By P. Uthayakumar
Questions and Clarifications
Why is Hindraf contesting when they earlier stated that they are non-political?
What Pakatan promised in 2008, they did not deliver even one of Hindraf’s 18-point demands despite being in the “Putrajayas” in five Pakatan states for five long years. The Estate Workers Housing Scheme was never implemented which would have benefitted some 500,000 Indian poor in Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Perak.
Not even one kacang putih licence, garbage collection contract or besi buruk licence was given to Indians in Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Perak even though they have 100% powers to do so. Not even a share of the multi-million ringgit state government road, landscape, construction contracts were shared with Indians. Not even one office boy’s job has been given to one Indian poor in any of the Pakatan Rakyat ruled states. Especially at an age and era when a black man is already in the White House… even carrying a Muslim name (Barack Hussien Obama).
Even in the Pakatan Rakyat 13th General Elections Manifesto and Buku Jingga there is nothing to deliver for the Indians when they get to Putrajaya. And now the Prime Minister in waiting Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim has refused to sign the Hindraf 18-point demands.
Uthayakumar as the longest standing and most senior Hindraf de facto leader will be the Hindraf voice and check-and-balance at the highest political level, in Parliament and Putrajaya for the marginalized communities which even Pakatan Rakyat top leaders do not want. Like Umno/BN, Pakatan only want ‘cari makan’ Indian mandores as MPs and ADUNs who they can control and who will never champion the Hindraf 18-point demands.
But Pakatan has been in power for only five years whereas BN has ruled for 57 years. Why should Hindraf contest?
For example one of the problems that Pakatan has 100% powers in Selangor is to grant land to all 97 Tamil schools in Selangor all in one go according to Section 76 of the National Land Code. Pakatan Menteri Besar needs only five seconds to sign and not five years. Why has Pakatan refused to do this?
There are one hundred other serious Indian problems which Pakatan could have solved to give a permanent and wholesome solution in the five Pakatan states but which was not done. There is no Ubah for the Indian poor in the Pakatan dictionary. Dato Seri Najib also says that he has been Prime Minister for only four years and that he should be given another chance of five years. Can we give Najib another five years? Of course NOT. Therefore, we need at least one strong Hindraf MP in Parliament.
Why is P. Uthayakumar/Hindraf contesting in Kota Raja / Sri Andalas when the Indian/Opposition votes will be split and BN will win?
In the 2008 general elections, Pakatan won in five states because of the 25th November 2007, 100,000 Makkal Sakthi. Hindraf’s Rally using the Makkal Sakthi battle cry rode on the Indian empathy for P. Uthayakumar and the Hindraf lawyers jailed under the ISA. Now Pakatan refuse to make way in even one out of the 222 Parliament and 576 Dun seats to Hindraf! Is this fair?
Uthayakumar has agreed to contest under the Pakatan Rakyat ticket against BN so that there won’t be a split of Opposition votes. But Pakatan has rejected him. Why?
How is Uthayakumar not qualified to be the Opposition candidate? Is it because he speaks up for the Indians without fear or favor? Is it because Uthayakumar refuses to become Pakatan’s Indian mandore? Is it because Uthayakumar cannot be controlled?
The Opposition/Indian votes will not be split when Pakatan makes way for Hindraf/ Uthayakumar for a one-to-one contest against Umno/BN in Kota Raja and Sri Andalas. Therefore, BN will not win.
Can Uthayakumar win?
Yes. In Kota Raja, the Malays form 44%, Indians 29% and Chinese 24%. The Malay votes will split into two and Pakatan will get 22%. We have 29% Indian voters. Even with only 30% of the Chinese votes going to Uthayakumar and 70% going to Pakatan, we can win by a small majority.
Unlike in the 2008 General Elections, the Chinese will now have another option and will prefer a prominent Indian lawyer, a credible human rights activist with a 24-year track record, having been detained 12 times, all on public interest cases, the ongoing Sedition trial on the Kg Medan ‘ethnic cleansing’ where Uthayakumar is facing a further three years jail sentence and an ex-ISA detainee over the Islamic party PAS lady candidate.
In the 2008 General Elections unknown Arumugam won as an independent candidate in the Bukit Selambau state seat. In the 2004 General Elections, way before the 25th November 2007 Hindraf Rally awakening, an unknown local, Krishnan, stood as an independent candidate in Kota Raja Parliament and DUN Sri Muda seats but did not lose his deposit. Furthermore, there are no army, Orang Asli or Felda votes in Kota Raja for BN to manipulate.
