The Star: THE Opposition won and formed the government in Selangor, Penang and Perak some seven months ago €“ but the highly emotional issue of temples and Tamil schools remains unresolved.

Indians in the three states had overwhelmingly backed the opposition Pakatan Rakyat and the key issue that rallied them against the Barisan Nasional government was the demolition of a 100-year-old temple in Shah Alam on the eve of Deepavali last year.

Both the MIC and the Barisan government suffered massively in the subsequent backlash from angry Indians.

But increasingly, the community is also getting disenchanted with the new state governments over their handling of the two issues the Indians hold sacred €“ temples and the future of Tamil schools.

The threat by Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam, a vocal defender of Indian rights, to resign as the deputy liaison chairman of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in Selangor is a case of deep-seated frustration breaking out into the open.

Manikavasagam, or Mike as he is popularly called, has announced that he wants an apology from the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council for the demolition last week of the Sri Maha Kaliamman temple there.

It is a small temple by size but its demolition is having a major emotional impact in the Indian community, with even Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy issuing a stinging e-mail from self-imposed exile in London, lashing out at the Pakatan governments.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is also milking the community anger, lashing out at the Opposition-ruled state governments for failing to keep to their promise not to demolish Hindu temples.

All three Tamil dailies had headline stories yesterday that Manikavasagam had resigned as Selangor PKR deputy chief.

They said he wanted an apology from the council €“ a move that puts the state government in a spot.

A posting on Manikavasagam’s website had a breaking news item (www.mpkapar.com/manikavasagam/posts/breaking-news-manikavasagam-resigning) confirming that he had resigned in protest and wanted an apology.

He is unhappy that the state government was unable to enforce a ban on temple destruction, despite promising Indians it would safeguard their heritage.

Manikavasagam’s relationship with Selangor exco member Dr Xavier Jeyakumar has also become rocky after the temple demolition and other issues.

He accused Dr Xavier of failure to “defend the temples.”

Dr Xavier had said last week the temple that was demolished was unregistered, but stopped short of saying this was the reason it was demolished.

He also blamed the council for not getting the permission of the state government to pull down the temple and has asked for a report.

He also reportedly said the episode was a “small issue” and urged Indians to look at the larger picture of what the Pakatan government was doing for the community.

There’s a problem with that because for Hindus, temples are no small issue and there is no picture larger than the pillars of Tamil society €“ temples, Tamil language and Tamil schools.
It was Indian anger over the perceived failure by the Barisan government on these cardinal matters that sparked the Hindraf tsunami, which the Opposition political parties rode to victory.

There are rumblings in the Pakatan-ruled states over the failure to solve key issues like saving the so-called “illegal” temples from demolition, land for more temples and Tamil schools, and the right to build new Tamil schools.

Up to now, no new Tamil school has been built, and land for temples and schools are scarce although Pakatan leaders have made promises to look into the matter.

The bulk of the resentment in the Indian community over these “failures” comes from the Tamil working class that usually frequents the smaller temples, mostly sitting “illegally” on state land.It is their temples that are constantly under threat and up to now, neither the Barisan or Pakatan governments have offered a lasting and comprehensive solution.
The many larger temples that dot every major town in the country are owned and managed by upper-class Indians and except for a few instances, are generally avoided by the ordinary people.

The reasons the poor avoid the bigger temples range from natural suspicion of the rich to issues of caste and class differences.

Besides this, for Hindus, there is no such thing as “enough temples” in a area because a person who builds temples is deemed especially close to and favoured by the gods.

Therefore, there exists a strong urge to build and keep building more temples €“ from roadside shrines to large temples €“ wherever Hindus live.

There is therefore an urgent need for the Pakatan governments to understand the complete socio-economic and cultural background to the temple issue.

It is therefore more than a purely legal issue of who owns the land. That’s how the Barisan government handled the issue and got into a lot of problems.

The Pakatan governments can do better by authorising a complete study and survey of the temples in the states they rule, and offer a comprehensive and lasting solution acceptable to the Tamil working class.

It has to be a solution that satisfies not only the religious but also cultural, emotional and psychological needs of the poorest among the Indians.

SHAH ALAM: State executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar came under fire from the MIC for describing the temple demolition in Ampang as a small issue and that the municipal council was right in demolishing it.

MIC Youth chief T. Mohan lambasted him, saying he should address the issue at hand and not trivialise it as it touched the sensitivities of Indians.

"He should investigate who ordered the demolition as the state did not issue any such order. However, the responsibility still lies in the hands of the state as the municipal council reports to the state."

He said Jayakumar's comments were an insult to the Indian community, in also referring to the the place of worship as being only a shrine.

"Even if it is a shrine, is it all right to demolish it? All this talk goes against what was said before the general election when they promised not to demolish any place of worship."

The Sri Mahakaliamman temple was demolished by officers from the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council on Sept 9.

Mohan lead a protest by about 100 people outside the state secretariat building here yesterday.

He said the state government should answer the questions being raised.

Under the watchful eyes of a handful of policemen, the protesters carried banners and posters criticising the Pakatan Rakyat government and demanding that Jayakumar quit.

Mohan handed over a memorandum addressed to Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, which was received by Khalid's political secretary, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

Mohan asked why MPAJ did not inform the state government of the demolition. He also wanted to know what the state was doing to settle this problem and also whether the state could give its assurance that no more temples would be demolished.

Mohan said the only solution now was for the state government to allow the temple to be rebuilt and the land it was on given for this purpose.

Earlier, Jayakumar had questioned why the MIC was protesting against the temple demolition only now, when the previous Barisan Nasional government had demolished it three times, only to have it rebuilt each time.

"They did not protest then. Why now?" he asked.

To this, Mohan replied that the MIC had always been against any temple demolition in the country and had always engaged the government in talks to resolve the problem.

(However, despite such talks, a temple in Padang Jawa here was demolished last November, just days before Deepavali, causing a huge uproar in the Indian community eventually leading to the erosion of Indian support for the BN.)

Asked whether any of the Ampang temple committee members were present at the protest, Mohan said no one was there as the temple management were Pakatan Rakyat supporters.

Asked why, then, was the MIC making a ruckus about the issue, he said a temple was a public place of worship for all Hindus and they had the right to protect it.

Federal Territory People's Progressive Party chief A. Chandrakumanan said Jayakumar was practising a double-standard in handling this matter.

"This is especially so as he has the cheek to say it's a small matter. Today, when he is part of the government, he is trying to protect and justify their mistake by saying that it was only a shrine built on forest reserve land."

GEORGE TOWN: Another DAP bigwig has warned that Pakatan Rakyat runs the risk of losing the support of the people in the next general election if it forms the federal government with crossovers.

DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said the opposition coalition should seek the people's vote to form the government instead of relying on traitors and turncoats.

"PR should not depend on disloyal members of parliament.

"The people will not accept such betrayal," he said in a statement yesterday.

Last week, DAP vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim said that it was unethical to don the mantle of government other than through the ballot box.

In disagreeing with the idea of forming a government by asking politicians to switch sides, he was quoted as saying:

"This is really a matter not so much of politics but really to do more with ethics in politics."

Tunku Aziz also warned that when one put ethics on the back burner instead of in the driver's seat, problems would happen.

Karpal said DAP's stand on crossovers had been consistent.

"Such acts (crossovers) are deplorable and unethical, and won't have the stamp of approval of all right thinking people."

He said that after the March 8 elections, he had even suggested that the DAP support the Barisan Nasional to amend the Federal Constitution to outlaw party hopping.

Karpal said it must be clearly understood that the DAP is against crossovers for any reason.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had claimed on numerous occasions that he has a list of more than 30 MPs crossing over to PR.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said recently that more and more MPs had shown their willingness to cross over to the opposition coalition.

KLANG: Kapar MP S. Manicka­vasagam has threatened to quit as the Selangor Parti Keadilan Rakyat liaison committee deputy chairman if no action is taken against council officers involved in a Hindu temple demolition exercise in Ampang re­­cently.

Manickavasagam, who is also a PKR supreme council member, said he might even quit the party if he was not satisfied with action taken by the state government.

He said action should be taken against the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) president, its en-forcement chief and other officers involved as the matter was not referred to the state govern-

ment before the temple was demolished.

“The council president also did not inform the two Indian representatives in the council’s board of the action. I have recently learnt that MPAJ sent notices of demolition to 10 other temples in the municipality.

“I feel action must be taken especially against those directly involved as this is serious,” he said. Selangor Health, Estate Workers and Caring Government Committee chairman Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar said he was not satisfied with the council’s interim report.

“MPAJ is conducting an internal probe as the demolition took place without the knowledge of the state exco or MPAJ president, who was in Mecca when it happened,” he told reporters when he visited the temple on Sunday.

