A challenge to Uthayakumar : Come together as one and secure justice and equality for all
July 6, 2009
The following are excerpts from a post here on 28th November, 2007 :
“… in substance, both Hindraf and the ‘One People, One Nation’ initiative desire the same thing.
We are, therefore, not opponents.
BN and its ‘divide and rule’ blueprint is our common enemy.
….The Hindraf leadership, I hope, will forgive me for this observation, and that is, that Hindraf has thus far taken an isolationist approach in pursuing its cause.
Perhaps, until Sunday, circumstances made it necessary.
The danger that we face now is that, if we pursue our respective strategies and methods independent of each other rather than working together on a common strategy, neither will get anywhere and the current status quo will remain.
In all humility, I say that if Hindraf is to take the cause that it now champions to its desired end, it must now change course.
I ask the Hindraf leadership to reflect upon this with an open heart.
My friends and I would welcome with open arms the Hindraf leadership to come together as one and secure justice and equality for all”.
News reports have it that Uthaya has been very critical of both DAP and PKR in that they are said to have done little for the marginalised Indians post the 12th GE.
It is also reported that Uthaya is in the process of applying to register a new political party called PAHAM.
Here, then, is the challenge to Uthaya.
Register PAHAM as a multi-racial party.
Make the stated objectives of PAHAM, not the championing of merely the marginalised Indians, but every marginalised anak Bangsa Malaysia.
Do that, Uthaya, and then join the political fray and teach Pakatan Rakyat the A to Z of how to rid this country of race-based politics.
Do that, Uthaya, and you and HINDRAF would have taken a huge leap from 25/11/2007.
July 6, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Hi Haris,
What you’re proposing here is the one thing that I’m waiting to happen. I remember reading THIS article the other day and not understanding why the writer decided to call it an ‘Indian party’, when clearly the name PAHAM stood for Parti Hak Asasi Manusia. And surely hak asasi does not only belong to Indians, but to all manusia.
In the said article, Uthayakumar mentioned that he has a way to solve ‘Indian woes’. And this, I find, rather disappointing. We should be aiming to solve problems that exist for all people, regardless of their ethnicity.
So yes, I’m joining you in your call that PAHAM should take up the cause to fight for all Malaysians who need fighting for, and who can’t fight for themselves.
*ps: I haven’t been around much, but I wanted to let you know I’m still here. =)
July 6, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Harris,
What Malaysians have to understand including Uthaya is that the demographics of the country would require the composition of a multi-racial party to reflect the composition of the population of the country. In ones attempt to uplift the poorer sector of society in your own ethnic group ONE must not avoid the upliftment ot the poor in the other ethnic groups.
And we as Malaysians who have been brainwashed into racial segmentation are still been seduced by that environment. This is what PKR, DAP and PAS are suffering from. They are still BN cancer cells there which they need to de-toxify. We need to realise that in any multi-racial party, the members would only look into electing their own kind into positions within a party. And here again the majority would win.
Only when we sit together and realise that there are good leaders in each of us and that they should be elected irrespective of color, creed or religon, only then we would be able to be true MALAYSIANS. Most party members as of today are yet to “walk a mile in each others shoes” We are yet to achieve what the black and white USA did in electing Obama Barrack.
We have yet to reach that pinnacle and the ruling government of the day would do anything to make sure that we do not reach that pinnacle.
In that respect PAHAM should either state ” that the party is open to all Malaysians” and ensure that the leadership reflects the population of the country and not the Indians alone. Uthaya should call upon and identify leaders from every ethnic group and invite them to join you.
OR remain as what you 5 have been……a force that calls upon every Malaysian. You 5 have have changed the way Malaysians think. YOU did unite the fragmented Indian society and all classes of Indians showed what they could do as a force on 8th March. And slowly it did awake the others, the Malays, Chinese etc and it is the awakened Malaysians who came out to show their strength on the 8th of March. If the 5 of you were free for the run up to the elections you would have seen first hand the way “Born Again Malaysians” worked together as one and caused the political tsunami.
If PAHAM is going to become another party with caste, social standing etc like the MIC, then you will never be able to achieve again what the 5 of u achieved between 25th November till your release.
