At the centre of the storm, the temple which Tengku Adnan has downgraded to a 'shrine' in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. September 9, 2013.
Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor stepped into a minefield when he "downgraded" a century-old Hindu temple into a shrine and then pointedly asked why the authorities "always had problems with temples and not churches, mosques or Chinese temples".
The attitude of the Federal Territories minister to a sacred Hindu spot hit a raw nerve among other politicians and the head of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam, who responded strongly today.
They questioned if Tengku Adnan knew enough about Hinduism to make comments on what is a shrine or a temple and on the Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman Temple, in particular. Continue Reading..
Deputy Minister P. Waythamoorthy has raised questions about the shooting of five Indian gangsters in Penang. He believes the police executed them.
His comments are likely to put pressure on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who was criticised heavily by Umno politicians for appointing Waythamoorthy to the administration.
MIC Youth chief T. Mohan did so too, saying it would further weaken Indian support for the government.
Waythamoorthy, who is also Hindraf chairperson, said that in the past few years many Indian youths had been shot dead by police who were not able to justify the killings.
P. Uthayakumar threatened peace and national security, according to the deputy public prosecutor
He sent seditious letter against the govt to former British PM
KUALA LUMPUR: LAWYER P. Uthayakumar was sentenced to 21/2 years imprisonment by the Sessions Court, here, yesterday after being found guilty of writing a letter of a seditious nature against the government to former British prime minister Gordon Brown six years ago.
Judge Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain said the defence had failed to dent the prosecution's case.
He said the court viewed Uthayakumar's act as a serious offence under the Sedition Act 1948.
According to the amended charge, Uthayakumar wrote the seditious letter to Brown while the latter was serving as Britain's prime minister at No. 10 Downing Street in London.
Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairman P. Waythamoorthy has promised to solve the problems faced by the Indian community and bring positive changes to its socio-economic position in the next five years.
Waythamoorthy, who has been appointed deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said he would focus on displaced estate workers, stateless people, education and business and job opportunities among the community.
Describing his appointment as an opportunity to remove the community's problems, he said: "From now on, we will bring the voice of the poor to the government, and ensure Indians gain their legitimate rights."
At a press conference here today, the 47-year-old lawyer also lambasted his critics, especially Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP and their cybertroopers.
A controversy is brewing in the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), with brothers P. Waythamoorthy and Uthayakumar said to be at loggerheads over the former's support for the Barisan Nasional.
An SMS is being circulated stating that Waythamoorthy, who is the Hindraf chairman, has been sacked by the group's “supreme council” and that Uthayakumar would now lead Hindraf in championing the “anti-Barisan crusade”.
The Barisan and Waythamoorthy's faction in Hindraf had on Sunday inked an MoU in Brickfields where Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak endorsed a blueprint for the uplifting of the Malaysian Indian community.
A warrant of arrest has been issued against Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P. Uthayakumar for not attending a Sessions Court hearing over a sedition charge brought against him.
When contacted, Uthayakumar, who is contesting for the Kota Raja parliamentary seat and the Sri Andalas state seat in the May 5 polls, said the warrant was issued despite him having a medical certificate (MC) from April 2 to May 17 exempting him from court appearance. Continue Reading...
The opposition-backed Indian Rights Action Force (Indraf 2.0) drew a crowd of over 1,000 this evening for its maiden rally here, organised amid widespread predictions that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would bleed Indian electoral support in the coming polls.
The star-studded event saw PR leaders dish out pledges to resolve the longstanding problem of “stateless Indians” in Malaysia as well as highlight the alleged “abuses” against the community by the ruling Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN).
Police have video footage to deny allegations that Hindraf members arrested Sunday had been mistreated, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein
Police have arrested 109 Human Rights Party members, including 8 women, for participating in an illegal gathering in the city to protest the Interlok issue.
City police chief deputy comm Datuk zulkifli Abdullah said police had to act to maintain order and security within the city.
"It is regrettable but we had advised them multiple times to not go forward with it.
"It shows that they have no respect for the law," he said in a press conference at city police headquarters on Sunday.
Of the 109 arrested, aged 18-66, 8 are believed to be the leaders of the group.
"All of the 109 are being investigated under section 27(5) of the police act while the eight leaders are also being investigated under section 45(1) of the Societies Act," said DCP Zulkifli.
Hindraf’s 2007 protest was widely believed to have been the catalyst for BN’s electoral defeats the following year
The cause remains the same — a call for Indian rights — but Hindraf’s protest tomorrow is unlikely to be a repeat of its famed November 2007 protest, which ground the capital city to a halt and rocked the nation in the process.
Planned by the now-banned organisation to protest Umno’s alleged racism and the use of the “Interlok” novel in schools, tomorrow’s gathering has failed to strike a chord with the Tamil working class, which formed the bulk of the movements supporters then.
This has been compounded by the absence of Indian leaders from the Pakatan Rakyat’s DAP and PKR this time, largely because of the rift between them and Hindraf’s founder and leader, P. Uthayakumar.
Although Hindraf and Uthayakumar still enjoy hardcore support, the bulk of the Tamil masses have fractured, with some joining the Malaysia Makkal Sakthi Party led by former Hindraf leader Datuk RS Thanentheran, now enthusiastically pro-Najib.
Besides Thanentheran, the original “Makkal Sakthi” movement has also splintered into at least four different groups — each under a different leader and financial backer.
None of the four can see eye to eye on anything, let alone come together for a protest at the heart of the city’s centre tomorrow.
That leaves only the emaciated core of Hindraf to carry on with the protest, which is expected to face heavy police action come tomorrow.
Anggota polis bercakap dengan penyokong Hindraf yang merancang untuk mengadakan protes di pekarangan KLCC pagi tadi
Key leaders of the Human Rights Party (HRP), mainly made up of members of the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) were detained by police at various spots today ahead of a rally planned by the group at the KLCC here.
HRP secretary-general, lawyer P. Uthayakumar was among the first to be picked up by Dang Wangi police when he was about to leave his house at Pantai Hillpark at about 7.30am.
He was taken to the Sentul police headquarters and was joined by at least 70 others including other leading HRP figures who were subsequently detained.
Among those nabbed was information chief S.Jayathas, the group's Selangor, Perak and Kedah state leaders and two citizen journalists who were making their way to the city for the gathering.
Police detained Hindraf founder P. Uthayakumar this morning ahead of a mass protest scheduled to take place at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) shopping centre from 9am.
His wife S. Indradevi confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that the former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee was picked up outside his home in Pantai Hillpark at about 7.45am, just as he was about to leave for the protest.
“About seven policemen cornered him the moment he left.
“They took him to the Sentul police station,” she said when contacted.
Indradevi however confirmed that the protest would go on as planned despite Uthayakumar’s arrest.
“Rest assured, we will go on with it. It will not be called off,” she said.
She later added that Hindraf Information Chief S. Jayathas had also been arrested and brought to the Jinjang police station.
The Indian community does not need Hindraf, the banned Hindu Rights Action Force, because the government has been looking after its interests, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.
The prime minister said the Indian community should be with Barisan Nasional which took seriously the future well-being of every race in the country.
“We have taken action on the question of Indian community interests, meaning that they don’t need Hindraf, they only need BN,” Najib (picture) told reporters after chairing an Umno supreme council meeting here.
Commenting on the reported possibility of Hindraf creating trouble at a rally held without police permission this Sunday, he said he wanted the authorities to take appropriate action under the law so that the banned organisation did not re-emerge.
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.