Dr Xavier said the temple committee should also take responsibility as they did not apply for permission from the state government to build the temple.

“The mistake is on both sides. The demolition without prior notice from the state government and the building of temple without the state’s approval,” he said.

Temple committee chairman S. Murugiah said they did not receive any notice for the demolition.

LOL, Suspended for a week, starting from today, whats the point? It's holiday week...does it make any difference to even suspend him?

SHAH ALAM: Ampang Jaya Muni­cipal Council (MPAJ) deputy president Hamid Hussain, who allegedly ordered that the Sri Maha­kaliaman temple be demolished, has been suspended for a week effective today.

State Local Government, Research and Study committee chairman Ronnie Liu said Hamid was being suspended pending investigations.

The decision to suspend him was made yesterday.

He said the state three-man committee on non-Muslim religious affairs comprising Teresa Kok, Dr Xavier Jayakumar and himself has begun their investigations into the temple demolition.

“We are expecting the investigation results by Monday and we will look into the next course of action after that,” he said when contacted yesterday.

The 19-year-old temple near Kampung Tasek Tambahan, which was built on forest reserve land, was ordered to be destroyed by the MPAJ about two weeks ago.

Liu said the council president was on leave when the temple was demolished and Hamid, as the deputy, had reportedly decided on the matter.

He said the state government was dealing with the demolition of places of worship very seriously and would find a solution to the problem of the Sri Mahakaliaman temple soon.

Liu said so far 27 permits for places of worship, including churches, Hindu temples and Chinese temples on government land, had been given since the Pakatan Rakyat took over the state government.

This showed that the state government was very concerned and sensitive to religious matters, he said.

However, Liu said, the state government hoped not to see any new places of worship coming up on land designated as forest and river reserves.

He said the people should understand that these reserves should not be occupied for other than the intended use.

When contacted, Hamid, who is on leave in Langkawi, said he did not know anything about the council’s decision to suspend him.

“I’m on Hari Raya leave now and I don’t know what is going on,” he said, adding that he had not received any notice from the state government or council.

When contacted, MPAJ president Datuk Mohammad Yacob said that he had been informed of Hamid’s suspension. “The suspension is the state exco’s decision,” he said.

“We will follow whatever decision the state exco makes as we are all here to serve the public.”

Mohammad declined further comment but said that he would wait for an interim report on the issue next week.

Ampang MP criticized MIC for harping on this issue. Those days, when BN were in control, for the same temple, When MIC could not obtain the land deeds, some opposition members joined the league, condemned MIC. Now, Pakatan MP’s acknowledging this as a small dilemma?

For 19 years, the temple struggled for deeds, and yes, it was on forest reserve, therefore could not obtain the documents. The temple committee was advised to relocate, which they did not coz of the empty promises given by certain opposition members and hopes maybe given by MIC members whom claimed they could help. The temple should not be built and should have been relocated the moment it got an order but they prolong this issue for 19 years. Whom to hold liable now?

MPAJ should have sent a notice and conversant with the Reps . Why they did not abide the rule? Why disciplinary action is not taken against MPAJ Officers? YB.Lim could question Tan Sri Koh numerous times during the debate on why the negligent officer involved in Land purchase were transferred and not sacked, and for this matter, all comments are hushed?

If Xavier could not undertake this issue, impugn others and could profess this as a small issue, I wonder what does he consider as major problem and how did he embark upon it?

For me, Temples are one of Indians core issue. It symbolizes our rights and freedom living in a multi racial country. Xavier might think it’s just a shrine or small matter, I do take this seriously!

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sri Maha Kaliamman temple committee must share equal responsibility for the demolition of the temple, Selangor state executive councillor Dr A. Xavier Jayakumarare said.

Xavier said the temple was built on forest reserve land and the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council was right to take action.

He said, however, the council should have sought permission from the state government before demolishing the temple.

"The state government was not informed of this matter.

"According to our guidelines, local authorities must seek permission from the state executive council before demolishing any place of worship," Xavier said after visiting the temple site at Kampung Tasik, Ampang yesterday.

He said the council had been directed to submit a report on the demolition but declined to say if disciplinary action would be taken against anyone.

Xavier said the temple committee chairman, S. Murugiah, had also been advised to write to the state government for approval before rebuilding the structure.

He also described the demolition as a small issue.

"This is a small issue compared with other more serious problems affecting the Indian community. Why don't we look at the bigger picture?"

Ampang member of parliament Zuraida Kamaruddin has denied that she had said "temple committee workers had demolished the temple to carry out renovation works".

Her political secretary, who was at the site yesterday, said Zuraida was "misquoted" by several newspapers on Saturday.

MALAYA National Tamil School Teachers Union President P. Tharmalinggam said the union is unhappy that only 100 temporary teachers out of 1,067 have been given the opportunity to pursue the teacher’s training course during the holidays, reported Makkal Osai.

He said there are more than 900 vacancies in Tamil schools and more temporary teachers were needed to overcome the shortage.

He said more Tamil school teachers were needed every year as enrolment was increasing.

The union has been forwarding memoranda requesting the Edu­cation Ministry to increase its intake of temporary Tamil schoolteachers for the training during the holiday courses.

He said the standard of education in Tamil schools could be improved with the deployment of trained teachers.

“Most temporary teachers have been working for more than five years and they have the necessary experience, dedication and commitment to give quality education to the school children,” he said.

Source : HINDRAF

HINDRAF
135-3-A Jalan Toman 7
Kemayan Square 70200
Seremban.

PRESS STATEMENT

RE: DEMOLITION OF SRI MAHA KALIAMMAN TEMPLE AMPANG

DR XAVIER JAYAKUMAR OF PAKATAN EXCO LOST THE PLOT ON TEMPLE “NOT REGISTERED ACCORDING TO THEIR FORMAT”.

PAKATAN GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT FOLLOW THEIR PREDECESSORS

ATTITUDE OF MISLEADING THE PEOPLE ON “REGISTER” ISSUE.

IS PAKATAN GOVERNMENT WILLING TO LODGE POLICE REPORTS ON AMPANG JAYA MUNICIPAL COUNCIL??

HINDRAF is shocked with the statement made by Dr.Xavier Jayakumar which appears to echo that of the usual excuses given by BN and UMNO leaders that Temples are demolished because they are not “registered”.

We maintain our stand that there are no provisions currently under the Law to register the existence of a Temple and that this and all temples exist legally under Article 11 of the Federal Constitution. The issue of legality of a Temple does not exist at all and it is a duty of the Government to provide land and funds for places of worships belonging to any and all religious groups. The statement by Dr. Jayakumar that the Sri Maha Kaliamman Temple is not registered with the Selangor State Council and that it did not fulfil the “format” of registration is a joke and makes a mockery of the basic right to worship of every citizen. It appears the Pakatan Government is singing the same tune of the previous Barisan Government in misleading the community to believe that the temple committee was at fault for not registering the temple.

We challenge Dr Jayakumar and his Pakatan Government to produce the necessary provisions of the state Law that stipulated the necessity of the so-called “format”. To add insult to injury he had the audacity to say this is not a Temple but a shrine. Is he trying to indicate that it was okay to demolish a shrine? How less is a shrine than a temple?? The problem with these politicians is they do not give a dam about the feelings of

Hindus and the need to provide and gazette places of worships belonging to Hindus.

HINDRAF have specifically written to the 5 Pakatan led Governments to gazette all temples (which is directly under their purview) but till date they have not taken any positive steps to do the same and keep misleading the people in the same way BN did.

HINDRAF is taken aback with the statement that the MPAJ had ordered the demolition of the Temple without knowledge or directive of the state Government. If the statement of Dr.Xavier is true he should take the most responsible step by lodging police report and insist the police initiate criminal proceedings against MPAJ for their

Criminal act under the penal Code for defiling a place of worship.

The statement by Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin justifying the demolition of the temple on grounds of misunderstanding between MPAJ and temple management on renovation works and documentation is another mockery. Is it consistent with good Governance to demolish a place of worship should there be a “misunderstanding”. Would anyone in MPAJ dare demolish a mosque?

HINDRAF hereby calls on the Selangor Government to stop playing politics and mislead the people and immediately gazette all places of worships and provide land and funding for the purposes of erection of places of worships belonging to Hindus and non-Muslims.

P. Waytha Moorthy
Chairman
HINDRAF

Source : www.mpkapar.com

Breaking News :

Y.B S. Manikavasagam , Member of Parliament Kapar says he is resigning as Deputy Liasion Chairman Parti Keadilan Rakyat Negeri Selangor with immediate effect.

S. Manikavasagam is expected to submit his resignation letter to Parti Keadilan Rakyat , Selangor Chief on Monday 29 Oct 2008.

