MULTIDIMID has this 18 point Memo of Hindraf that was submitted to the PM some time back.
Having taken time to read it, i think the Memo is fair enough.
True that it is enshrined in the Constitution that every one of Malaysian citizen is equal, and no one shall be discriminated against.
True that in practice, people tend to favour their own kind and treat ‘others’ differently and not as good as your own cliques. This inherent behaviour, is a form of racism and would take generations for people to feel comfortable with each other, given their ‘different’ physical appearance and colour.
How many decades/centuries does it take for white American to accept Afro American as nothing but American? Isnt it amazing when we see American of different shades identify themselves as nothing but American?
I believe that our model of nationhood is wrong! How can we identify ourselves as Indian, Chinese, Malay and Kadazan Malaysians? We should identify ourselves as Malaysians, full stop!
Now moving to the issue of poverty, wealth, share of nation’s wealth etc.
The problem here is the allocation of resources, division of income between capital owner (mainly Chinese and Malays) and labour (mainly Malays, Indians and foreign labour).
How much monthly wages does estate workers get? Do we expect them to be able to save money to buy shares in Sime Darby and IOI? Here lies the failure of our successive Govt since Merdeka. Our Govt don’t care that much about the hard working Malaysians, except lip service.
As for places in colleges, universities and other tertiary institutions, as well as jobs in Govt depts, I believe in MERIT. If you are good enough, you shall go to college or uni. That doesn’t mean that if you don’t go to uni, you are brainless and worth nothing.
People have different talent and intelligence. Wages and compensation should reflect effort and contribution, NOT certificates, degrees and such.
I support the part that asking for better wages for low income workers, so they shall be able to afford better than low cost housing.
Does Malays discriminate Indians, Hindus?
Malays has closer cultural affinity to Indians Malaysians than to Chinese Malaysians to be honest. Well from my point of view anyway. Malays don’t have any qualms eating at Indian or Hindu restaurant, but do you see many Malays eating at Chinese restaurant? So from the Malays perspective, we are confused with this statement from Hindraf that the Malays are discriminating the Hindus.
True that there have been a few Indians died in police lockup. And temples have been demolished. And Indian settlements have been relocated to illegal settlements.
Blame that on the Govt. They are a failure to their people, yet we keep giving them chances in the next election.
Here is the Memo: coutesy of MULTIMID, he commented on my blog when it appear on the roll in Malaysiakini.
18-Pt Memo Submitted to PM Abdullah
50th year Merdeka (Independence) demands by the two (2) million ethnic minority Indians in Malaysia to Y.A.B. Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Prime Minister of Malaysia on Sunday the 12th day of August 2007 at 10.00a.m at Seri Perdana, Putrajaya Malaysia.
1. Whereas:
The Reid Commission was appointed by her Majesty the Queen of England and the Conference of Rulers in 1956 with the view to Malaya (and now Malaysia) achieving independence by August 1957.Among the primary terms of reference of the Reid Commission were a Common Nationality for the whole of the Federation.
2. And whereas
The overwhelming of the 131 written memoranda submitted to the Reid Commission as evidenced by the declassified documents from the Public Records Office, Kew, London, United Kingdom which represented the will and wishes of the then Malayan population were primarily equality and equal opportunities etc for all Malayans irrespective of race or religion as follows: -
2.1 In the grant of state land,
2.2 Admission to public and administrative service;
2.3 To trade and do business, licences, permits etc
2.4 Primary, secondary, skills Training, university and overseas university education.2.5 No special privileges for the Malays,
2.6 No discrimination of any ethnic community based on race or religion,
2.7 The retention of all their places of worship in particular Hindu temples, crematoriums and burial sites,
2.8 Freedom of Religion,
2.9 Malaya is to be a Secular State and not an Islamic state,
2.10 Right to mother tongue education in particular Tamil schools to be fully aided,
2.11 Minimum wage for the lowest paid, and
2.12 Equal recognition as sons of soil for all Malayan bo
rn.
3. And whereas
Based on the aforesaid proposals the Malaysian Federal Constitution, which is the supreme law of Malaysia as drawn out by the Reid Commission in 1957 was passed by the inaugural Malayan Parliament and which formed the basis of independent Malaysia.