Why contest in Kota Raja and Sri Andalas and not another MIC/BN seat?
At 29% Indian voters, Kota Raja is the constituency with the highest number of Indian voters in Malaysia. And about one third of the Indian population in Malaysia live in Selangor. The best chance of winning is here.
Does Hindraf/Uthayakumar want BN out of Putrajaya?
Yes. Our political position is do not vote for Umno/BN. Whether one wants to vote for Pakatan or not is up to them. However, we are not prepared to take responsibility for voting in Pakatan for the reasons I have articulated. Hindraf is not prepared to take responsibility for Pakatan Rakyats’ non-delivery to the Indian poor. This is our dilemma. But we want Pakatan to take Hindraf along with it to Parliament and Putrajaya. Why not? To be Pakatan’s internal check and balance so that the Indians will not be racially discriminated for another 57 long years under Pakatan rule. And we do not want Pakatan to become an Umno/BN clone.
Why does Pakatan not want to give Uthayakumar or Hindraf even one seat?
Uthayakumar and everyone else in Hindraf has refused to take up any Datuk, Senator, Director, Councillors posts or positions or any contracts, projects or “cari makan” opportunities in the five Pakatan states as they will end up becoming the Pakatan Indian mandores as what the MIC mandores are in Umno/BN .
Because of this, Pakatan cannot control Uthayakumar/Hindraf and cannot stop him from championing Indian issues without fear or favour. Uthayakumar/Hindraf struggle is against Umno and Pakatan racism, about equality, equal opportunities and equal upward mobility opportunities and about wholesome and permanent solutions as granted to the Malays and Chinese.
But like Umno/BN, Pakatan also wants Hindraf to play politics with the Indian poor by dishing out temporary and ad hoc solutions like more hampers, rice packets and wheelchairs, dishing out RM 5,000, RM 10,000 mock cheques and empty promises of land for Tamil schools, Hindu temples, Hindu cemetaries, Indian settlements and maximum political propaganda and advertisements especially in the Tamil dailies.
However, with no sight of the land titles, Pakatan has denied the Indian poor permanent and wholesome solutions like the Estate Workers Housing Scheme, Felda like ten-acre land ownership that has benefitted 1,021,346 Malay Muslims, business licences, contracts, business opportunities, business loans, scholarships, skills training and scores of other government policies implemented for the Malay poor.
The root cause of the day to day misery of the Indian poor today inflicted by Umno/BN government and by the four Pakatan state governments with impunity is left unexplored. When Uthayakumar champions these Indian issues, Pakatan Rakyat does not want to make way for him in even one seat!
Why can’t we just give Pakatan five years and if they do not perform, we can change them?
After Merdeka Umno/BN was first voted in for only five years but ended up in power for 57 long years.
Being only 8% of the voters the Indians do not have the power to change Pakatan. Even if after five years we can vote Pakatan out and vote BN back, BN will also then not deliver to the Indians. We will not get anywhere. We will be back to square one. Why can’t we go parallel? Why wait for five years? Why should we not vote in Hindraf along with Pakatan in Parliament and Putrajaya at the same time. Why should we waste another five years?
What can a mere one Hindraf MP do?
If we do not have even one Hindraf MP, then Pakatan at Putrajaya will get a walk over as there will be nobody to question and put pressure on them at the highest political level. And they may become another full-fledged Umno/BN in a matter of time.
Anyway PKR only had one MP in the 2004 General Elections but it rose to a whopping 31 MPs in the 2008 general elections plus they now rule the state of Selangor and are also part of the state governments of Penang, Kedah and Kelantan and Perak (11 months) .Of course it was with the support of the 25th November 2007 Hindraf Rally people power. But today Pakatan Rakyat does not want to acknowledge it and to make way to Hindraf in even one seat.
At the International level, for example, the Hindraf MP can lobby the International Parliamentary Union, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, European Parliament, United Nations, United States Congress etc against the Umno/BN and Pakatan racist policies victimizing the most vulnerable communities in Malaysia. It would make a difference because the Hindraf MP is the people’s elected representative.
But Pakatan is a needs based and multi-racial party and does more for the Indian poor?