It shows He is serious and committed in upholding the rights of all Human Being. When conveying this message at Kulai last night he says “I’m not like other leaders holding on position despite knowing Rakyat’s rejection”

more news to follow…

PUTRAJAYA: Pas and DAP should realise by now that they had been taken for a ride by the youngest member of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

Barisan Nasional and Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said this was seen in how PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had not shown Pas and DAP the much talked about list of BN MPs who were supposed to cross over.

"They should realise by now that Anwar is making a fool out of them," said Tengku Adnan.

"This should be a matter of grave concern to them as they are talking about their ambition to take over the government, yet they have not even seen the list.

"Isn't this proof enough that Anwar had deceived them?" he told the New Sunday Times yesterday.

"God gave us brains to think, yet it is bewildering to see that Pas and DAP leaders are not using it."

He said Pas and DAP were slowly losing their credibility as they had been seen as blindly following Anwar's empty political game.

On Thursday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that neither his party nor Pas had been privy to the list.

Lim said Anwar had told him that none of the PR leaders had seen the list.

In Arau, BN Backbenchers Club assistant secretary Datuk Ismail Kassim said opposition parties should focus on providing a better check and balance to the ruling government, rather than enticing Barisan Nasional members of parliament to join them.

Ismail, who is Arau MP, said being a credible opposition would ensure that the government's administration was balanced.

He described the opposition's dream of luring BN MPs to change parties as "a dream".

Speaking after handing out Hari Raya gifts to the poor and single mothers at Masjid Tambun Tulang here, Ismail said the opposition could only achieve their dream of taking over power if voters give them the mandate at the next general election.

On the recent BNBBC study tour to Taiwan, Ismail said it benefited the participants as they learnt about agriculture development, transport systems and district and state administrative structures.

He said the Taiwanese were highly knowledgeable and disciplined about their agriculture sector.

Ismail said the study tour would help the BNBBC to come up with ideas to improve public transport systems and crop yields.

PASIR MAS: Independent MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali wants MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to stop politicising the freeing of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

He said Samy Vellu should understand that the Hindraf issue was about security and not politics, race or religion.

“The Hindraf supporters and leaders completed their political mission when they made known their stand in the last general election by supporting the Opposition,” he said.

“Samy Vellu should also stop linking Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to freeing the detainees. The decision rests with the Home Minister and police recommendation,” Ibrahim said.

“It is a matter of being patient,” he said.

Ibrahim was responding to a statement by Samy Vellu, who said Abdullah had promised to discuss with the Home Minister the MIC’s appeal to release the Hindraf leaders.

Bernama: MIC has urged the Selangor government to make public the report on the demolition of a temple in Ampang after two elected representatives from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) gave conflicting statements on the matter.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said in a statement today that the conficting statements were deceiving and hoodwinking the people over who was actually responsible for the demolition of the Sri Mahakaliamman temple in Ampang on Sept 9.

He said MIC wanted the state government to come clean on the matter and expose who had authorised the demolition.


He said that according to Ampang member of Parliment Zuraida Kamaruddin, it was the temple committee who had demolished the temple to make way for renovation and a facelift but Selangor Health, Estate Workers and Caring Government Committee Chairman Dr Xavier A. Jayakumar had said that five to six Ampang Jaya Municipal Council enforcement officers were involved in tearing down the temple.


The PKR-led state government should not divert the issue by claiming that MIC was making unfounded allegations, Samy Vellu said. — BERNAMA

Below are the snippets from two diff tabloids. I would like to compile comments by Zuraida from other sources but it would only make my pressure go up and i have to end up spending an hour on my punching bag thinking it was her face.. so, to keep myself chill a lil, i have decided to highlight from two newspapers. If anyone have a diff version of the story , post it. Till we hear the truth ,nothing but the truth reg the temple.

According to the TEMPLE CHAIRMAN : Meanwhile, the temple's chairman S Murugiah has demanded to know who was responsible for tearing down the temple. The 37-year old told Malaysiakini that he suspected someone had reported on the shrine and this had led to its demolition.


According to MP Zuraida, PKR

MALAYSIAKINI : Meanwhile, Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin said the demolition was probably the result of misunderstanding between the municipal authorities and the temple committee.

“The incident happened following a misunderstanding between MPAJ and the temple management on renovation works and documentations relating to management procedures,” said Zuraida, who is PKR Wanita chief, in a statement today.

According to Zuraida, some MPAJ councillors had already met with the council’s vice-chief to resolve the matter. Some documents have already been prepared and were under consideration, she added.

She also pointed out that Murugiah had previously complained the temple’s problems had not been resolved by the previous Barisan Nasional state government even after 19 years.

Finally, Zuraida blasted the MIC for trying to take advantage of the current situation, accusing it of trying to create backlash for the Pakatan Rakyat government.

“The component BN party is taking this opportunity to try and restore its organisation and their reports were made to attract attention,” she said.

Still, the PKR Wanita chief failed to explain in her statement how it came about that the temple could have been demolished.


THESTAR: Instead, it was but part of the temple committee’s renovation work on the shrine, claimed Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin.

Zuraida said the public condemnation of the demolition and accusations hurled at the local council and state government were unfounded.

"The truth is: the temple was demolished by its own committee to make way for renovation and a facelift. They did this on their own accord and did not consult nor seek approval from the state government."


What do u think? Any opinions?

SHAH ALAM: Initial investigations by the Selangor government have revealed that the "temple" demolished by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council was actually a small shrine built on forest reserve land.

State executive councillor Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar said it was misleading to call the structure a "temple".

The shrine was surrounded by a culvert no more than a metre long and it did not have a roof.

He said the state, aware of the religious sensitivities of the various communities, was probing why the "shrine" was demolished, contrary to restrictions imposed by the state government.

Xavier was responding to criticism from MIC leaders who accused the state government of allowing the demolition of a "temple".

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had slammed the Selangor government for taking Indians "for a ride" with empty promises.

He demanded that the state government explain if it had given clear and written instructions to all local councils not to demolish Hindu temples.

Selangor MIC Youth chief M. Yogeswaran had lodged a police report on Wednesday after he was informed on the demolition of the 19-year-old temple.


Xavier said the council president was away performing the umrah when the incident happened and that the state would give him an opportunity to investigate the matter thoroughly.

Pictures courtesy of : Wikimapia and MIC Youth

IPOH: Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah handed a lifeline to R. Ragu with instructions that the "stateless" man be issued a temporary identification document pending his application for a MyKad.

The order was given to state Registration Department director Mohd Sufian Omar at Istana Kinta here yesterday afternoon.

State executive councillor A. Sivanesan, who was also present at the 45-minute meeting, said later that Sultan Azlan Shah wanted Ragu's problem to be resolved as soon as possible.

"Sultan Azlan Shah ordered that Ragu be issued the temporary document within the next three to four days," Sivanesan said.

He said the sultan expressed grave concern over the plight of Ragu and his family who have been sleeping and bathing at petrol stations since their arrival here.

"He was very sympathetic."

The New Straits Times over the last two days had been highlighting the plight of Ragu who was told by the National Registration Department (NRD) in Putrajaya to get a letter from Sultan Azlan Shah to enable him to obtain a permanent identification document.

Ragu, 33, his 27-year-old wife G. Neelaawathi, and their three children, between the ages of two and nine, arrived in Ipoh on Tuesday to meet Sultan Azlan Shah to obtain the necessary supporting document for his MyKad application.

Sivanesan said he would be following up with Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar on Ragu's MyKad application.

Ragu, who was allowed to enter the palace compound with his family to wait for Sivanesan, expressed his gratitude to Sultan Azlan Shah.

"I have applied for the MyKad eight times since 1998 but have failed each time because the NRD wanted me to prove that I was born here.

"I don't have other evidence to show except the birth certificate bearing only my father's name and the place of my birth," he said.

Asked where he would be putting up while waiting to get his temporary identification document, Ragu said he and his family would continue to sleep in their family car.

"I do not want to trouble anyone.

"I just need someone to help me get my MyKad."

The struggle of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) is different now compared to when it started some 10 months ago under the leadership of the five who are currently under Internal Security Act (ISA) detention, said the wives of two leaders today.
MCPX
Dr M Kalaivani and B Buvaneswary, the wives of K Kenghadharan and V Ganabatirau, respectively, said they were not comfortable with the direction in which the movement has taken.

Speaking at a press conference in Kelana Jaya, Kalaivani said aside from the goal of obtaining the release of the Hindraf leaders, what is of utmost importance is that the Indian community's problems are alleviated.

Both these goals can be affected without rallies planned by those now coordinating Hindraf activities.

On the contrary, they said the rallies may actually serve to harm the chances of the five's release.

