MIC will discuss with People's Progressive Party (PPP), the Indian Progressive Front Malaysia (IPF) and Makkal Sakthi on the possibility of merging all the parties.
MIC president Datuk Seri G.Palanivel said the merger aimed to forge cooperation between all the parties in the interest of the Indian community for the 14th general election (GE14).
"The proposal for the merger of these parties was raised at the meeting of the MIC central working committee on Friday.
"I will share the proposal with the other political parties representing the Indian community in the near future," he told reporters after opening the 51st General Meeting of the Malaysia Tamil Writers Association.
Palanivel, who is Natural Resource and Environment Minister, explained that the proposal must first be discussed with leaders of the political parties.
The tussle between two Hindraf factions has escalated into a legal battle with the filing of a RM100 million suit by the movement's chairperson-in-exile P Waytha Moorthy against four individuals and six news organisations.
In his statement of claim, Waytha Moorthy said the six news organisations carried statements of the four individuals who had alleged that he misappropriated public donations for Hindraf.
The four individuals are Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, Sungkai state assemblyperson A Sivanesan, and two former ISA detainees V Ganabatirau and K Vasantha Kumar.
The six news organisations named as defendants are English daily The Star, online news portals Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider, and three Tamil dailies Makkal Osai, Tamil Nesan and Malaysia Nanban.
Exiled self-proclaimed Hindraf leader P. Waytha Moorthy has filed lawsuits totalling RM100 million against 10 people and organisations over claims that he mismanaged the outlawed organisation’s funds.
His brother, lawyer P. Uthayakumar, filed the suit on his behalf against Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr Ramasamy Palanisamy, Sungkai assemblyman Sivanesan Achalingam, Ganabatirau Veraman, ASP Vasantha Kumar Krishnan and six media organisation.
The media organisations are Makkal Osai, Tamil Nesan, Malaysia Nanban, Star Publications, M.Kini.Com (Malaysiakini) and The Malaysian Insider.
Uthayakumar explained that the suit was based on false allegations on the financial mismanagement in Hindraf published by the six media defendants.
“The media when they report, they cannot simply go around and report everything because it causes damage with far reaching consequences. So this is also a message to the press, just because somebody makes a statement you cannot go around publishing whatever you want,” he told reporters at the High Court here.
Uthayakumar also stressed that all 10 defendants cannot repeat the statement on the mishandling of funds by Waytha.
“They cannot publish or repeat the libellous statement because a civil suit has been filed specifically with regards to the plaintiff allegedly cheated and misused money collected from the Indian community,” he added.
Dr Ramasamy, Sivanesan, Ganabatirau and Vasantha are being sued for allegedly making false and incriminating accusation against the plantiff through the the six media organisation.
In his statement of claim, he said that Dr Ramasamy had written and published an article with false information defaming him in the Makkal Osai newspaper dated Aug 11, headlined Di mana wang RM700,000 yang telah dikutip, tunjukkan akaunnya, Dr Ramasamy mencabar Waytha Moorthy (“Where is the RM700,000 collected, show us the accounts, Dr Ramasamy challenges Waytha Moorthy”).
He also claimed that Sivanesan, Ganabatiau and Vasantha Kumar defamed him in several articles published in the Makkal Osai, The Star, Malaysia Nanban, Tamil Nesan and news portals The Malaysian Insider and Malaysiakini in July and August.
The four had used the six media to defame and tarnish his good name as the Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) chairman, he said.
He added that the alleged defamatory words gave the meaning that he was a Hindraf leader without integrity and had cheated the Indian community of its money for the purpose of filing a civil suit agaisnt the British government in London.
He is seeking RM10mil in damages from each defendant, aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to restrain them from continuing to publish similar demafatory articles against him.
He also seeks several other court orders, including an injunction to restrain the four individuals from making any press statement on Hindraf
Vasantha is the least known of the five detained Hindraf leaders. Alleged Will join PKR on Nov25.
Hindraf members now wearing the orange Makkal Sakthi T shirt staging a sit in hunger strike peacefully outside KLCC. Watch by 10 policeman.
About 18 members of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) who started an 18-hour hunger strike since 10pm last night gathered peacefully outside Suria KLCC at 9am Wednesday.
The group led by Hindraf coordinator S. Jeyathas were clad in their orange t-shirts bearing the words Makkal Sakti sat in a few rows on the ground outside the entrance of the shopping complex.