Yes Pakatan gives the Indian poor more rice packets and hampers than Umno/BN. The fact remains that Pakatan is only marginally better than Umno/BN. If we ask ourselves what has Pakatan done for the Indian poor in Selangor in their five year rule as opposed to Umno/BN, the answer is Pakatan has hardly done anything. So we need at least one Hindraf MP to continue putting pressure on Pakatan not to implement racist policies against the Indian poor as Umno/BN has been doing for 57 long years.
In the last five years has the present PAS MP for Kota Raja or any of the 82 Pakatan MPs including their eleven Indian MP mandores and 15 ADUNS raised, questioned or put pressure in Parliament or DUN and internationally even on 0.1% of the Hindraf 18-point demands/critical Indian poor as is documented on a day-to-day basis in www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com?
No, they have not even once staged one walkout from Parliament, filed one emergency motion in Parliament or got suspended from Parliament or DUN on any serious Indian issue. However, it was done for Teoh Beng Hock, Anuar Ibrahim, three Malay youths shot dead in Shah Alam, Singapore youth [Malaysian youth in Singapore] Yong sentenced to death and many other Malay and Chinese issues. But never on any serious Indian poor issue! Why? No political mileage championing Indian poor issues?
What does Pakatan and Umno/BN want from Indian voters?
A FREE INDIAN VOTES with almost zero delivery and to preserve the Indian poor who form about 80% of the Indian population as cheap labourers doing the 3D jobs. To do the Dirty, Dangerous And Difficult work for as low as RM13.00 per day and denied EPF, Socso, medical benefits, bonus gratuity. The Indian poor have today become [at] par with, if not lower, than the foreign workers.
Why are Pakatan and Umno/BN taking advantage of disenfranchised Indians?
Because despite there being almost one million Indian voters in Malaysia as at 2013 electoral roll, Umno/BN broke up and gerrymandered Indian voters and Indian areas so that the Indians are denied even one Indian-majority Parliament or DUN seat out of the 222 Parliament and 576 DUN seats in Malaysia.
This so that the Indians can be continued to be oppressed and preserved as the Indian poor and denied a voice at the highest political level. And similarly Pakatan and Bersih also do not want even one Indian-majority seat for the very same reason. For example in Klang, Sri Andalas, Sentosa, Sri Muda, Pandamaran, Kapar, Port Klang, Shah Alam, we see Indians everywhere.
But we do not have even one Indian-majority Parliament or State seat. This is the political lesson that we all have to learn and work hard in the next five years towards creating at least one Indian majority seat in every of the seven ‘Indian belt’ states – Kota Raja, Padang Serai, Batu Kawan, Ipoh Barat, Teluk Kemang, Cameron Highlands and Tebrau i.e. by changing your IC address and registering as voters in these constituencies in time for the 14th General Elections. If and only if we had done this in the last five years, we would win and have at least seven Hindraf MPs in this 13th General Elections.
Anwar Ibrahim had recently stated that Pakatan could win by ten Parliamentary seats. If we had control of seven out of these ten seats, we could certainly use it as a leverage to pressure Pakatan to end all Umno/BN and Pakatan Rakyat racist policies victimizing the Indian poor. However, today we are still struggling for even one seat in Kota Raja.
Rights not mercy
P. Uthayakumar,
De facto leader, Hindraf.
*** *** ***
Uthaya’s press release is published verbatim and in toto above.
Helen Ang 
Helen,
reading through the posted article by P.Uthayakumar caught my attention that he/Hindraf tends to put the whole blame of the poor indian fate to UMNO/BN.
i keep wondering myself that why after a very long statement, he never mention MIC.
And there is no statement mentioning how many of Hindraf members are members of MIC or other Indian based political party.
How many then are ‘over-the fence’ or not a member to any party?
After merdeka for 57 years, why the blame is placed to UMNO shoulder and not MIC as the majority Indians and their leaders are there?
Is it because MIC is meant for the middle class and above?
Chua Soi Lek yesterday announced that he will not be contesting in this GE13 and also said that MCA is reforming it’s party to a younger leadership generation.
How about MIC…has the president take into account the plight of Hindraf?
Our country are under transformation towards 2020 to become a fully developed and high income country. The three biggest political party UMNO, MCA and MIC are actually under threat thus they warrant immediate change to the betterment of the races that they championed.
To me Hindraf is a case of failure of MIC as a whole and not UMNO.