4. And whereas
Over the last 50 years since independence on the 31st day of August 1957, the United Malays Organisation (UMNO) controlled Malaysian government with their majoritarian might, and backed by police, Attorney General’s Chambers, Judiciary, civil service and the media continuously violated the Malaysian Federal Constitution by their racist and Islamic extremist policies and which in effect have created an apartheid system ala Malaysia and especially resulting in the degeneration of at least 70% of the ethnic minority Indians to become the underclass of Malaysia who end up in the poor and hardcore poor category. The rest of the 29% raised above the poor and hardcore poor category wholly and/or substantially through their own efforts, sacrifices and labour with no or very little assistance by the UMNO controlled government. The 1% of the cream thrives anyway.
5. And whereas
The plight of the Indians have been made worse by the racist UMNO mindset having spilled over to even almost all of the Opposition parties, NGOs’, Civil society, Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), Bar Council, the media etc who do not take up the Indian plight for they are deemed to be lacking “political mileage” (race based) and/or no funding.
6. And whereas
The Indians having no or very little opportunities for upward mobility or hope either turn to crime (60% of Malaysian detainees are Indians though they are only 8% of population-Suhakam 2005) or end up committing suicide which is 1000% higher than Malays (Utusan Malaysia 12.9.2005).
7. And Whereas at a public forum attended by 1,000 over Indians on 28.7.2007 at 7.00p.m at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, the participants unanimously resolved to forward their 18 point demands and which this peaceful assembly gathered here today on the 12th day of August 2007 at Putrajaya once again unanimously resolves to demand as hereinbelow outlined.
And now it is hereby demanded for and on behalf of the two (2) Million ethnic minority Indians in Malaysia from the UMNO controlled Malaysian Government their 18 point demands as follows:
(1) End 50 years of violations of the Malaysian Federal Constitution.
(2) End Racism, end Islamic extremism and end Malay privileges on the 50th year golden jubilee mega Independence celebrations of Malaysia on 31st August 2007.
(3) Call for affirmative action plans for all poor Malaysians especially the ethnic minority Indians. A Protection of Ethnic Minority Malaysian Indian Act 2007 be passed to secure and safeguard the interests of the poor and defenceless ethnic Indian Minority Community.
(4) All 523 Tamil Schools in Malaysia be made fully aided government schools with immediate effect and to have equal and same facilities as granted to national schools especially in terms of financial allocations, sufficient graduate teaching staff, financial allocation for extra tuition, ample computers, Information Technology facilities, school fields, sports, recreational facilities, air conditioned library, textbook loans, kindergarden, school uniforms and pocket money for poor pupils, nutritional food programmes, teaching aids, school building, infrastructure, film screening room and facilities, financial assistance for poor students, rehabilitation classes, non Muslim religious classes, etc. A RM 100 Billion grant @ 20 Billion per year with effect from 2007 be allocated to Indians under the 9th Malaysia Plan (5 years) for refurbishing the existing 523 Tamil schools and rebuilding of the 300 Tamil schools demolished over the last 50 years.
(5) Extend and implement with immediate effect to Indians the affirmative action plans, grants, scholarships, loans etc as extended to Malay Muslim citizens with the view to providing equal opportunities for higher education, university education, admission to foreign universities, post graduate studies locally and overseas, Trade and Skills Training Institutions, Science Colleges especially for each and every Indian student from the 70% poor and hardcore poor Indian category.
(6) Extend and implement with immediate effect affirmative action plans as extended to Malay Muslim citizens with the view to provide equal opportunities in acquiring wealth, venturing into business, trade, industries, medium and small scale industries, government linked companies, corporate sector, procurement of direct government contracts, in acquiring licenses for contractors, blue chip and / or guaranteed return shares, lorry, taxi and bus permits, loans and licenses to venture into trade, business banking and the corporate sector for each and every Indian from especially the 70% poor and hardcore poor Indian category. To this effect the UMNO controlled government allocates RM100 Billion at RM20 Billion per annum with effect from 2007 and implements successful strategic schemes in investments for the Indians as implemented for the Malay Muslims with the view to the Indians acquiring at least 10% of the nation’s equity.