"What I know from my husband, the struggle was different in the beginning and it seems to have taken a different turn at the present moment. I was not involved in Hindraf at all so I cannot comment on what their principles were," said Kalaivani.

"(But) from what we see in the present leadership, we’re not very comfortable with it," she added.

Citing plans by Hindraf to gather 10,000 people at Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Hari Raya open house later next month, she said this would serve as a form of ‘intimidation’ rather than anything else.

Asked if her husband insisted on supporting the movement along such lines in the even he is released, Kalaivani said she would not support him.

"I feel that there are a lot of ways to help the community. You would have to ask my husband, but ... I would not support him if this is how the struggle is going to be.

"I personally feel there is a lot of other ways to continue helping the community, and this we would definitely do.

"If fact, I might even join him to do it together (if he chooses other means of helping the Indian community)," she said.

Samy Vellu's efforts appreciated

During the press conference, the wives also recorded their appreciation for MIC president S Samy Vellu and other quarters who are pushing for the five's release.

Commenting on the statements by certain quarters who questioned the "integrity and sincerity" of Samy Vellu in declaring he had met with Abdullah and sought the release of the Hindraf leaders, Kalaivani said her family’s only wish was to see her husband's return.

"I'm sure it’s the same for the other detainees as well and we sincerely hope that no individuals would continue questioning the integrity of any leaders or individuals from any party or question why they are asking for the release of our husbands.

"We appreciate the efforts taken by anybody to secure the release of our husbands, and we sincerely hope that the prime minister, the Deputy Prime Minister (Najib Abdul Razak) and the Home Minister (Syed Hamid Albar) would seriously consider their release very soon," she said.

Kalaivani said her husband was being treated well and was provided with the necessary medical attention at the Kamunting Detention Centre.

"We would like to thank the government for having looked after my husband well. He has not had any problems with medication so far, and I’m thankful for that," she added.

Commenting on the anti-ISA vigil planned for tomorrow night, she said as long as the organisers have obtained the required permits to ensure the gathering is legal, she appreciates the effort of all quarters to highlight the plight of her husband and other Hindraf leaders.

"If they are going to do it legally, if they've got a permit, I really appreciate the efforts taken by these individuals. The vigil will be peaceful, so I don't think there is anything wrong with it - as long as they do it legally," she said.

Echoing her statements, Buvaneswary said she too disagreed with the planned gathering at Abdullah's Hari Raya open house as it may be detrimental to her husband’s chances of being released.

Contending that the rallies organised after the detention of the Hindraf five had deviated into becoming 'anti-government' rallies, Buvaneswary said they were defeating the purpose of highlighting the problems of the Indian community.

She said her husband had also told her to call for an end to such rallies.

"Who are these people to call for rallies? If our husbands wanted these rallies, their wish would be conveyed through us because we are their wives. What are the Hindraf coordinators trying to do now?"

"If you want the Hindraf five to be released, there are other methods of seeking this," she added.

No serious consideration

In another development, one of the five detainees T Vasantha Kumar said the government has not given serious consideration to the detention of the five leaders.

"It’s been almost 10 months since the arrests and yet, there is inaction on the part of the government, despite the anger within the Indian community," he said in a statement, released to the media by his wife K Vickneswary.

"Letters of appeal from various political parties and NGO’s have also been ignored. This is a reflection of the current ruling party’s attitude towards Malaysian Indians whom they do not consider to be an important part of the nation," he added.

Vasantha Kumar said the five Hindraf leaders are innocent of all charges and should be released.

"Their detention under the ISA is an abuse of government power, used solely for political purposes and not for national security, as it should be. There is no need for ISA in a democratic country like Malaysia," he added.

Picture: Wikimapia and MIC youth
MALAYSIAKINI : The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) ordered the demolition of the 19-year old Sri Maha Kaliamman temple without the knowledge or directive of the Selangor state government, said executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

Jayakumar told Malaysiakini the MPAJ did not even inform the state government of its intention to tear down the temple.

He said the temple was also not registered with the Selangor state council.

“We have a format prepared for temples in Selangor to register with the state but this temple was not on the list of registered temples. And it is not a temple, it is a shrine which it is located on a forest reserve,” he said.

Jayakumar is the PKR assemblyperson for Seri Andalas who heads the state committee on non-Muslim matters alongside Pakatan Rakyat colleagues Teresa Kok and Ronnie Liu from the DAP.

Yesterday, MIC president S Samy Vellu ticked off the opposition-led state government for breaking its election promise to not demolish any temples.

“It is very careless of the local council to demolish the temple without first relocating the temple,” Samy said in a statement.

Jayakumar however denied the accusation, claiming the MIC was trying to politicise the issue. Instead, the relevant authorities should waste no time finding a way to restore the temple which was torn down on Sept 10, he added.

“Pointing fingers at another is not going to solve the problem,” he said. “It was actually demolished in 2002 but the temple committee had it rebuilt when the opposition came into power March this year. But they failed to register it.”

Jayakumar, who has laid the blame on certain quarters within the MPAJ enforcement unit, also gave his assurance that the matter was being investigated.

Meanwhile, the temple's chairman S Murugiah has demanded to know who was responsible for tearing down the temple. The 37-year old told Malaysiakini that he suspected someone had reported on the shrine and this had led to its demolition.

Misunderstanding

Meanwhile, Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin said the demolition was probably the result of misunderstanding between the municipal authorities and the temple committee.

“The incident happened following a misunderstanding between MPAJ and the temple management on renovation works and documentations relating to management procedures,” said Zuraida in a statement today.

According to Zuraida, some MPAJ councillors had already met with the council’s vice-chief to resolve the matter. Some documents have already been prepared and were under consideration, she added.

She also pointed out that Murugiah had previously complained the temple’s problems had not been resolved by the previous Barisan Nasional state government even after 19 years.

Finally, Zuraida blasted the MIC for trying to take advantage of the current situation, accusing it of trying to create backlash for the Pakatan Rakyat government.

“The component BN party is taking this opportunity to try and restore its organisation and their reports were made to attract attention,” she said.

Still, the PKR Wanita Chief failed to explain in her statement how it came about that the temple could have been demolished

SHAH ALAM: Of the 900 seats offered nationwide to Indian youths to pursue a skills course for free, with accommodation, meals and RM100 monthly for expenditure, only 249 enrolled for its July intake.

On average, nine Indian students were admitted to the 26 Human Resources Training Institutes (HRTI) nationwide under the purview of the Manpower Department.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, who said this, added that opportunities were being created for Indian youths to acquire skills and secure jobs with good wages but they chose ignore it.

Advertisements on the intake are taken out in the major dailies and Tamil newspapers, information through Yayasan Strategic Social and community leaders were disseminated to the youths but the response continued to be lukewarm.

Dr Subramaniam said it was sad to see youths wasting their potential, energy, creativeness and power to build a better future for themselves by learning a skill.

“Indian youths must understand that foreign firms are setting up businesses in Penang, Selangor and Johor and those with innovative skills are the ones who can secure jobs with good prospects,” he said.

IPOH: Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah has summoned state executive councillor A. Sivanesan to the palace with regard to the National Registration Department's directive to R. Ragu, 33, to obtain a supporting letter from the ruler to apply for a MyKad.

Besides Sivanesan, the directors of the state National Registration Department and state Welfare Department were also summoned to Istana Kinta at 2.30pm today.

"I was informed by the ruler's office that he wanted the government officers to brief him on Ragu's case. He is showing concern over the lives and living conditions of his subjects," Sivanesan said here yesterday.

Ragu's plight was highlighted in the New Straits Times yesterday.

He had been told by the NRD in Putrajaya to get a letter from Sultan Azlan Shah to enable him to obtain a permanent identification document.

Ragu, his wife G. Neelaawathi, 27, and their three young children arrived here on Tuesday to meet Sultan Azlan Shah to obtain the necessary supporting document.

The family has been sleeping and bathing at petrol stations since their arrival here.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said his ministry would be reissuing a temporary identification document to Ragu immediately.

"He can go to the Perak NRD tomorrow or Monday and obtain his green (temporary) MyKad until the ministry considers his application for a permanent (blue) MyKad," he said after attending buka puasa with Perak NRD staff here yesterday.

He said the government stopped issuing the green MyKad in 2004 but stressed that the ministry planned to re-issue them for the sake of thousands of Malaysians who found it difficult to earn a livelihood without such a card.

Syed Hamid also said the ministry would conduct an investigation to find out who had misled Ragu on the procedure of getting the MyKad.

"He should not have been asked to go to the palace to obtain the letter. We do not involve the Rulers in this situation. That is not the way we (the NRD) operate."

He said the ministry would find a solution for the thousands of Malaysians who did not possess MyKad, adding that the ministry would not sideline any of them.

