I’ve said this too many times already.
UMNO / BN must go.
They have long been the curse and cancer of the nation.
There can be no negotiating with robbers and thieves.
No deals.
No compromises.
And for so long as I have a say in the direction ABU takes, then this, too, is the position of ABU.
Hindraf’s entry into ABU, too, was firmly founded on this : bury UMNO / BN come the 13th GE.
Today, Hindraf appears to have shifted away from this to a new uncompromising stance with regard to their blueprint.
Theirs is a ‘take all of our blueprint or you are not with us’ position.
In his penned thoughts on the 18th day of his fast, as reported by Malaysiakini, Waythamoorthy says this of the blueprint :
“The proposals in the five-year blueprint are entirely justifiable”.
No doubt much time and effort has gone into crafting the blueprint and it is therefore understandable that Waythamoorthy should see it as ‘entirely justifiable’.
Just as Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia and HAKAM would see their proposed Social Inclusion Agenda as a most comprehensive, totally inclusive and the most pressing reform that needs to be put into place post the 13th GE in order to address the plight and needs of all marginalised, without regard to ethnicity.
In January, this year, Hindraf very kindly extended an invitation to ABU to attend a dinner at the Crystal Crown Hotel, PJ, where they would, amongst others, be sharing details of their blueprint.
ABU attended.
I listened attentively to the presentation by Hindraf’s Ganesan.
The blueprint addressed real problems faced by some of the poorest Indians in the country : displaced estate workers, stateless persons, lack of access to education and job opportunities, police brutality including deaths in custody, and institutionalised racism.
I stand with Hindraf on these issues.
However, I have serious misgivings with 2 aspects of the reforms proposed in the blueprint.
First, the provision for a quota for Indians in the proposed vocational training facility.
Fundamentally, for me, quotas are the very antithesis of meritocracy.
Should the Ibans, the Dayaks, the Kadazans, Orang Asli, Chinese and Malays all be granted quotas should they all make demands for the same?
And should these quotas, year in and year out, be fulfilled, even if those admitted to these educational institutions fall well short of standards set?
If so, let us not pretend to champion meritocracy and be honest enough to see that we are perpetuating a policy long put in place by UMNO / BN.
Which has led us to where we are now.
We are a rich nation.
We should provide for the educational needs of all, without having to limit places to ethnic communities based on declared quotas.
That is an UMNO / BN way of keeping the people divided.
My second misgiving is Hindraf’s proposal for the establishment of a Minority Affairs Ministry, to be helmed by Hindraf.
My preference is the Social Inclusion Commission mooted by SABM and HAKAM, with powers as provided for under the proposed Social Inclusion Act.
Prof Azmi Sharom shares his thoughts on the Social Inclusion Commission HERE.
So what we have here is a difference of opinion, not on the real problems confronting the poorest Indians in the country, but on the steps that need be taken to effectively address these problems.
These differences may in fact arise simply because whilst Hindraf’s focus is that of the plight of the long marginalised Indians, ABU casts its attention to the entire 40% of the population who have been left out of the mainstream of development in the country.
Should these differences cause both ABU and Hindraf to part ways?
Quite the contrary, I firmly believe that in those circumstances, what is called for is keen, honest dialogue, with egos put aside, with the only objective being to pick the best solutions brought to the discussion table.
That evening at the Crystal Crown event, I could not get in a word or two to Waythamoorthy, so I briefly shared my thoughts as outlined above with the emcee of the evening, Dr Paraman, and my friend, Sambulingam, both of Hindraf.
I requested that they convey these views to Waythamoorthy together with my proposal that I host a meeting between Hindraf, on the one hand, and SABM and HAKAM, where the pros and cons of both the Hindraf blueprint and the Social Inclusion Agenda might be closely examined.
Let me briefly digress here to highlight that at a dialogue with political parties on the proposed Social Inclusion Agenda on 29th September 2012, STAR (Sabah), SAPP, PSM and PRM endorsed the proposed Act and pledged to implement it if they are to be part of the next federal government, whilst the DAP representative on behalf of the party accepted the proposal in principle and said she would bring the matter to the party for fuller consideration. The PKR representative said he would bring the proposal to the attention of the party leadership.
Subsequent to that presentation at the Crystal Crown, I have communicated with Dr Paraman by telephone and met Sambulingam once.
However, I got no positive response to my proposal.
Then followed the exchange of sms’ between Waythamoorthy and myself that led to my “ABU-Hindraf collaboration over, it would seem” post.
