Post-Hindraf : Accused of ethnic cleansing …Revoke their citizenship

Now I see the post-issue on Hindraf has gained momentum in Malaysia and the objective of Hindraf seems to gain some mileage into the international arena in India and Tamil Nadu. This issue may drag on into the next General Election. Unfortunately Hindraf has been accused of making a seditious statement of "ethnic cleansing of Indians". Could Hindraf be wrongly accused of such statement so that the government has grounds to deal with them seriously and will not let them go without punishment? Or is it quoted out of context from the speeches of the Hindraf? Obviously I have not heard of ethnic cleansing of Indians except the suggestion to revoke the Hindraf leaders' citizenship or making them stateless.

But the proposal on revocation of citizenship for those leaders is too early to make when there is no concrete evidence that such statement is officially made or endorsed by Hindraf.

Hope to read more news about this accusation of ethnic cleansing in the days ahead as who is actually responsible.

(Sunday December 2, 2007) Umno V-P: Revoke their citizenship

MALACCA: Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam has rebuked Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders for their "outrageous actions" and urged the Government to revoke their citizenship. He said Hindraf's claim that the country was involved in ethnic cleansing was slanderous and very serious. 

Allegations of ethnic cleansing are all lies, says PM

A visibly angry Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has hit out at the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) for their baseless allegations that the Government carried out ethnic cleansing of Indians. 

Abdullah said "Tell me, do you believe there is ethnic cleansing in Malaysia? Is there ethnic cleansing, tell me? If I allow this, I would resign."

Meanwhile, The Times of India reports No mistreatment of ethnic Indians: Malaysian PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Outraged over a local Hindu group's allegations of mistreatment of ethnic Indians by authorities here, Malaysian Premier Abdullah Badawi has described the claims as lies intended to divide the races in this country and offered to step down if proved wrong. Abdullah, who said the allegations were lies intended to divide races and Malaysia's destroy peace, added that he was not prepared to leave the country hostage to irresponsible groups.

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country with 60 per cent Malays who are Muslims, Chinese 25 per cent and Indians mostly Hindus who are eight per cent of the 27 million population.

 

Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia - Root Cause for Secession of Singapore

Singaporean politician Lee Kuan Yew of the People's Action Party (PAP), who publicly questioned the need for Article 153 in Parliament, and called for a "Malaysian Malaysia ". In a speech, Lee bemoaned what would later be described as the Malaysian social contract:

"According to history, Malays began to migrate to Malaysia in noticeable numbers only about 700 years ago. Of the 39% Malays in Malaysia today, about one-third are comparatively new immigrants like the secretary-general of UMNO, Dato' Syed Ja'afar Albar, who came to Malaya from Indonesia just before the war at the age of more than thirty. Therefore it is wrong and illogical for a particular racial group to think that they are more justified to be called Malaysians and that the others can become Malaysian only through their favour." ^[5]

Lee also criticised the government's policies by stating that "[t]hey, the Malay, have the right as Malaysian citizens to go up to the level of training and education that the more competitive societies, the non-Malay society, has produced. That is what must be done, isn't it? Not to feed them with this obscurantist doctrine that all they have got to do is to get Malay rights for the few special Malays and their problem has been resolved." ^[6] He also lamented "Malaysia — to whom does it belong? To Malaysians. But who are Malaysians? I hope I am, Mr Speaker, Sir. But sometimes, sitting in this chamber, I doubt whether I am allowed to be a Malaysian." ^[7]

Lee's statements upset many, especially politicians from the Alliance. Then Finance Minister Tan Siew Sin called Lee the "greatest, disruptive force in the entire history of Malaysia and Malaya." ^[8] The Tunku considered Lee to be too extremist in his views, while other UMNO politicians thought Lee was simply taking advantage of the situation to pander to the Chinese Malaysians. ^[9] PAP-UMNO relations were chilled further when UMNO officials publicly backed the opposition Singapore Alliance Party in Singapore's 1963 general election and PAP responded in turn by fielding several candidates in the Malaysian federal elections in 1964. These acts were seen by each party as challenges of the other's authority in their respective domains, and in violation of previous agreements made by the PAP and UMNO before merger not to contest each other's elections until Malaysia had matured enough. ^[10] The tension led to the 1964 racial riots in Singapore that killed 36 people. Eventually, the Tunku decided to ask Singapore, through Lee and some of his closest confidantes, to secede from Malaysia. Eventually, Lee agreed to do so, and Singapore became an independent nation in 1965, with Lee as its first Prime Minister. ^[7] The Constitution of Singapore contains an article, Article 152, that names the Malays as "indigenous people" of Singapore and therefore requiring special safeguarding of their rights and privileges as such. However, the article specifies no policies for such safeguarding.