He said the ministry would attend to Ragu's problem immediately, adding that it could have been avoided if the parties concerned had carried out their duties diligently.

KLANG: The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) officers involved in tearing down a Hindu temple in Ampang acted against a state government directive not to destroy places of worship.

Ronnie Liu, who is chairman of the state’s local government, study and research committee, said the state had issued a directive to all local councils to halt action against places of worship when it came into power but the officers defied the order.

He said that in taking the action last month the officers also bypassed the committee on non-Muslim affairs headed by state executive councillors Teresa Kok, Dr Xavier Jayakumar and himself.

“I contacted the council president a day after the incident and asked him to investigate the matter and identify those involved,” he said.

“I was told that he has submitted a preliminary report to my office but I have not read it since I am away in China now so it would be unfair for me to comment further.”

Liu had said a day after the incident that he was upset with the council officers’ actions and threatened that they would face stiff action.

Meanwhile Human Resources Minister Datuk S. Subramaniam said the MIC was extremely disappointed with the state government and MPAJ for allowing the demolition to occur.

“If a temple needs to be relocated due to road expansion or some major development, it can be relocated with the agreement that a new place of worship be built,” he said.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has also condemned the demolition, saying that it went against the Opposition’s promise during the last general election not to demolish any temple.

“It is very uncaring of the local council to demolish the temple without first relocating it,” he said.

Photo Source: MIC Youth
MalaysiaKini: MIC president S Samy Vellu today condemned the action by a local council in Selangor to demolish a Hindu temple in Ampang early this month.

MCPXIn a statement, he said this went against the opposition's promise during the last general election not to demolish any temples.

He said the Selangor state government, controlled by the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat, should have ordered the local not to demolish the temple.

"It is very careless of the local council to demolish the temple without first relocating the temple," he added.

Samy Vellu was commenting on a newspaper report today that the demolition of the Sri Maha Kaliamman temple in Kampung Tasik, Jalan Baru in Ampang took place on Sept 9 this year.

The report stated that after being informed of the demolition of the temple yesterday, Selangor MIC Youth chief M.Yogeswaran immediately lodged a report at the Ampang police station.

State gov't must explain

Samy Vellu said the local council should have consulted or sought permission from the temple management and secure an alternative land to relocate the temple.

"The demolition of the temple in Padang Jawa (Selangor) just before the 2008 general election in March 8 had angered many Hindus, and this was one of the reasons the Indian voters voted against the Barisan Nasional.

"But today, you see the same situation happening in a state government that is controlled by the opposition," he said.

The MIC president said Selangor local councilors and executive council (exco) members should concentrate on matters that were important, “rather then seeking cheap publicity by exposing what they claim as irregularities in the previous state government.”

Samy Vellu wanted the Selangor state government to explain to the people, especially the Hindus as to how they allowed the local council to demolish the temple.

"A full explanation must be given immediately and bring the culprits to justice," he added.

Pakatan Rakyat's plan to topple the government may not materialise any time soon as Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has refused to state a new deadline after failing to seize power on Sept 16.
MCPX
"(It is) not an issue of deadlines now," he said, pinning the blame on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"The deadline was Sept 16 - Sept 16 was the date we were ready and we have made it very clear (but) who could anticipate that the prime minister would refuse to discuss (matters) of national importance - who could anticipate (that the) prime minister would refuse calling an emergency (parliament) session when we claim we have the majority," he added.

Speaking to reporters outside the Jalan Duta court complex in Kuala Lumpur today, Anwar said the opposition is trying to achieve their means smoothly without any problems.

"Our problem in the Pakatan Rakyat is, when we wrote to the prime minister proposing this (motion of no confidence) the prime minister rejected it without even undertaking that a motion will be tabled or allowed to be tabled," he added.

The opposition stalwart also commented that in any other democratic institution, the prime minister would immediately respond to a call for non-confidence vote.

Be patient

"In this country it does not happen because there is a blatant disregard for democratic values and democratic principals," he said.

"You have to remember that this is a difficult process - power transition - and for Umno and Barisan Nasional, this is subject that scares them.

"So I figured that it is only fair for us to tone down our statements on our strengths and give confidence that our attempt is fair (and) not done for the sake of revenge…" he said.

"I appeal to all Malaysian citizens particularly those who want to see a change, to understand this and be patient because we do not want to transgress the constitutional rules and procedures.

"It takes a lot of patience and a lot of resolve to try and unravel this complex web controlled by a few cronies," he added.

Letter to King

Meanwhile, Anwar also denied that Pakatan had written to the King to seek an audience with him and noted that it would be the last option.

"We feel we want the process to be done (when) we exhaust all available avenues including the possibility of meeting the prime minister," he said.

Anwar added that the letter addressed to the King was for the purpose of informing him about Pakatan's progress in initiating a new government.

"We have written on two issues; one to inform as responsible citizens (that) we would want the issue of transfer to be discussed with the prime minster which has been denied… rejected.

"The second issue (in the letter to the king) is to suggest an emergency session of parliament yesterday (Sept 23) and clearly there was no official response except (a) statement from the prime minister that he does not intend to proceed with the emergency session," said Anwar.

Asked what will be the next course of action if these avenues fail, he said: "We will continue to demand so that the prime minister respects the liberty of the people who voted for us".

"We are still in stages of demanding for a meeting," he added.

Responding to claims of being a liar, Anwar challenged Abdullah to put him through a test.

"Well they have called me a lot of things before (but) the point is, if they really believe I am a liar then put me to (a no-confidence) test and have a vote taken.

"There is no point of demonising me through the local media", he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: A group of 96 Indian non-governmental organisations want the Government to release the five Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders detained before Deepavali next month.

They said it would be the best gift to the Indian community if the five €“ M. Manoharan, P. Uthayakumar, V. Ganabatirau, R. Kenghadharan and K. Vasanthakumar €“ detained for 268 days under the Internal Security Act (ISA) were released.

At a meeting organised by the MIC Youth, they said they supported the appeal made by MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to free them.

Abdullah had agreed to consider the appeal and had promised to discuss the matter with Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

MIC Youth chief T. Mohan said: “We are asking for their release on humanitarian grounds. This is not politically motivated.”

Mohan said that the five had been punished enough and should be allowed to return to their families to celebrate Deepavali this year.

“We are confident that the Indian community would support the MIC if the five were released,” he said.

Malaysian Indian Youth Council president S. Rajaratnam said there was no strong basis for the Government to continue to detain the five.

He said the Government should charge the five in a court of law if they had enough evidence.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has agreed to consider the MIC’s appeal to release five Hindraf leaders detained under the ISA, said party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.

“The Prime Minister has promised to discuss the matter with the Home Minister and arrive at a decision,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Samy Vellu and Human Resour-ces Minister Datuk Dr S. Subrama-niam, who is also MIC secretary-general, had a 30-minute

meeting with Abdullah in Putra-jaya.

He said the meeting was to seek the immediate release of the five €‘ R. Kengadharan, M. Manoharan, V. Ganabatirau, P. Uthayakumar and K. Vasantha Kumar €‘ from ISA detention.

“Abdullah said he would study the situation and recommend appropriate action. We have full faith and trust in the Prime Minister, and believe he will do something positive on this matter,” said Samy Vellu.

He said the families of the detai-nees had also suffered enough and that the five should be allowed to go home to look after their families.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has been urged to set up a special unit to handle the issue of Malaysian Indians without birth certificates and MyKad.

MIC Youth chief T. Mohan said the issue affected over 20,000 people and that such a unit was necessary because the National Registration Department (NRD) took a long time to resolve these cases.

“There have been instances when a case was resolved only after it was highlighted in the media,” he told reporters yesterday.

Mohan said he had handled these cases for more than seven years but achieved a success rate of only between 6% and 7%.

MIC Youth, he said, was currently handling 500 cases of people who did not have birth certificates and MyKad.

Mohan said it was urgent to have such a unit, highlighting the plight of 53-year-old Margret Periyanayaga, who has yet to obtain her citizenship despite being born in the country.

Margret, who has a red MyKad, submitted her application nine years ago but has yet to receive any reply from the NRD.

“My three children are overseas but I am unable to visit them as I fear my application for citizenship will be rescinded,” she said, adding that her siblings had been issued with MyKad.

Student Kavitha Nowroji, 24, was legally adopted but she was still issued with a red MyKad when the application was made.

Kavitha said she was having difficulty getting loans to pursue her studies in University Selangor.

KUALA LUMPUR: Those expec­ting the Pakatan Rakyat to be in charge of the government today will be disappointed as the Dewan Rakyat will remain closed and there will be no emergency session for the tabling of a no-confidence motion against the Barisan Nasional government as demanded by the opposition coalition.

