting in a by-election next Tuesday. By using the name Makkal sakti both ramaji and Regu had expected a huge crowd to bolster their grip on HINDRAF by the Prime Minister personally attending their Maha Yagam which was organised in a Chinese Temple (1st time of its kind) and entertained by a local famous pop band group.

I urge all HINDRAF supporters to remain calm during this crucial moment and urge all look out for news in our website www.hindraf.org and www.hindraf.co.uk for the latest news.

As the Chairman of this organisation I take full responsibility for the damage caused to the divine struggle of this organisation and extend my sincere apologies to all our supporters. Let us all unite to fight the betrayers within us who are up for selfish gain and to break the unity that never was seen prior to this within our community over the last 51 years.

May the blessings of the almighty be showered upon us on this crucial period and I seek his guidance to take me in the right path.



P.Waytha MoorthyChairman
HINDRAF
Currently in London
Waytha@hotmail.com

THE COUNTRY WE LOVE

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad speaks on July 27, 2008

1. When we became independent in 1957 nobody gave us much of a chance to make any progress beyond what had been achieved under the British.

2. I myself at that time thought that the only difference independence would make would be Malaysians would take over the administration of the country from the British. Nothing much more than that.

3. The other day I was given a copy of a news sheet called "Opinion" of November 1968, which I remember was edited and produced by Sulaiman Alias, one of the young political activist in UMNO.

4. It was quite a liberal paper and contained articles by such well-known personalities as Dr Lim Chong Eu (Gerakan), Dr R Kumar (Labour Party), Lim Kit Siang (DAP), Syed Hussain Ali (Parti Rakyat), Tengku Zaid (PMIP), Goh Cheng Teik, Ismail Ghani and several others.

5. I was also a contributor writing "In Defense of Feudalism". I was a Member of Parliament then.

6. The article that most interested me was one by Dr Lim Chong Yah, an economist, entitled "The Future of Malaysian Economy".

7. In it he gave a picture of the Malaysian Economy in 1967, 10 years after Merdeka.

8. The population was a mere 10 million and we were reproducing at 3.7% per annum. Our death rate had decreased from 12% to 7% which resulted in a natural increase of 3% p.a., a high rate, he noted.

9. Assuming decreasing death rate and also decreasing birth rate, the 3% population growth would likely continue over the next 10 years bringing the population to 13 million in 1977.

10. Dr Lim thought that national income should increase at 3% p.a. over the 1967 per capital (sic) income of USD940 p.a. But at 3% rate of growth the gap between us and the rich countries would widen.

11. Still the other developing countries would be behind us. However at 3% growth we would not be able to create jobs at 100,000 p.a. The rate of growth of national income should be 5%.

12. Investment growth (domestic) would not be able to do this.

13. If foreign investment makes up 4% of growth then it may be possible to achieve the necessary rate of investment for creating 100,000 jobs per annum.

14. It was a time when the rubber estates and tin mines were still owned by foreigners. Bringing in foreign capital sounded like increasing overdependence on foreign enterprise. We did not quite relish the idea of more foreign involvement in our newly independent country.

15. But without capital inflow unemployment would be 200,000 by 1977. Together with 160,000 unemployed in 1967, the rate would go up to 360,000, a horrendous figure.

16. The 360,000 did not include a large number of under-employed workers.

17. In the second five-year plan the public section was to spend 4,500 million Ringgit of which 1,900 million Ringgit was to come from foreign sources (borrowing).

18. Malaysia would have to depend on foreign capital inflow. Dr Lim remarked that political independence had not freed us from dependence on foreign capital. Still, he said, it was consistent with political independence. He named several developed countries which depended on foreign capital inflows.

19. He then turned to the rubber industry which was undergoing great difficulties because of the increasing usage of synthetics. He concluded that the difficulties of the rubber industry was also the difficulty of the nation in view of the strategic and preeminent role the industry occupied in the Malaysian economy.

20. The United States was making things more difficult through the release of their rubber stockpile. I remember being invited by Mr Bell, the American Ambassador to tea and I raised this matter. I was shocked when the Ambassador said that it was important for the US economy to keep rubber prices low. I told him that rubber prices were more critical to a small country like Malaysia than to a huge diversified economic power like America. But he did not care what happened to Malaysia. Yet at that time we looked up to America as a friend and liberator.