As an Indian having grown from the slums of Kuala Lumpur, I would rather the 5 of you remain as a force than as a party because as a party, the same MIC dis-ease would creep into the members, jostling for party positions rather than uplifing Malaysian society as a whole.
July 6, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Dear Haris,
I agree with you that Uthayakumar should work for all Malaysians as Bangsa Malaysia. He is charismaitc and can pull the crowds. Work for all marginalised Malaysians, and they come in the millions. Uthaya, this is the only way to go. No doubt the Indians and others have been marginalised for so long, but so have been many Malays, Chinese and the people of Sabah and Sarawak. Please listen to the hearts of the rakyat crying out for justice.
July 7, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Yes Lakshmi, I totally agree with your plea to Uthaya. His ultimatum to LGE is unreasonable to say the least.
The way to go is to work for all marginalised MALAYSIANS and if Indians are the most marginalised then obviously more Indians will benefit than the other races.
I hope more rational Malaysians of Indian descent will stand up and call out to Uthaya to fight for the Malaysian cause. Please come to Sabah and Sarawak and you will see the natives here worst off than the Indians in the Peninsular.
July 6, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Come-on Uthaya…hear the clarion call!
Fight for all marginalised Malaysians.
Open PAHAM’s membership to all Anak Bangsa Malaysia who are willing to fight for equality and justice.
Say “Yes We Can” and We Will.
July 6, 2009 at 10:00 pm
The way Hindraf behaves, it will soon have no friends left, neither in BN nor in Pakatan. And that will be very unfortunate for the Indian population who have rallied behind Hindraf. On its own, the Indian population is very small, and will lose its voice if it is neither with BN nor Pakatan.
July 6, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Bro,
Agree with what you said but you see when they were in Kamunting, it was the PR and Barisan Rakyat who was championing for their release. There must some gratitude la. Even 1 of them contested on DAP ticket. My observation, they won’t get much support the way they are taking. Pretty high-handed machas. Over and over again they are complaining not enough is done for Indians. Don’t they realise these things take time and money.
We all know that PR state governments got not much funds. So how to make changes? They should pull together with PR for change. Change can only come with change in Federal Govt.(At least that’s what we all hope) Then real power for change will come.
HINDRAF is continuously giving out threats or whatever. So very high-handed and how to be partners?
Whether it’s HINDRAF or PAHAM(same members) they should change their attitudes 1st.
Cheers Bro
July 7, 2009 at 5:42 am
Well said Bro Harris and I hope the challenge is taken up for the betterment of ALL MARGINALISED MALAYSIANS.If they fail then they would become insignificant in the Malaysian Political picture sooner than later.
May GOD bless all.
July 7, 2009 at 6:13 am
Recent actions and statements by Uthayakumar and also by P Waytha Moorthy indicate clearly to me that both of them have become arrogant, irrational and self-righteous. In such a state of mind (arrogant, self-righteous and irrational), I doubt they can even understand your short, simple and uncomplicated message above.
July 7, 2009 at 6:17 am
Sorry to say that I hold no hopes for what you are wishing for Haris.
I would rather be quite blunt with Uthaya. He should open his eyes to see that the biggest betrayers of his cause come from none other than his own brothers in arms of 25th November 2007. So much for a skewed way of looking at this world where we automatically give greater weight for commonness found in the colour of your skin and what you eat for breakfast!
Haris, the least I can hope for, between now and his official launch of whatever it is he wants to launch, is he picks up his bloody phone and gives you a call!!
July 7, 2009 at 7:17 am
There is not one constituency in the whole country where the Indians have a majority.
If PAHAM exists as an Indian communal party, it will only function as a spoiler and help to kill the opposition.
July 7, 2009 at 7:39 am
I am not being unfair when I observe that our friend now thinks he is the saviour, calling attention to himself as if he is the one who can change things. Telling people, if you do this and this will result in this and this.
Just ignore him and he will fade into oblivion. The country does not need fellow whose support strategy is to drive a wedge into the already fragile race relationship.
July 7, 2009 at 7:48 am
Hye sir,
i’m too Agree with you but i got 1 question regarding the party…. Sometimes ago Mr. Uthayakumar said…. he won’t ever start or join in a PARTY. How comes he suddenly thinkin of starting a new party? Is he forgot what he said before?