In the meantime, the deadline for the supposed Pakatan takeover has been pushed to “before Hari Raya.”

PKR information chief Tian Chua said in Ipoh that Pakatan hoped to resolve some technical issues before Oct 1.

“We don’t want to give up our stability as the price for the transition,” he told reporters after atten­ding a PKR people’s forum on Sunday night.

“I am very confident. We hope the change of government will happen before Hari Raya.”

Earlier during his speech, he said people had questioned why Pakatan chose Sept 16 when PKR was not ready for the takeover.

“We chose the date because it was Malaysia Day. There was a time when people were afraid (to speak up) but only after the March 8 general election did we realise the people had power,” he said.

For Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, it would be another “usual” day attending to his business matters at his office here.

“If Anwar really has the numbers, he will go straight to the King. Why pass a no-confidence motion and make use of Parliament?

“This House is to discuss the problems of the rakyat and the country, not to be made used of for your own agenda,” Tiong told The Star.

Last week, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he had enough Barisan MPs willing to defect to Pakatan and that the only way for Pakatan to form the government was via an emergency session of Parliament to be convened by today.

Before that, he had said Pakatan would form the government on Sept 16.

MALAYSIAKINI :

Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin will be sent to Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping, Perak today to begin his two-year detention under the Internal Security Act, said his lawyer.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar has signed his detention order last night to be held without trial under section 8(1) of the tough security law. Under the Act, the government can renew his detention indefinitely.

Lawyers said that the police had informed them this morning that they would be taking Raja Petra to the detention centre.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court is to hear a habeas corpus bid by Raja Petra's lawyers to overturn the detention of the controversial blogger today.

Habeas corpus is a writ ordering prisoners to be brought before a judge to ascertain if there are any procedural defects which could render their detention unlawful.

Raja Petra's wife Marina Abdullah confirmed that the police had informed her that the detention order had been issued by the minister yesterday.

Raja Petra, 58, was arrested along with two others two weeks ago and has been under police custody in an unknown location.

The other two - Sin Chew Daily senior journalist Tan Hoon Cheng, 33, Selangor senior executive councillor and parliamentarian Teresa Kok, 43 - have since been freed.

Tan was released 18 hours after her arrest, while Kok was freed seven days later.

According to his lawyer J Chandra, Raja Petra was arrested for publishing articles on his news portal which tarnished the leadership of the country and insulted the sanctity of Islam.

The former journalist has already been charged with sedition and defamation after linking Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife to the sensational murder of a Mongolian woman.

Self-exiled Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chief P Waythamoorthy came under fire for claiming that the 27 Hindraf supporters slapped with a RM1,000 fine by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court last week were treated unjustly.

In a statement today, their lawyer N Sivananthan (right) denied the allegation and called on all quarters to stop politicising the issue.

He also took a swipe at the London-based Waythamoorthy, saying that he found the latter's remarks "offensive and ignorant."

On Saturday, Waythamoorthy, a lawyer himself, criticised the fixing of a two-month continuous hearing as too taxing and could lead to the accused losing their jobs.

The 27, who were mostly odd-job workers and labourers, were among 54 individuals jointly charged for participating in an illegal assembly on Nov 25 last year in Kuala Lumpur.

They had since pleaded guilty to not adhering to the police’s order to disperse and fined RM1,000 each for the offence.

'Clients treated justly'

Sivananthan said that the unjust treatment allegation was being equated to the fact that the court had given priority and its time to the trial of the said matter.

"I would like to categorically deny this (the unjust treatment allegation). The offence on which the guilty plea was taken carries a maximum two years' imprisonment or fine (any amount) or a combination of both.

"Not only did the court only impose a RM1,000 fine, a time period of two months was also allowed for payment of the same with a proviso to extend the period to six months on a case-by-case basis," he said.

"As a lawyer, I can confidently say that my clients have been treated justly and I find the comments made by Wathyamoorthy (left) from his refuge in London not only offensive but also ignorant.

"The admission of guilt was on the basis that my clients accepted the fact that laws need to be followed and that a failure to disperse when told to do so amounts to a breach of that law," he added.

'Stop politicising'

Meanwhile, Hindraf legal advisor N Surendran had told reporters on Saturday that initially, the trial was supposed to last two weeks but was somehow extended to two full months.

Surendran said he spoke to some of those who had pleaded guilty and claimed that many of them took the plea to avoid being absent from work and be subsequently axed.

"You can see here the enormity of the injustice. We have 27 people who have been forced to plead guilty because of a miscarriage of justice," he said.

Responding to this, Sivananthan noted that the comments made by Surendran are rather suspect since none of his clients had indicated that they were being "forced" to plead guilty.

"I don't think he quite understands the concept of miscarriage of justice. The difference here is that my legal team and I are acting only as lawyers and not politicians whilst the individuals who are making these allegations are trying to dramatise this issue for reasons best known to them.

"I would therefore be grateful if the plea of guilt is not politicised by all parties concerned."

SHAH ALAM: The spiralling cost of essentials may be affecting the quality of food served to those detained by the government and a review may be overdue, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department T. Murugiah said yesterday.

He said he was told that only RM5.80 was being allocated for three meals per detainee.

He said the amount was far from adequate due to the prices of essential goods and he would recommend a review to the government, based on humanitarian grounds.

Murugiah said the review might take place after he completed investigating allegations by Selangor senior executive councillor Teresa Kok, of being fed poor food during her recent detention.

Kok who is Seputeh MP and Kinrara state assemblyman, kicked up a storm after being released from detention under the Internal Security Act, by comparing the food she was served as "little better than dog food".

Murugiah, who heads the Public Complaints Bureau, was speaking at a press conference after meeting Kok at her office at the state secretariat building here yesterday.

He said the government was not cruel and did not want to be portrayed as such.

"We will not sweep the matter under the carpet and we intend to be transparent in our findings."

Murugiah said the authorities must also draw a distinction between political prisoners and suspected criminals. He said political prisoners should be given better treatment and food.

He added that he would summit a report to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

Murugiah later had a meeting with Brickfields police chief Assistant Commissioner Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid and Jalan Travers police station head Chief Inspector Edmond Wong.

Kok, who was present at the press conference here, said the food served to her during her week-long detention did not meet her nutritional needs.

She said she was given only two pieces of chicken during the seven days she was held and was mostly served hard-boiled eggs, rice, an ikan kembong and gravy.

"When I complained, I was taken to a doctor and given vitamins to supplement the poor quality food."

Kok said she also suffered diarrhoea.

Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib said Kok's statement had elements of arrogance and was an insult to the poor.

"When you are detained under the ISA, whoever you are, you will get the same treatment. There is no VIP treatment. If other people get two eggs, you will get two eggs, too," he said.

He said politicians should not be arrogant as they might touch on other people's sensibilities, especially the poor.

"The food served, if based on the normal procedure, is already considered good compared with what the poor have to eat on a daily basis. We have to accept it."

He said some poor people ate rice with salt only.

BUTTERWORTH: Parti Keadilan Rakyat president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the party has yet to submit any letter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as part of the power transition process.

"It is something we will do later and I leave it to the Pa-katan Rakyat leaders to decide when to do it," she said after presenting goodies to the poor in Seberang Jaya yesterday.

Dr Wan Azizah was commenting on a report quoting Parit Buntar member of parliament Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, of Pas, as saying that PKR had submitted an official letter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong several days ago, seeking consent for an audience.

Dr Wan Azizah reiterated that the party had enough MPs from Barisan Nasional crossing over to the opposition, claiming that more MPs have shown interest to defect.

She said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was in Kuala Lumpur arranging meetings with the MPs concerned.

However, she stopped short of revealing the details, such as the number of MPs and who they were, "as the government would detain them under the Internal Security Act".

Dr Wan Azizah said Anwar, who is also Permatang Pauh MP, could not return to the constituency for now as he was busy attending to matters pertaining to the power transition.

IPOH: Barisan Nasional youth leaders plan to meet Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar over the call for the release of the five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force.

People’s Progressive Party Youth chief T. Murugiah said the Youth leaders from Umno, Gerakan, MIC and MCA had already agreed in principle to join the group which he would lead.

KUALA LUMPUR: An MIC effort to help academically-weak and problematic Indian secondary students has paid off.

The MIC-run Yayasan Strategic Social's family development unit head K.A. Gunah (picture) said the party's Plus-8 programme had proven to be a resounding success by helping 5,100 students in 74 secondary schools.

He said thanks to the year-long programme which ended in July, these students had a better future now and did not need to go the way of some other children from the community who could not escape the clutches of social ills such as crime.


He said the key to the programme's success was in its ability to bring children and parents together to work as a family unit and motivate the children to improve themselves.