(7) All the aforesaid is to be handled directly by the UMNO controlled government and UMNO is to stop “playing politics” through the “Mandore” (supervisor) system by dishing out on a piecemeal and/or peanuts basis or merely public and/or newspaper announcements and declarations by the Malaysian Indian Congress (M.I.C) who have no or very little power or say in the UMNO controlled Malaysian government.
(8) 20% of the Government top most level postings (Secretaries Generals), Middle level Management (Directors) and management level (Managers) postings, and the same for the Private Sectors, and positions of District Officers; Foreign and Diplomatic Service positions, civil service positions are reserved for Indians for the next 15 years.
(9) The UMNO controlled government makes public and is transparent on all of the aforesaid affirmative action plans i.e. the aforesaid education places, licenses, scholarships, grants, loans, permits, licenses, opportunities etc by publishing the same in the official website of the Government of Malaysia as and when the same is granted and/or on a monthly basis specifying the Indian beneficiaries thereto.
(10) Stop the indiscriminate unconstitutional and unlawful demolitions of Hindu temples, crematoriums and burial sites in Malaysia. All existing Hindu temples, crematoriums and burial sites be granted state land and permanently gazetted as Hindu temple reserves as has been done for all Islamic places of worship and burial sites. Compensation at RM10 Million per temple be paid by the UMNO controlled Malaysian Government for the 15,000 Hindu temples demolished up to date over the last 50 years.
Every individual given the Right to practice and profess Religion/s of his/her choice in accordance to Standards adopted by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. The State and its Authorities barred from interfering in the personal beliefs and conscience of individual citizens . Disputes between Muslims & Non Muslims should be adjudicated in the Civil Courts.
(11) Stop the victimization and direct discrimination by the Police and all other state authorities of the Indians. All Malaysians earning RM 3,000.00 and below are to be fully borne by state funded legal aid for any criminal charges they face.
(12) The UMNO controlled government forms with immediate effect a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Kg Medan Mini Genocide, condemns the violence thereto, apologises to the Indian community on this mini genocide, undertakes not to repeat the same in future and pay a compensation of RM1,000,000.00 for each and every citizen killed, permanently maimed, maimed or injured in this tragedy.
(13) Each and every Indian especially the Indian poor in the aforesaid 70% Indian poor and hardcore poor category is paid compensation which is to be adjudicated and determined by the United Nations Secretary General for the aforesaid 50 years of Constitutional violations by the UMNO controlled government.
(14) All homeless Malaysians are to be provided affordable homes and not low cost flats by law. A minimum wage of RM1,000.00 for each and every Malaysian be made law.
(15) A Royal Commission of Inquiry is initiated to report on the aforesaid constitutional violations by the UMNO controlled government and appropriate recommendations for amongst others further affirmative action plans for especially the 70% Indian poor and hardcore poor category.
(16) All forms of racial and religious discrimination, oppression and suppression of the Indians / Hindus in both the public and private sectors are stopped with immediate effect and a Race Relations Commission Act 2007, an Equal Opportunities Commission Act 2007 and a Freedom of Religion Commissions Act 2007 be passed and powerful Commission thereto be put into force to give effect to anti racism, anti Islamic extremism and anti direct discrimination practices by the UMNO controlled government in both the public and private sectors.
(17) The UMNO controlled government passes specific laws to give effect to the Independence of the Judiciary, the Attorney General’s Chambers, Civil service, Police Force, Army, the Malaysian Human Rights Commission and the Malaysian media and for the Opposition parties, NGOs’ Civil Society groups, Bar Council and the media not to discriminate and side step Indian issues but instead to voice out the same without fear or favour. The Malaysian media is also to be legislated to report the real happenings especially on the 70% Indian poor and hardcore poor without fear or favour.
(18) A minimum of 20 Opposition members of Parliament are elected exclusively by the Indian Community to represent their interest at the highest political level and also as a Parliamentary Democracy check and balance and the same is safeguarded and entrenched into the Federal Constitution and which is to be increased proportionately with the increase in Parliamentary seats.
Proposer: P.Waytha Moorthy Seconder: V.K Regu; (Chairman, Hindraf) (Secretary, Hindraf)
Compiled by P.Uthayakumar legal Adviser, Hindraf based on the ground reality, sentiments, pulse, blood, sweat and tears of the Malaysian Indians after 50 years of marginalisation, discrimination, oppression and suppression by the UMNO controlled Malaysian Government.