Even as I wrote that post, I hoped that I was wrong.
Recent events suggest otherwise.
When Hindraf officially unveiled its blueprint in November, last year, Malaysiakini reported Hindraf national adviser N Ganesan as saying that whichever political coalition endorsed the Hindraf blueprint would receive its support.
This, to me, was clearly at odds with ABU’s stand and I sought clarification.
“Ganesan was wrongly quoted”, I was told.
I took that explanation in good faith.
Two days ago, after meeting Najib, this is what Waythamoorthy had to say, as reported by Malaysiakini :
“…The big explosion took place at the grand Hindraf rally of November 2007. The Indians in the country were at war with Umno. Umno was Hindraf’’s nemesis. They hounded us, harassed us and went to extreme measure to kill us off…Then after reaching a crescendo, Umno started to roll back on all of that when Najib Abdul Razak took over as prime minister. They released the activists from Kamunting. They reduced, then stopped, the harassments, they lifted the ban on us, returned my passport and allowed me to return, and now reaching a new peak of this trend, Najib invited us for a meeting yesterday…Najib, for his part, had also to come a long way to meet us at this point – he probably had to overcome significant resistance from various segments within his domain to get to the point of inviting us for this meeting. This was indeed a risky move for him personally. So, it can be said that the meeting yesterday was truly a historic meeting…Subsequent meetings are really the key, should they take place. They will provide opportunity to explore the possibilities of meeting respective objectives by movements of positions on both sides.”
And then Waythamoorthy repeated what Ganesan was said to have been misquoted by Malaysiakini some 4 months earlier.
“I reiterate, whichever of the two coalitions accepts and endorses the blueprint will get our total support. This is not decided as yet. There is still some time before Hindraf will come off this ambiguity and take a firm position in this issue”.
In his penned thoughts yesterday, Waythamoorthy spoke of the virtues of the impoverished Indians strategically abstaining from voting come the 13th GE, should both BN and Pakatan not endorse the Hindraf blueprint.
“…strategic abstention does become a purposeful option for the Indian poor in this election. By this act, the Indian poor would take the opportunity to show the significance of their vote.Whether we will issue the call for this will be determined over the next couple of weeks, depending on when Parliament is dissolved”.
In truth, this call to the Indians to boycott the 13th GE has already gone out.
On 21st March, the following sms was forwarded to me by a fellow blogger who is Indian.
“Masyarakat India jangan undi pd PR 13 jika pelan induk HINDRAF tidak diiktiraf & selagi itu mogok lapar akn berterusan. Boikot ceramah PKRDAP hidup HINDRAF! Sebarkan. Pls forward tis mes to everyone”.
This message was sent out by the least known of Waythmoorthy’s brothers, known in civil society circles as Segaran, and recently seen by many of us as Hindraf’s own Special Branch.
On 2nd August, last year, ABU declared war on UMNO / BN.
For us at ABU, nothing has changed.
Jong
March 28, 2013
The moment Waythamoorthy changed from his humble clothings to ‘a suit’ in the midst of his so-called “fasting”, to meet up with Najib Razak, it already signaled where he stood and still stands – genuflecting before such a leader, the very head of Umno whom we want to ABU?
What was Waythamoorthy thinking? What was he hoping for – positioning himself for a good bargain? Strong minds don’t work that way!
John D'Silva
March 28, 2013
I think it is pertinent to establish a fact that has conveniently been misconstrued by Waytha / Hindraf – It should not be percieved by all & sundry that All indians support Hindraf……And that Hindraf represents all Indians. To start with the party’s monicker itself clearly emphasises that it is a ‘HINDU’ party…………….Not All Indians are hindus…!
Furthermore, I believe the time has come to do away with ‘race / religion ‘ based movements & policies. For a start, it reflects a form of ‘negative’ violence…..When you preach awareness of discrimination of this nature / magnitude, you tend to provoke ill-feeling.
One should go back in history, and review the cause / reason for the ‘marginalised’ situation. All these feelings and emotions should be directed at past leaders who stole what was allocated for the well-being / progress of Indians – And seek re-dress / compensation. And that is not difficult to do…………….!!
Singam
March 28, 2013
I often wonder … if one is so full of conviction for his cause that he is prepared to forego food and drink (i.e. fast), to put his life at risk … would he not on the 18th day of his fast … be bedridden, tubes sticking out of his body with transfusions to keep him alive, too weak to speak or lift his fingers.
Why is this bloke called Waytha looking so healthy, could even travel to Putrajaya after fasting for umpteenth days???