"Besides ironing out students' problems, which were mainly centred around poor parent-child relationships, the programme has put in place an effective network for the students, their teachers and YSS."


Funded by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and supported by the Education Ministry, the programme featured workshops on character building, human values and uncovering of skills for students.


"We then hold two workshops for parents on the subject of parent-child interaction and relationships and the need for self-discipline and sacrifice. The programme ends with a two-day, one-night camp for the students and their parents.


"We are now keying in the student data and feedback on the programme to prepare a report for the two ministries. With this done, we hope to launch the second round of Plus-8 programmes."


Gunah, who is the coordinator for the programme in Johor and Malacca, said YSS ran them jointly with Indian-based NGOs.

YSS got the help of teachers to identify target groups of 50 students in schools in eight states to attend a total of 812 Plus-8 programmes.


He said the programme was the brainchild of party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who felt that rising social ills among Indian youth had to be nipped in the bud by solving the problem of delinquency.


During the programme, Gunah said he came across sad cases of how students had got into trouble because of parental neglect.


"A boy who had been punished 22 times in 10 months for disciplinary problems, including bringing pornographic VCDs to school, told us his father had left the family.


"His mother was away at work until late at night and he had to fend for himself, including cooking and washing his own clothes."


He said the girls were often led astray by youths or men outside the school environment.


"Most of them point to nagging mothers and absent fathers and the fact that there was no one to listen to them."

KUALA LUMPUR: An MIC effort to help academically-weak and problematic Indian secondary students has paid off.

The MIC-run Yayasan Strategic Social's family development unit head K.A. Gunah (picture) said the party's Plus-8 programme had proven to be a resounding success by helping 5,100 students in 74 secondary schools.

He said thanks to the year-long programme which ended in July, these students had a better future now and did not need to go the way of some other children from the community who could not escape the clutches of social ills such as crime.


He said the key to the programme's success was in its ability to bring children and parents together to work as a family unit and motivate the children to improve themselves.


"Besides ironing out students' problems, which were mainly centred around poor parent-child relationships, the programme has put in place an effective network for the students, their teachers and YSS."


Funded by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and supported by the Education Ministry, the programme featured workshops on character building, human values and uncovering of skills for students.


"We then hold two workshops for parents on the subject of parent-child interaction and relationships and the need for self-discipline and sacrifice. The programme ends with a two-day, one-night camp for the students and their parents.


"We are now keying in the student data and feedback on the programme to prepare a report for the two ministries. With this done, we hope to launch the second round of Plus-8 programmes."


Gunah, who is the coordinator for the programme in Johor and Malacca, said YSS ran them jointly with Indian-based NGOs.

YSS got the help of teachers to identify target groups of 50 students in schools in eight states to attend a total of 812 Plus-8 programmes.


He said the programme was the brainchild of party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who felt that rising social ills among Indian youth had to be nipped in the bud by solving the problem of delinquency.


During the programme, Gunah said he came across sad cases of how students had got into trouble because of parental neglect.


"A boy who had been punished 22 times in 10 months for disciplinary problems, including bringing pornographic VCDs to school, told us his father had left the family.


"His mother was away at work until late at night and he had to fend for himself, including cooking and washing his own clothes."


He said the girls were often led astray by youths or men outside the school environment.


"Most of them point to nagging mothers and absent fathers and the fact that there was no one to listen to them."

What a controversial write up.

Author : Dato Saravanan ,FT Deputy Minister
Url : http://msaravanan68.blogspot.com/

The Opposition claim that they represent the multiracial, cross section of the Malaysian society. I did some surfing and managed to get the list of top national office bearers of PKR and DAP. I realised that these two parties, although they claim to represent a multiracial Malaysia, in actual fact do not have a multiracial crowd of leaders, representing the equal proportion or percentage of races in the country. We need not discuss PAS, as the party only believes in one cause -- an Islamic state. Needless to say, their leaders are all Muslim.
I am not being a racist or anything like that, it is just that I am fed-up with the lies and baseless claims of these two parties, namely PKR and DAP. If these two parties want to champion the causes of a multiracial Malaysia, then the national leadership line-up of these two parties should also reflect the proportion of races living in this blessed land.

Here is the breakdown according to race in PKR. It's top national leadership has 30 Malays, 8 Chinese and 5 Indians.
Out of the five Indians in PKR, three are national council members (N.Gobalakrishnan, Irene Fernandez and S. Manikavasagam), one deputy secretary general (Dr Xavier Jayakumar) and one vice-president (R.Sivarasa).

In the DAP, it is just as bad. It's top national leadership has 25 Chinese, 5 Indians and 2 Malays.
The Indians here are chairman (Karpal Singh), vice-chairman (M.Kulasegaran), deputy secretary general (Prof P. Ramasamy), and two committee members (Gobind Singh Deo and P. Gunasekaran).

Some who read this will say that although there are limited number of Indians in these two parties, others, meaning those of other races in the party, will not differentiate among races in fighting for a better Malaysia and that they represent all Malaysians regardless of race and religion.

But if this was the case, why not let the party be equally represented? Why is there a majority of a certain race in the parties i.e Malays in PKR and Chinese in DAP. Where does that leave the Indians?

In both the parties, there is not a single Indian leader who holds a key post. The chairmanship of Karpal in the DAP, as we all know, is just a rubber stamp for decisions made by the secretary general. To further the point, we have yet to see Karpal coming out with concrete proposal or recommendation for the betterment of the Malaysian Indian community.

My advice would be please do not be hoodwinked. We have to remain united not divided in trying address all our problems.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) yesterday appealed for the release of five of its leaders being detained under the ISA.

Its national coordinator, R.S. Thanenthiran, said lawyers R. Kengadharan, 41, M. Manoharan, 47, V. Ganabatirau, 35, P. Uthayakumar, 47, and Hindraf coordinator K. Vasantha Kumar, 35, had suffered enough for the past nine months.

"If the government can release (MP) Teresa Kok from ISA, why can't they also release our leaders?" Thanenthiran said yesterday.

The five were detained on Dec 13 last year.

IPOH: Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is in an upbeat mood.

The MIC supremo said the Indians who deserted the party at the March 8 general election were returning.

"The Indians who abandoned the MIC are coming back to us," he said yesterday.

He said the queues were forming once again at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Another sign of the party's recovery is the support it appears to be gaining among grassroots leaders attending the MIC rebranding initiatives.

Samy Vellu's current confidence contrasts starkly with his morose and beaten temperament after the MIC was thrashed by the opposition.

"The Indians are returning to us. Hundreds come to the party headquarters every week to ask for assistance. They have realised that only the MIC can help them," he said after opening a Rebranding MIC workshop here.

Samy Vellu, who has helmed the party since 1979, believed things could only get better for the party with Indians realising that their hopes lay with the MIC.

"Every Indian who came to see me at the MIC headquarters after the general election has expressed regret for supporting the opposition.

"They admitted that no one could help them but MIC. I believe MIC is regaining its footing as the sole representative of the Indian interest in the country."

But the painful beating the party took at the hands of the opposition, losing six out of nine parliamentary and 12 out of 19 state seats, is fresh on his mind.

Samy Vellu believes the only way to ensure support from the Indian community is to put his post-general election rebranding MIC initiative into high-gear.

Starting with Perlis and Kedah last month, he is touring each state to meet more than 3,400 grassroots leaders in 145 divisions to explain his vision and get them involved with the rebranding drive.

"There is still a lot of work to be done towards strengthening the party. MIC lost a lot of support because its grassroots leaders either did not communicate or failed to effectively communicate to members and non-members of the party's struggles and successes.

"In the last general election, close to 50 per cent of Indian voters abandoned MIC because they believed the party was not capable of protecting Indian interests anymore.

"This happened because the party leaders were not in touch with the grassroots anymore.

"This is why we are carrying out the rebranding initiative. I want every grassroots leader to be active and learn the art of communicating with their members. MIC cannot afford to suffer the same fate again."

Samy Vellu, who lost his Sungai Siput seat, said the party would be launching a web portal next month to provide information on the going-ons in the community and party.

He said a call-centre would also be established so that Indians could obtain information or provide feedback on issues, problems or party matters.

"By 2010, MIC will be stronger than ever. This is not just a hope, I am confident that MIC will be the party of choice for all Indians."

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC's Yayasan Social Strategic had brought up cases of estate slavery to the police before.

Its assistant director, V. Vanita Ramany, said cases referred to the police were often not given sufficient attention.

She cited a case where an 18-year-old worker escaped from an estate in Bahau, Negri Sembilan, in March after enduring years of abuse.

"The girl sought our help and we referred her to the Bahau police. But till now, nothing has been done.

"She is currently under the care of a welfare home," said Vanita, who added that she had contacted Negri Sembilan police chief Datuk Osman Salleh over the matter.