July 7, 2009 at 8:17 am
[...] A challenge to Uthayakumar : Come together as one and secure justice and equality for all The following are excerpts from a post here on 28th November, 2007 : “… in substance, both Hindraf and the [...] [...]
July 7, 2009 at 8:21 am
BRO HARIS HATS OFF TO YOU MY FREN. BRO UTHAYA IM ONE OF THE HINDRAF SUPPORTS THAT STOOD BY THE FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY THAT YOU CREATE ” MAKKAL SAKTHI”, ” MAKKAL” MEANS PEOPLE AND PEOPLE MEANS ALL HUMAN BEING WITHOUT RACE OR COLOUR. SO BRO HARIS AND BRO UTHAYA LETS JOIN HANDS AND FIGHT FOR ALL IN THE HOPE OF GETTING RID OF ALL THE SCUMBAG CORRUPTED DEVILS THAT`S DESTROYING THIS NATION THAT WE LOVE. WE CAN BE ONE AND IM SURE THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD N PEACE LOVING PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHO WILL STAND BEHIND US WHEN IT MATTERS MOST. THINK ABOUT IT HINDRAF AND ALL OUT THERE… DAP, PKR, PAS, PSM…. WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN IF WE JOIN TOGATHER FOR ONE AIM.
July 7, 2009 at 9:10 am
Dear Harris
I think Uthaya and Indian community’s response (forming an Indian political party) are not new. When own community’s livelihood is under threat (whether imagined or not)they normally fall back to their own people for comfort. Black Panther in US is one good example during the height of civil rights movement. Black Power was the cry of the day in the 60’s. Obviously this is the easiest way out from their problem. Because you don’t need a lot of rational thinking but you need a big dose of anger to mask the real problem. But it requires wisdom to be able to come out from that shadow with victory.
July 7, 2009 at 9:54 am
In addition to my queries in my earlier posting, I quote from today’s “The Star Online”: “Arifin also confirmed that Kampung Buah Pala was sited on state leasehold land for 99 years, encompassed an area of 24,683.96 sq m (6.59 acres) and was earmarked for residential development.”
It says State Leasehold land. Does that mean that the state only has a leasehold interest in the said property?
In which case who owns the freehold? The Trust??
Does the Trust permit the leasing of the land to the state so that the state then has, for the duration of the Lease, free rein over the land? Is this the manner in which the State enabled itself to facilitate the creation of wealth for some interim war lord?
Question is, when was the leasehold created? Why was it created? Were these intentions intimated in the original Trust? Are the Developers going to be telling potential buyers that the freeholder in this land is a Trust?
By the way, have anyone of you heard of such a thing as a state leasehold land? I always thought the state had the freehold interest and it issued leasehold titles.
July 7, 2009 at 10:22 am
For Uthayar & Co., at the rate they are going and with the mind-set which I perceive they have in them, I believe they have not had enough of BN’s rule. Well, 50 year of them is not enough and I suppose HIDRAF wants another 50 years to be under their rule. Wake up Uthaya, wake up, on your own you cannot get anywhere. Dont tell me people like Karpal, Gobind, Kula, and many other members in the DAP, Sivarasa, Manika from PKR, these people do not have the Indian welfare at heart. I would even dare to say that people like LGE and LKS would not treat the Indians like second class members. Wake-up Uthayar, wake-up.
July 7, 2009 at 10:32 am
Let me add further and urge Uthayar not to be seen as only demanding this and that for the Indians. Get yourself involved and be part of the change. Please tell us which one (just one) of the constituency in Peninsular which PAHAM (assuming it gets its registration)think/believe can win a seat in a GE. Assuming you can win, its only one or if anyone has the skin to mention 2 seats, its only 2 seats and what can you do to champion the cause of the marginalised Indians with just 2 seats. You can thump your chest and claim yourself to be a hero you still cannot get anywhere for the Indians except to satisfy yourself and ego that others may look up to you as a champion and hero – nothing more than that and the Indians still remain marginalised.
July 7, 2009 at 11:09 am
What is HINDRAF trying to do by forming another party? Are they trying to weaken the PR Alliance? Don’t we have enough Indian parties already? BN would love to quickly approve the party. They will gladly approve another all-Chinese party too. That’s how they create disunity among us. Instead of another party, join ranks with PKR and fight together for a common cause. Do I smell a rat somewhere? I memang tak PAHAM!