Is he a divine person who can live a normal life bereft of food and drink for many days?
Or perhaps, he’s not really fasting as in “foregoing food and drink” … did anyone check whether there is a feast for him behind the tent every day in the wee hours of the morning … when no one is looking?
I also often wonder … if one is so full of conviction for his cause that he is prepared to put his life on the line by fasting … would he peddle his cause to the highest bidder, if the bidder could actually be the devil himself? Would he put the people that he professes to stake his life for in the hands of the devil who has been blatantly and openly subjecting his beloved people to all kinds of hardship and abuse known to man for the past 56 years!!!
Another Anak Bangsa Malaysia
March 28, 2013
Haris,
It would be a sad day when Hindraf is conned into believing that BN will honour any commitments made to Malaysians of Indian ethnicity, as appears to be the case with the rather chummy tete-a-tete, Waythamoorthy is having with his newfound friend and recent champion of all things Indian, Najib Razak.
Hindraf is doing nothing so far but prove that ethnocentric political parties are a pox on Malaysian society. They have done nothing but divide Malaysians.
Hindraf has nothing to lose by supporting the proposed Social Inclusion Act. It can still champion the rights of it’s constituents within the framework of the Social Inclusion Act.
I wonder what objections Hindraf has towards supporting the proposed Social Inclusion Act which advocates a fair and equitable society for ALL Malaysians regardless of race.
In the new Malaysia that is to come, it’s time to think of uniting all the different ethnicities in Malaysia as Malaysians and not to continue the bankrupt and divisive policies of BN.
The first step towards a new Malaysia is ABU.
More power to you, Haris Ibrahim.
Joe Keegan
March 28, 2013
Sdr.Haris,
Wythiamoorthy is attempting to paint Najib as a caring and sensitive prime minister when he (Najib, a murder suspect in the eyes of so many Malaysians) is only toying with the possibility of neutralizing the opposition threat in the coming elections.Do UMNO, Najib and BN care for the marginalized and the poor? Wythia is fooling himself if he seriously thinks so.
While it is true that poor Indian Malaysians represent an oppressed nation within the country, many without even the rights of citizenship, the majority ruthlessly exploited, driven into abject poverty and marginalized,widespread poverty also prevails among other communities The SABM and HAKAM initiative offers a more realistic and just solution to the problem of continuing poverty.
You are absolutely right with regards to the Hindraf blue print. Declaring quotas for different ethnic groups is not the solution to the problems of poor and marginalized Indians. Indeed, it basically serves to divide the people even further.It will inevitably give rise to other ethnic groups/communities making calls for entrenching special privileges through quotas.
If there is any group that deserve special attention, it is the Orang Asli. The Orang Asli communities have lost most of their forest land and are dispossessed and pauperized. This is a group without a single MP or any elected representative. Are there university ndergraduates,lawyers, doctors and other professionals and business people among the Orang Asli? Does the Hindraf’s blue print mention these marginalized Orang Asli communities even in passing? Does Hindraf care?
Having a minority affairs ministry is also no solution when UMNO or any other party or coalition of parties based mainly on a single dominant (politically or economically) ethnic group holds power. There are other countries which have minority affairs ministries. But they are hardly functional. Oppression of minorities continue,nay, even intensify. It is like Malaysia having a ministry for environmental protection!
The main problem is the socio-economic system, the economy in which money and market are all-important. Minority rights can be bought and sold in a profits-in-command economy.
hasilox
March 28, 2013
Forget about hindraf and their bluefilm. Samy vellu can put up a better show with half the effort.
clh
March 28, 2013
Sir,
Highest respect to you for standing up to what is right without compromise. Salute.
annabrella
March 28, 2013
Reflections
Written by Sir Cliff Richard & Keith Craddock
Sung by Sir Cliff Richard
Last night I had a dream
Through a swirling fog I walked alone on the edge of a stream
I heard somebody groan
I stopped
I looked into a pool
And saw the reflection of a fool
I saw the reflection of a fool
Draggin’ him by his throat
Were the collar and the links of a chain
On his shoulders a coat
On his feet shoes of pain
The coat was strife, the chain was pride
I saw the reflection and I cried
I saw the reflection and I cried
Tears for my self the fool
A man chained by independence
Gripped by this space so cruel
My life was a lot of nonsense
My eyes were closed
But in my mind
I saw the reflection so unkind
I saw the reflection so unkind
Sick of life, scared of death
My days just one long futility
Feeling my emptiness
I cried God set me free
I look once more, I don’t know how
But I saw the reflection changing now
But I saw the reflection changing now
A man was in my place
A man with holes in his hands and side
A man I could not face
The man I had crucified
On him was my coat, my chains and my shoes
And between reflections I must choose
Between reflections I must choose
Between reflections I must choose
Between reflections I must choose.