While Osman was helpful, she said some policemen did not share his enthusiasm.

Vanita was commenting on a New Straits Times report on Monday where a family of eight, who had been enslaved in an estate for seven years, was interviewed.

Vanita also referred to one case in Malacca which was reported to the police. But the victim was arrested for armed robbery when he showed the scars on his body.

"The next day, he was released after the police realised they had made a mistake."

Vanita said there were also six other estate workers who had sought help but they never "showed up at our office again".

MIC has urged the authorities to arrest immediately anyone who raises issues related to religion and race that could trigger problems in the country, party president S Samy Vellu said.


MCPX
He said such people should be put behind bars for trying to create disorder and chaos.

"The government must act fast against these kind of people," he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the MIC's central working committee today.

He also proposed that an interracial relations council be established to discuss and address amicably issues concerning religion, language, culture and racial sensitivities.

Such a council was important to help realise the government's efforts at strengthening racial unity which had come under threat after the last general election.

"The people are worried about the current situation as a lot of racial sensitivities are being raised by irresponsible quarters.

"So let's go back to our original struggle of forging national unity for the good of the people and country."

He said the interracial relations council could be set up after the proposed Race Relations Act had become a reality.

Samy Vellu said the council could be represented by the various political parties and religious and cultural organisations.

"The government needs to rebuild racial unity which will lead to national unity. But we also need to caution all quarters not to stoke up hatred among the various races in this country."

At the meeting, the MIC also conveyed its congratulations to Najib Abdul Razak for being appointed the new finance minister, and expressed its support for the prime minister and his deputy, as well as to BN in its mission to win back the people's support through new approaches.

"The MIC supports the government in all its actions to ensure the country's political stability and economic strength," said Samy Vellu.

However, he said, the MIC also urged the government to use the Internal Security Act judiciously, and the opposition to stop any action that could destabilise the country.

MIC Youth condemns ISA

In a related development, MIC Youth strongly condemned the use of ISA on Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng last week and the chilling fear it gave other journalists.

The wing said this move indirectly curtailed freedom of speech accorded by the Federal Constitution.

Tan, who was arrested Last Friday, was released 18 hours later. Also arrested on the same day were controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and DAP MP Teresa Kok.

In a statement today, MIC Youth legal bureau chief R Thayakugan also commended Umno politician Zaid Ibrahim for resigning as de facto law minister in protest of the ISA arrests.

"The decision taken by Zaid is applauded and a step to reformation as BN ministers are now taking bold steps to voice their dissatisfaction and accountability to the public."

"The detention of the five Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) leaders under the same ISA is also strongly criticised as they do not continue to be a threat to security."

Thayakugan also dismissed the ISA as a draconian measure which is now obsolete.

"The discretion and powers to determine a threat to security which is subjective and decided by only a few has to be sparingly exercised."

"The MIC Youth calls upon all MPs regardless from Barisan or Pakatan to amend or repeal the ISA. This would not only boost public confidence but also reinforce foreign investors confidence."

THE Immigration Department had given an assurance that it would speed up visa and permit applications for priests, musicians and artisans from India, the Makkal Osai reported.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said the department’s director-general Datuk Mahmood Adam had assured him that he would meet all state immigration heads soon to ensure that the government’s decision to allow for new applications was implemented immediately.

He said Mahmood also gave him an assurance that all decisions made at a meeting between him (Dr Subramaniam) and Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar would be carried out without delay.

One of them was that fresh applications for visas and permits for priests, musicians and artisans from India would be valid for a maximum of three years.

It would also be based on a set of guidelines

KUALA LUMPUR: The MIC has urged the authorities to arrest anyone who raises issues related to religion and race that can trigger racial problems.

The government must act fast on these people, party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu told reporters after chairing a meeting of the MIC’s central working committee today.

He proposed that an inter-race relations council be established to discuss issues concerning religion, language, culture and racial sensitivities.

He said the council could be represented by the various poli-tical parties and religious and cultural organisations.

“The people are worried about the current situation as a lot of racial sensitivities are being raised by irresponsible quarters.

“So, let’s go back to our original struggle of forging national unity for the good of the people and country.

At the meeting, the MIC also congratulated Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for being appointed the new finance minister.

Samy Vellu urged the government to use the Internal Security Act judiciously, and called on the Opposition to stop any action that could destabilise the country.

Stay with The Star Online for the latest updates.

2.20pm: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrives at PKR headquarters for his press conference with party whip Azmin Ali and PAS secretary-general Datuk Kamarudin Jaafar.

2.25pm: Press conference begins. Anwar says he has sent a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to call an emergency Parliament session no later than Sept 23 to deliberate on a vote of no-confidence against Abdullah's leadership (see here).

2.45pm: Anwar's press conference ends.

4pm: Umno Supreme Council meeting gets underway to discuss the transition of power



Malaysiakini:

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim sees no reason for the government to detain him under the Internal Security Act

According to him, there are pressing issues at hand.


“There is no reason to arrest to me under the ISA, we have a major political problem and the economy is in near crisis given the glob economic situation and financial convulsions in the Unites States.

“This is what the PM (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) should focus on,” he told a press conference.

The possibility of an ISA arrest was raised when Abdullah yesterday described the opposition leader as a threat to the economy and national security.

‘Destroy the country’

Asked what action the government would take against him, Abdullah refused to reveal his cards, saying: “I will not indicate what plan I will take, what I do will be in the best interests of the people and the country.”

“Because of Anwar’s actions, there are fund managers who have reported that Malaysia is purportedly no longer a good place for investment because of the unstable political climate.”

Abdullah said the opposition leader has lied a lot about the country’s economic status, even claiming that there is no Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) coming in.

On the contrary, the premier said FDI is still flowing in and Malaysia is popular among investors.

“Anwar wants to destroy the country and exploit the people’s trust and tarnish the country’s image abroad.”

Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin today officially announced his decision to contest for the top post of the wing in the December party polls.

MCPXHe aimed to replace outgoing Youth wing chief Hishammuddin Hussein on a platform that would bring the members and leaders much closer.

He said he intended to bring changes through a ‘friendship platform' to strengthen ties between the Umno grassroots and party leaders, as well as with Barisan Nasional component partners.

"I'm contesting as a Malaysian, just as I'm contesting as a Malay for Umno," said Khairy, adding that the Umno Youth chief post was a heavy responsibility as he would also have to lead BN Youth.

He made the announcement in front of about 100 supporters at a function in Rembau. Among them were some 40 Umno Youth division leaders and five Umno Youth state leaders.

Khairy is the member of parliament for the constituency.

Khairy said that Umno Youth must adopt a more inclusive approach towards non-party members and those of other races because the movement also leads Barisan Nasional Youth.

Asked if he would be accepted by Barisan component parties considering his history of making statements which irked them, Khairy said that there were no problems as he knew Barisan Youth leaders well.

"Maybe we require a fresh way of presenting unity in BN Youth. That's what I plan to do. We need someone to articulate the social contract in ways where the young generation can understand.

"We must be inclusive and reach out to the young. Of course Umno Youth are my core constituents, but we must be inclusive. That is the new approach we must bring into Umno Youth," he said.

An OK chance


Asked on his chances, Khairy jokingly said that he stood an "okay chance" but indicated that he had done extensive groundwork nationwide, hence the delay for announcing his candidacy.


He also praised outgoing Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin and intends to build on the latter's achievements.

"In 1998, Umno Youth was almost destroyed. There was no leader, secretary, treasurer or publicity chief. Umno was in tatters, but Hishammuddin was successful in uniting the movement.

"Now, we need efforts to spread Umno Youth's influence, not only within the wing, but also serve as a entity which can inspire Malays and all Malaysian youths," he said.


On whether he has a running mate, Khairy replied that the question does not arise, adding that no one has announced that they would be running for deputy or vice Umno Youth chief yet.

He regarded his opponents as friends who are more senior than he was in the movement and believed that regardless of whoever that was elected, that person would be able to serve the movement well due to his individual strength and integrity.

Umno supreme council member and ex-Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo had also announced that he would be contesting for the post.

Jerlun MP and Umno Youth exco member Mukhriz Mahathir is also expected to vie for the top post.

Till date, three others who have announced their candidacy for the post are Umno supreme council member and ex-Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, Jerlun MP and Umno Youth exco member Mukhriz Mahathir and Perlis Umno deputy chief Zahidi Zainol Abidin.

Also at the press conference was Umno Youth representatives from some 40 divisions including Federal Territory Umno Youth chief Norza Zakaria, Umno Youth treasurer Abdul Hamid Nasalah, Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Umno Youth exco Reezal Merican and Putera Umno chief Azeez Abdul Rahim.