21. Rubber prices went down from 108.00 cents per pound to 68.14 cents. At the time Dr Lim wrote his article it was 50 cent per pound. The kampong people suffered grievously.

22. The other major source of income for Malaysia was tin. Already the production was decreasing.

23. We may be surprised but after tin came iron ore. We produced 7.3 million tons in 1963 but the production was going down. We produce no iron ore for export today.

24. Dr Lim predicted that income from rubber, tin and iron ore would decrease by 1977.

25. But the picture was bright for palm oil. In 1957 we exported 58.5 thousand tons of palm oil. By 1966 we exported 178.0 thousand tons.

26. Imagine how small we were then. Today if I am not mistaken we export more than 12 million tons at RM 3,000 plus per ton = 36,000,000,000 i.e. 36 billion Ringgit per year - well over the total public development estimate of 4,000 million Ringgit for the second five year plan (of course the Ringgit bought more than it does now).

27. Other than these we expected to earn something from timber, canned pineapple and pepper.

28. Dr Lim believed that growth would be from the domestic sector, with public sector contributing much towards it.

29. From Dr Lim's paper, presented at a forum organised by the National Union of Malayan Students at the University of Malaya, it did not seem likely that Malaysia would grow to what it is today. Yet Dr Lim was optimistic. He expected political stability to contribute towards Malaysia's development.

30. I write this in order to remind ourselves as to what we were like before. In 1967 no one thought of a Malaysia like what it is today. We did not think of industrialisation. We saw ourselves as a producer of raw materials.

31. Foreign Direct Investment was an unknown term when Dr Lim Chong Eu invited foreign industrialists in the early 70s to invest in the electronic industry on liberal terms. Prior to that we had insisted that all foreign industries must accept Malaysian Equity Participation (before NEP).

32. Only National or Matsushita came. But later we gave priority to job creation to benefit not those with money to invest but the unemployed workers. That was the best decision the Malaysian Government ever made.

33. Today Malaysia is more prosperous than the other countries which attained independence together with us. There is not a single race, not a single person, whatever may be his or her station in life who can honestly say that he or she has gained nothing from the independent Governments of Malaysia.

34. We are all the beneficiaries of the policies of those early people who lead this country. The systems and policies they initiated were excellent.

If they seem not to work today it is not because they were bad but it is because we do not have their caliber. We have become very selfish and too materialistic. This country has given us much. Is it still the country we love? I wonder!

(*) We also wonder Dr.M, when the country have given so much, how come Indians in the country got so little....???
Cakap boleh lah......

CRONYISM AND THE NEP

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad speaks up on August 6, 2008

1. When the New Economic Policy began to show some results in the early eighties, the Western Press and local opponents of the Government began to talk about cronyism. Whoever succeeded in a developing country like Malaysia, did so because they were the chosen favourites of the Government, particularly the head of the Government.

2. I came in for virulent attacks because some Malays actually did well in business. They were all labelled my cronies whether they were indeed my cronies or not. Anyone who succeeded was immediately defined as my crony.

3. Many close friends, relatives and members of my family who failed in business would not be called cronies.

4. It is not the actual relation or association with the leader that qualifies one to be the crony of the Prime Minister. It is the success of the individual. Failures, no matter how close they may be to the Prime Minister would not be called cronies.

5. This left me in a quandary. As head of the Government I had to ensure the success of the NEP objective of reducing the disparities between the bumiputeras and the non-bumis. This reduction must be achieved at all levels, not excluding the rich and the very rich. It wouldn't do to have parity among the low income and middle income only, while big businesses are all in the hands of the non-Bumiputera millionaires.

6. While most Bumiputeras who were given shares and opportunities to do business abused these opportunities, a few tried seriously and some of them succeeded. Obviously, these would be the people who should get more opportunities. Those who had abused their rights were also given second and third chances but as they continued to mess up their contracts and projects they were dropped out. Giving them more opportunities would simply be a waste. It would not help correct the economic imbalances.

7. As new opportunities were created, those with good track records were given more projects and contracts. When privatisation was introduced these people were among the ones chosen to take over the big privatised entities.