July 7, 2009 at 11:45 am
Hindaf must not be racist and only fight for the Indian cause. Everytime Uthayakumar, the Hindraf speaks, he is only fighting and demanding this and that. Also giving ultimatum and warning to stop support towards PKR, DAP, Pas etc…. thus firing up the Indian community and making them anti PKR etc. Come on !! use your brains, its just 1 year and you expect overnight results. Shame on you being a Lawer and not a layman, you should know better. All your grivences are caused by BN and you are playing to their TUNE. FIGHT FOR ALL MARGINALISED MALAYSIAN and not for a particular race. Please again don`t be racist. All problems can be settled by going according to the Law and some common sense.
Please don`t threaten LGE on the Kg. Buah Pala issue and protesting in front of his office. You seem like a bully. If you think think everybody is indebted to you and HINDRAf for the reault in GE 12 then you go support BN and see what you can get. Remember LGE is cleaning the S… left by Gerakan and BN. Give him a chance man! 52 years unde BN what did you`ll get ?
July 7, 2009 at 11:59 am
Regrettably, Uthayakumar and his brother Waytha have turned Kg. Buah Pala into a racial issue when it should be treated as a case of landowners vs. developers.
Playing the race card is so like BN. Is there also a political agenda for slamming the DAP govt but not a word against the ones who cause the mess – Koh and Gerakan?
As for PAHAM, I believe the constitution will be multi-racial but this is academic if Uthaya and Waytha can only see the world through a racial lens. It will have no multi-racial support.
Frankly, I do not believe both of them can open their hearts to include other races.
July 7, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Uthayakumar knows that PR commands a lot of Indian support. Is he attacking PR to try to shift Indian support to his new party, PAHAM?
Turning Hindraf into a political party will be the end of the movement. Politics will take precedence over doing good for the community. If Uthaya really wants to do good, Hindraf should remain a pressure group instead of going for political ambitions.
July 7, 2009 at 12:47 pm
now Uthaya is the black knight from the forever knights (from Ben 10 Alien Force fame). Fact of the matter, the racist thingy was as much a PR concoction as it was a BN reality and a Hindraf mirage. Get a lifelah, dude….everybody is a bloody racist at his/her core, it is only the veneer of education, social status, wealth, respectability, the desire to appear civilised etc that masks the real you…remove your clothes for a change and look in the mirror and reflect on the racist in you and dont be hypocritical about it……..but once again, a good joke of a post….hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahaha
(to donkey), dei Thulukan, time for a break from all this laughing……
Thulukan (tears streaming down its cheeks): righto, master….hohohohohohohohohohoho….LOL
Warrior 231
July 7, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Hindraf took form as a result out of necessity to solve a long o/s problem. It is not supposed to be there in the first place had there been no serious problems in BN govt.
Now, it a bit overboard if Hindraf takes the same approach on a new govt just about 1+ yrs old.
We are not telling to ignore Indian problems, but we focus too much on being reactive to problems.
Uthaya sir, no single race in Malaysia having a jolly good time here, everyone has their own set of problems.
I would be happier to see Indians having their self sustaining strategies to counter-attack problems facing them in the country. We would not like to become like demanding beggars and want this and that and someday ppl will get tired if they have get to the streets to demonstrate for everything.
Few issues
1) Temple demolishment – there a few more temples being built illegally in some places in Klang Valley, what are you telling the ppl?
2) Lock-up death – is the society, is the society producing criminals on the other side? what are we doing to stop this. We just want to put a stop to one side and we talk about police brutality, but what about our side?
3) Economic opportunities – you tell me there is no hidden opportunities as well, is is really that BAD?
Are we expecting the govt ( BN or PR) to help in every single problem we face everyday. Come on man, i am not in for this one. Now that MIC is almost dead, the good news is we have free hand to make positive changes, without resorting to making demands, i am sure we are not THAT helpless to that extent…
We may not need do anything collective all the time, at some time we can come from separate entity but we may have some common objective.
But believe me, ppl out there just wish to do not have go back to old BN ways ever again, please do not let your followers down. and our BN clowns just can wait to see how the ppl get “screwed” and tell ” we surrender”.