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.
Manivannan Letchumanan
March 28, 2013
i think in the previous blog you wrote about joining hands with hindraf, a lot of comments were against the idea, including me. Hindraf is a spark for all the changes today, but the fire has caught on and moved to other bigger things. Hindraf is still holding on to the spark and wants to be counted. that is fine, but it wants to be counted on its term. that is where the trouble starts. As far as i am concern i am thankful for hindraf knowingly or unknowingly they have created the ideology of people power, but hindraf have dissolved unable to keep together and unable to stay focused.
Hindraf now wants to collect payment in the name of MP seats, One guy wants to stand under Pas, the other has run to the very monster it was fighting against. my answer as before is, i am glad that ABU is not a joining Hindraf.
Taipan
March 29, 2013
How would you reckon a man who once condemned the devil for all the right reasons and now turned him into an overnight saint for the same reasons? Get real, Waytha! Rome wasn’t built in one day. Liberty doesn’t work as well in practice as it does in speeches.
shakuntala
March 29, 2013
Do we know what deadlocked the negotiations between PR and Hindraf, all we know is that there were a series of meetings….quite probably Hindraf’s insistence that the blueprint be accepted in total was a tall order, which presumably stalled the negotiations. Anyway, if PR has been cautious over saying yes to Hindraf’s demands, Waythamoorthy may be foolish in his hopes that BN, the master deceiver can meet with his demands. A Government that for 56 years carelessly overlooked the plight of its marginalized, cannot be an easy taker, of the demands of the self-deceiving Waythamoorthy.
One questions his motive, is he really and truly trying to be the saviour of the Indian Malaysian marginalized, or is he paving the way for Hindraf to be installed as the future MIC coalition of the BN.
How wasted must Waythamoorthy’s years of discipline as a lawyer and his experiences in exile in UK be, if he now is preparing himself to cow-tow to crumbs, probably, waiting to drop from the racist BN table…..what a way to deceive the poor, Waythamoorthy. While you have time put on that thinking cap and re-think about joining forces with a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
From the video, one can only come to the conclusion, that Sambulingam spoke a whole load of crap. Or rather Sambulingam was just a mouth-piece for the moment. He hardly appeared convincing.
As for Segaran…what..a silly so and so. As if good-intentioned Indian Malaysian will fall for a crappy and hateful SMS.
Haris, as you say, ABU has its own unique guts and the will to succeed. Bravo!!!!
Philip
March 29, 2013
Hindraf’s true lallang colours are starting to show. If they want to remain the underclass of Malaysia, crying to Umno for handouts for the next 50 years the way the Indians have been doing so since 1957, let them.
Do they seriously think their NIP (New Indian Policy) of a “blueprint” will be taken serious by Umno once it wins GE13? Dream on.
After GE13, Malaysia will be awash with Indons, Filipinos, Cambodians, Myanmarese, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis ajj with Instant Bumiputera status. Hindraf’s “blueprint” will make a very nice 1Malaysia toilet paper after then.
I can only say I’m sorry for the Indian community if they follow Hindraf’s lead in GE13. We all deserve the leaders we follow.
Antares
March 29, 2013
Hindraf has become a Hindrance. Trapped by feudalism and tribalism just like Umno, MCA & MIC. No need to mention Gerakan which ain’t going nowhere but down.
subramaniam
March 29, 2013
Haris, I do not know if you have read the John Steinbeck novel ” The Pearl “. Hindraf reminds me of Kino in the novel and the democracy movement that they triggerred of the Pearl of the World hat Kino found. You, your ilk and your nemesis UMNO sound like the pearl merchants and the greedy doctor in the novel. If you care to read it, here is the link ‘http://vicener.blogspot.com/2008/08/pearl-by-john-steinbeck.html” . .
As in the novel maybe we are all coming to the last chapter. The true nature of mankind is revealed and the Pearl just goes back to where it belongs. Thank you very much Haris.
shakuntala
March 29, 2013
Subramaniam, the true nature of mankind is unpredictable. You are only basing your assumptions on a novel, albeit by J. Steinbeck who had a huge reservoir of imagination and the skill to write, to influence and thus bringing about a satisfaction.