8. Admittedly some of them failed and were dropped. The numbers who succeeded became smaller. As we cannot risk giving to failures, the few successful people seem to be getting all the Government contracts, privatisation projects and other business opportunities.

9. All the while the Government was on the lookout for new Bumiputera individuals who showed good business acumen. They too were given projects, contracts and business opportunities. Again if they were successful they would get more projects and contracts etc. Then they would be categorised as cronies.

10. The number of successful Bumiputera businessmen slowly increased. Angry that the NEP had actually succeeded in throwing up capable bumiputera businessmen and reducing racial imbalances the Western press and local opponents of the NEP began to label all the successful Bumiputera businessmen as cronies of the Prime Minister. It does not matter if the PM had never known these people, but if they succeed then they must be the cronies of the PM.

11. It would seem that the only way to avoid being accused of cronyism is to ensure that all Bumiputeras fail in business. Better still the NEP should be made to fail completely.

12. The continuing disparities between the Bumiputeras and the non-Bumiputeras which these will cause would then produce inter-racial tension and political instability. Then the Western journalists can say that these "natives" really should not be given independence. Look at the mess they are making of their country.

13. It must be very annoying to the know-all Western journalists that they have been proved constantly wrong about Malaysia. They had predicted the collapse of this country due to the Malays seizing the wealth of the Chinese after independence, but this did not happen.

14. When May 13th 1969 occurred they congratulated themselves as what they had predicted seemed to have happened. But the three races in Malaysia worked out their own solution and Malaysia once again stabilised and went on to grow and prosper.

15. Despite dire predictions about the unfairness of the NEP affirmative action and cronyism, Malaysia continued to grow strongly and noticeable improvement was made in reducing the disparities between the races. The target of becoming a developed country by 2020 seemed achievable.

16. When the financial crisis caused by rogue currency traders took place, Malaysia remained calm and peaceful. The Malays did not blame the Chinese as happened in other countries. Apparently the Malays were quite satisfied with their share of the nation's wealth after the NEP. The Chinese did not blame the NEP either.

17. Instead when the Government successfully overcame the crises, the Chinese were very grateful. In the 1999 Elections, the Chinese votes were overwhelming, helping to give the BN party the 2/3 majority, despite Anwar's black eye.

18. When I stepped down wealth distribution through affirmative action in the economic field had contributed towards eradicating the identification of race with economic function but not as much as targeted.

19. But the NEP was more successful in the field of education. When I wrote the Malay Dilemma in 1970, I cited education as one of the obstacles to progress of the Malays. At that time few Malays had university education. There were only a handful of Malay professionals.

20. In my class of 1947 at the Medical College there were only seven Malay students out of a class of 77. Even in the arts faculties the percentage was very small.

21. Under the NEP more schools were built in the rural areas and primary education was free. Secondary education was easily available and a lot of scholarships were given for the universtities in the country and abroad.

22. Residential colleges enabled the students to study under better condition than found in their inadequately lighted village houses. They were given better food in these hostels. Junior science colleges modelled after the English Boarding Schools provide ideal environment for selected students to study and play.

23. The results of all these efforts is very satisfying. Thousands of Malay boys and girls from poor village families gained access to better education and eventually obtained university degrees in various professions and fields of knowledge.

24. Many went on to study for post-graduate degrees and doctorates. They now work as professors in universities, as specialists in various fields of medicine, as scientists, engineers, architects, veterinarians, agriculturists etc. They have not been left behind by the advances in new knowledge such as information technology, telecommunications and space science.

25. They have also gone into management, obtaining MBAs from well known universities such as Harvard and Philadelphia. Armed with these qualifications they have been employed as management executives at all levels. Some actually head multinational companies.

26. In the education field the NEP has been very successful. It has helped to correct the imbalances not only in the professions but also in business. Strangely Malays have become very successful bankers.

27. The educational successes of the NEP have been largely ignored and not even recognised as a part of the poverty eradication and the removal of the identification of race with economic function objectives of the NEP. But in fact they are.

28. So think again whether the NEP simply enrich the cronies of the PM and Government.

29. Think of what would be the situation in Malaysia today without the NEP.

30. If there is still doubt then do a survey of all the contracts and scholarships given by the private sector and work out how much they have contributed toward eliminating disparities between races, and who would be the poor in this country.

Now, This is Dr.M........... we should have known earlier.