Post-Hindraf: Tamil Nadu’s reaction to Nazri’s remarks

It is disheartening to learn that the media in Malaysia namely The Star Online was making a conflicting report about Parliament of India's reaction to a Malaysian minister's sarcastic remark. I knew that the government controlled the mass media in the country for the "benefits" of the people but never thought it dares to make so obvious contraction as compared to the news in India. Hindraf motion in the Parliament of India had gained momentum and MPs even suggested the Government to raise the issue before the UN and the Commonwealth. Seldom see such short news from the Star Online. I shall quote in full here before it is taken off the Net.

 

The Star Online: Hindraf motion in India shot down (Friday November 30, 2007)

NEW DELHI: India's Parliament has rejected a call to discuss the Hindraf demonstration. Parliament Speaker Somnath Chatterjee refused to discuss the issue, leading angry lawmakers to block the proceedings in the lower house of Parliament.  

 

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/30/nation/19622843&sec=nation

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The Hindu.com, which responded to Nazri's comments, had caused an uproar in the Parliament of India and that New Delhi was taking up the issue with Kuala Lumpur. Quote:

India taking up Tamils issue with Malaysia Friday, November 30, 2007 : 1505 Hrs

New Delhi (PTI): With ethnic Tamils under attack in Malaysia, the Government on Friday told the Rajya Sabha that New Delhi was taking up the issue with Kuala Lumpur.

"The matter is being taken up through diplomatic channel," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachouri told the House during Zero Hour.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200711301541.htm

 

Quote in part:

 

Uproar on Malaysian leader's remarks (30 Nov, 2007, 0340 hrs IST)

 

NEW DELHI: A Malaysian minister's remarks asking Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi to "lay off" and "worry" about his own state after the DMK chief expressed concern about the reported mistreatment of ethnic Malaysian Tamils created an uproar in Parliament on Thursday.

Nazri Aziz, a minister in the Malaysian prime minister's department, was blunt, saying Mr Karunanidhi's place is in Tamil Nadu, and not Malaysia. "His place is in Tamil Nadu, not Malaysia . He should worry about his own state. His own state has got problems," Aziz was quoted as saying by the local media. "This has got nothing to do with him... lay off," he said.

The Malaysian minister's remarks were in response to statements by Mr Karunanidhi, who wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing his anguish over the mistreatment of ethnic Indians and asking for India's intervention in the matter.

Led by Congress member SK Kharaventhan, the agitated MPs spoke about purported ethnic discrimination against Indians, mostly people of Tamil origin, in Malaysia, and demanded that New Delhi address this issue immediately. As the members urged the central government to take steps to "protect" the ethnic Indians in Malaysia , Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, cautious of the diplomatic sensitivity involved in the matter, asked them not to say anything that would affect relations with the friendly country.

As their protest gained momentum, some members from the BJP benches were heard referring to the alleged demolition of temples in Malaysia. On his part, the Speaker ordered some reference to the reported police attack on the Indians. "We are a very responsible democracy. We don't discuss... any other country in such a manner," he said.

Mr Chatterjee also shot down the demand of the MPs that external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was present in the House, make a statement on the issue. "The external affairs minister is a very responsible person, his presence in the House is enough," the Speaker told MPs. When the MPs continued to give vent to their feelings, the Speaker directed that the live telecast of the proceedings be switched off. He, then, adjourned the House for 30 minutes.

In the Rajya Sabha, too, Tamil Nadu MPs registered their protest, prompting deputy chairman K Rahman Khan to come out with an assurance that the government would definitely take note of it. The BJP asked the government to raise the issue before the UN and the Commonwealth while the CPI expressed concern over "discrimination and repression" of people of Indian origin.

 

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2583413.cms