We are more into realities…..some of it known already, some of it, the saving power of the will and Spirit of mankind still unknown and waiting to be known. You are like doomsday, sorry.
If you must run, run and win….. with all your might.
KTWong87
March 29, 2013
Trying my best to be objective, and gagging all the time, I’d say that Waytha and his Hindraf have every right to go and meet Najib, and pow-wow (not kow-tow!) with him.
Having said that, I grow ever more uncomfortable, to put it mildly, with Waytha’s recent moves. I shall refrain from commenting on his “holy fast”, and the suspicions of some about it, but allow me to repeat some comments I’d posted elsewhere a couple of days ago.
At the core of it, I’d like to believe that Waytha and Uthaya have the best interests of the Indians in Malaysia at heart. I’d even go as far as to say that Hindraf may have the interests of our Indians brethren at heart.
But what is abundantly clear is that right from the start, Hindraf and its leaders have been narrow-minded and immature.
Why else would they name their NGO HINDU rights action force, ignoring the many Indians who profess other religions? And claiming a milion pounds for each Indian? Oh please.
Aside from the turncoat splinter groups like Makkal Sakti which can be a result of opportunistic leaders who blight even the best political party, Hindraf itself has not exactly behaved in a trustworthy and credible manner.
Much of its track record may be viewed as playing both sides for political gains. Gains which may not even be for the sake of the Indians per se; rather the Indians may just be used as the excuse for political wrangling which benefits certain people in Hindraf.
As I have stated, I’d like to believe that Waytha and Uthaya have the best interests of the Indians in Malaysia at heart. But sad to say, the manner in which they have conducted themselves and led Hindraf has given cause for the concerns I have listed.
It would please me to be proven wrong. Our Indians brethren deserve a far better deal than they are currently getting. They have serious concerns – like Mykads and citizenship for instance – which have been (purposely?) neglected for way too long.
And in the longer term, the Indians in Malaysia need to be united with the other races to steer the nation, towards unity, away from race based politics. Can Hindraf do that?
subramaniam
March 29, 2013
To add a quote from the novel……..
Every man suddenly became related to Kino’s pearl, and Kino’s pearl went into the dreams, the speculations,the schemes, the plans, the futures, the wishes, the needs, the lusts,the hungers, of everyone, and only one person stood in the way and that was Kino, so that he became curiously every man’s enemy.
kvyong
March 29, 2013
Indian issues are real, and they have Hindraf to thank for bringing them to public consciousness. But there are far from the only marginalised folks in malaysia.
Hindraf can easily win friends by supporting an agenda to uplift 40% marginalised folk earning on RM1500 per household (govt statistics, no less). This agenda is inclusive and will not leave a single deserving Indian behind. Hindraf must realise that we’re in this together.
It seems pride and heroism got in the way. Instead of even listening to the merits of an inclusive agenda, Hindraf (or the current incarnation) demand their own terms, their own Indian agenda. And they resort to blackmail tactics. You’re boycotting the most critical elections ever, one which we have the clearest shot of stopping the rot!
Hindraf must realise that it has become a player in UMNO’s game, which has made full use of racial labels to divide the people. Token gestures, “nambikei”, etc do not change the fact that UMNO is no closer, in will or ability, so solve marginalisation.
It is in UMNO’s interests to keep people poor, divided and suppressed. UMNO has to go, and Hindraf with it too, should they compromise.
bigjoe99
March 29, 2013
The moment Waytha made the whole issue about him rather than the cause, its over for Hindraf.. His ‘my/our blueprint or nothing’ is POLITICAL FANTASY.. No successful ANYTHING political or anything else has been successful with this kind of methodology..
I am reminded by LKY who infamously asked why a staunchly anti-communist and free-marketeer was willing to partner with Communist, his reply was that in anything you do, you have to be practical..
Waytha’s method is ALL ABOUT HIM, its not about the cause. When he accepted Najib’s invitation, HE ALREADY GOT PLAYED AND MADE IT WORST. He is now committed to defend himself that its not about him..
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What UMNO/BN does is legal political terrorism..Waytha’s answer (as well as the likes of STAR and SAPP in Sabah) is MORE political terrorism.. Does it sound practical? Its not ABU. ABU is guerrilla tactics but its methods are far from chaos. In fact ITS THE MOST PRACTICAL POLITICAL MOVEMENT – it focuses on one issue, does it really really well and with the least resources – ask any entreprenuer including the greatest startups and they will tell you, ABU does what they all do – AND WAYTHA does EVERYTHING they avoid like a plague – everything that results in failures..