Police personnel, about 10 of them, were also seen keeping watch over the group who are going on hunger strike to get their 18 demand to uplift the Indian community fulfilled by the government.
The event is also to mark the second anniversary of the mass gathering on Nov 25, 2007.
The same group, together with former ISA detainee P. Uthayakumar and his brother Waythamoorthy’s daughter Vwaishhnnavi, is expected to deliver a memorandum on the demands to the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya at 3pm.
Two years ago on this day in 2007 Hindraf organised a protest that saw thousands of working-class Indians take to the streets here, but little remains of its influence today.
The way the rival Hindraf factions are marking the 2nd anniversary of the protest today is indicative of the bleak future of the movement founded by brothers P. Waythamoorthy and Uthayakumar, both lawyers.
While several of the original six Hindraf leaders, including the five who were held under the ISA, are apathetic, many of its members have moved on by joining political parties like the DAP or PKR.
Leaders like Uthayakumar and the former national co-ordinator R.S. Thanenthiran have set up their own political parties and others like former Hindraf treasurer Vasantha Kumar have set up their own NGOs.
All are one way or the other using the Hindraf or Makkal Sakthi name to keep the Indian protest fire alive and hope to ride the wave to political victory in the next general election.
Vasantha Kumar is organising a large-scale Hindraf 2nd anniversary gathering in Klang tonight where he is also expected to formally join the PKR.
A VVIP, believed to be PKR supremo Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is expected to attend, a key organiser of the function told The Malaysian Insider.
He said however that Anwar’s attendance would depend on the size of the crowd and whether the police permit is cancelled at the last minute.
“We are keeping our fingers crossed,” said the organiser who declined to be named.
“Police had shut down a gathering in Johor last week just before Anwar spoke… the same can happen here.”
“We expect at least 5,000 people,” he said.
Text messages are also circulating claiming that Uthayakumar would attend Vasantha Kumar's rally but Uthayakumar when contacted denied he would attend.
"We are marking the Hindraf anniversary in a grand way with protests, fast, prayers and other events," he said.
Uthayakumar and Vasantha Kumar were once close but have since fallen out, accusing each other of pilfering money or working for the police.
A rival Hindraf gathering is also being organised in Klang and probably targeted to draw the crowd away from Vasantha Kumar’s event.
Hindraf insiders say the rival event is organised by supporters of Uthayakumar, who is pro-tem president of the Human Rights Party Malaysia.
Uthayakumar's aides say it is all right for Hindraf supporters to organise functions to mark Hindraf’s 2nd anniversary anywhere in the country.
"We have a strong support base in Klang," the aide said, declining to comment on Vasantha Kumar's rally. "He has betrayed the Hindraf aims and mission."
Vasantha Kumar could not be reached for comment.
To mark the day Uthayakumar is organising several events under the title of “neo-democratic revolution” against the “totalitarian government led by Umno.”
The event involves a protest fast by 18 supporters outside KLCC, a memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and prayers at “more than 100 locations” in the country followed by a Ruthra Yagam or fire ritual prayers at the Agora Veerabathrar Sanggili Karuppar temple at 17½ mile Kampung. Benggali, Rawang, on Nov 29.
Unlike 2007, Hindraf is increasingly giving up on direct political action and relying more on religion through fasting and prayers as tools to organise and win over the Indian working class.
At the other end of the spectrum is the newly-formed pro-Barisan Nasional Makkal Sakthi party which is well funded. It is using a direct house-to-house approach to meet and persuade Indians to join up and support BN.
Its weapon of persuasion is the measures taken by the government under Najib to resolve longstanding woes like getting citizenship and identity cards.
"We are finally recognised and our demands are gradually met... this is the time for us to reap the benefits for our community," said a state leader of the Makkal Sakthi Party. "Pakatan promised but failed to deliver, Barisan is delivering without even promising."
Makkal Sakthi party is particularly active in Perak where the balance of power between Pakatan Rakyat and BN is almost even and Indian voters can make or break either coalition.
The MIC too is rebuilding itself from defeat and with long-time president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu expected to exit by May 2010; the party will have a new leader and probably a new mission — to reunite Indians under its wings.
With its ranks woefully split and challenged from outside by new players and a re-energised MIC, Hindraf is fast losing its influence.
It also lacks a creative and imaginative leadership to pull it out of the rut and turn it into a united and national political force.