July 7, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Dear Uthaya,
Around 30 thousand plus people gathered on November last year, changing the landscape of Malaysian politics. I was one in the many.
Many fail to understand one thing. Racism is actually an idea and eventually it flourishes into action. In order to curb racism, we need a shift in our thinking and admittedly it is not easy.
Back to the issue at hand, I stand firm that Hindraf should cover only one segment of the community. No, I’m not talking about Indian Malaysians here but rather it should stand up exclusively for the poor and the oppressed disregarding skin colour. Make Hindraf for all Malaysians. Fight for all who needs justice.
But the reality is, most who speak out against racism are the ones who need to step out from the racial box they are in first.
July 7, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Vinod (July 7, 2009 at 4:30 pm) said :-
“But the reality is, most who speak out against racism are the ones who need to step out from the racial box they are in first”
Is this a fact? If so, I suppose you (Vinod) plucked the fact out of thin air, like a magician?
July 20, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Dear Mr Ong,
Thanks for your question though I smell sarcasm there.
What I meant was the ones preaching against racism in most times are quite racist themselves subconsciously. For example Uthaya has just started PAHAM, an Indian based multi racial party. If Uthaya was against racism, the party should have been a multiracial party,period.
If you need further clarification, perhaps you can check on yourself every single time you preach against racism and racial prejudice, how many times you call Malays are lazy and Indians are drunkards at the back of your head…go figure.
July 7, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Do you thrust Uthayakumar ??
MIC is weak and gone. UMNO knows this and PAHAM will be asked to join BN, reason PAHAM is the front for hindraf.
Don’t trust this man Uthayakumar. He has been approached.
July 7, 2009 at 10:53 pm
It’s really sad looking at the present scenario as compared to just after the last election.
The rakyat had so much hope in PR but look at them now ,fighting against one another instead of the common enemy,BN.
Umno is really good in dividing PR. So watch it PR,do not let power get to your head or the rakyat will punish you in the next election.
July 8, 2009 at 1:41 am
I’m first and foremost an Anak Bangsa Malaysia and I want the numbers to grow….they are already. I believe in being an Anak Bangsa Malaysia only because the concept embraces all of us, whether we are black, yellow, a lighter shade of pale,dark brown, light brown and even white.That’s how far we have come already!There is no stopping the tide.
If we look ahead, our children and their children are not going to be in their particular national grooves…they are all going to be mixed and more mixed…they are definitely going to be MALAYSIAN. There’s no two ways….only ONE, the Malaysian Way.
A true leader who has the welfare of all Malaysians at heart, will heed the call…. for unity and intergration of all races.Because that’s the character of our country, Malaysia. We want the lousy word RACE to end and the only way to do it, is to unite and put an end to this damned thing called RACE which is causing no end of negatives…and problems.
Uthayakumar,….I heard that you fought very hard for a Chinese boy, who was a victim of police brutality, a few years back. I’m not sure if you were successful,or what came of it, but it just shows the kind of person you really are, not a race based crazy fanatic, but a far-sighted all embracing, generous person of the calibre of, maybe,Nelson Mandela?
You’ve been in prison like him. The experience has not embittered you, that is quite obvious. As a result too,of your prison term, you must be imbued with an extra, born again spirit ..a far- sighted one looking beyond the confines of nearness and of only one race,..but rather one that spans miles to embrace a nobler and worthier cause..That cause is the call to a better and united Malaysia and the only way that can come about is, when all of us become ONE PEOPLE ONE NATION, without separation into different races.
Remember,Uthayakumar, your children are the children of Malaysia.They are no longer Indians in this land. They want to live in a united world, a world in which they do not have to fit into race lines and be within a frame….they want to be free to be called just human beings. And because they live in Malaysia they want to be called Malaysians. They will not want prefixes, ie, malay, chinese indian.It is a very strong and enduring wish.
So please look ahead and see this as something to work for, to fight for, to live for, and finally to achieve … a hand is being stretched out that needs grasping.Shake that hand of friendship and far-sightedness, it belongs to Haris Ibrahim, but it is really all of our hands, the hands of the Anak2 Bangsa Malaysia, reaching out to you and Hindraf to join forces.
Take hold of that hand of friendship, and go together as ONE PEOPLE ONE NATION, to secure Justice and Equality for all Malaysians.