Helen, fear is not difficult to understand. Weren’t we all frightened as children? Has anything changed since Little Red Riding Hood faced the big bad wolf?
What frightens us today is exactly the same sort of thing that frightened us yesterday in fairy tales in our childhood. It’s just a different kind of wolf in a reality world but the concept is the same.
For most of us, it is a world in which good and evil is our own prescribed cocooned concepts hoping for the magic powder (like how BN/PR bloggers behave) to save an agenda rather than dealing with the issues even though there is truth to it. Unless and until we have the wit, heart and courage to use it shed the wolves for the reality and humanity amongst each other, it will always be a long call for someone like Uthaya.
Naturally I wish him the best of luck.
re: “it will always be a long call for someone like Uthaya”
We gotta start somewhere. Let’s start by sending one Hindraf MP to Parliament.
PSM’s lone MP in the 2008-2013 Parliament – Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj – did a good job.
quote
“Anwar Ibrahim had recently stated that Pakatan could win by ten Parliamentary seats. If we had control of seven out of these ten seats, we could certainly use it as a leverage to pressure Pakatan to end all Umno/BN and Pakatan Rakyat racist policies victimizing the Indian poor. However, today we are still struggling for even one seat in Kota Raja.”
Uthaya is just like those Anglophiles and Evangelists. they think the 3 PR parties will stick together. this is delusional thinking at work. in the event that PR win, but only with a simple majority, the internal mechanism of each of these 3 parties will go into overdrive.
if BN loses, but Umno ends up as the party with the most seats, both at federal and state levels, do these Anglophiles and Evangelists, not to forget people like Uthaya, do they really think Anwar would be that stupid as not to approach Umno and make a deal with them ?
Anwar is not going to stick with the DAP and Pas if he believes that he can convinced Umno into forming an alliance with him and PKR. likewise, Pas too have their own agenda. would Pas stick with PKR and DAP if they believe that they too can convinced Umno into forming an alliance with them ?
people like the Anglophiles, people like the Evangelists, people like the Chinese, and certainly people like Uthaya, they think in one dimensional terms. have they ever asked themselves “what if there is another outcome beyond what we can comprehend ?”.
like it or not, whether you prepare for it or not, in the event that BN loses the GE, the entire political landscape will change radically. it will then be every political party for itself.
don’t be surprised if you wake up in the early morning of May 6 and you hear news that Umno, Pas and PKR are in discussions to form a unity government at federal and state levels.
:)
I agree with you, at least on the PAS scenario. Don’t think Anwar will have any bargaining chip tho’
The Chinese can’t see this because they’re DAP delusional and they prefer to force fit the situation into their conspiracy theories and kumbaya bullshit rather than assess the facts stone cold.
Heck, many of them can’t even speak BM. How to expect them to delve into the intricacies of the Malay psyche?
well, if this really happens, they will say this is a betrayal and treachery. heck, this is politics. after all, friends and enemies are temporary, only common interest is permanent.
it will be interesting to see their responses. we may well hear “migrate ! migrate !”.
migrate ? we have been hearing this for decades… can this still fly ?
re: “can this still fly?”
I was under the impression that Malaysian Chinese are AirAsia’s biggest fans and customers.
Helen, on the side note, i would like to thank you for highlighting the M’sian Indian pressing issues for the deprived ones (minus the AK, TF, Ghanalingam or the semua tahu I made it Indians within the urbanized circle) as a fellow Malaysian in a bipartisan manner for feedbacks from non Indian commentors (who probably are not aware of the severity of the M’sian Indian dilemma).
Realism for the poor segment of Indians in M’sia means that the M’sia is dull and full of wolverine because everyone expect them to accept their predicament although their soul is sick and screaming.
In a fairy tale, everything is resolved, but in realism everything is accepted to be compromised even when it is flawed like the M’sian Indians.
So sometimes we need something like HINDRAF to put into perspective the truth for their predicament and how we the fellow folks accept it and deal with it is naturally their choice. We don’t need politics for this but the ability to acknowledge the truth and reality. Aiiyah!!!, sometimes I go overboard, please excuse me.
hi, I just copy paste excerpt from article titled, The Indian Dilemma which was published in Aliran. it’s just a repost with some highlight.
http://aliran.com/11873.html
The Indians themselves will have to grab the horns of the dilemma with both hands and actively address the problem of disunity. The middle- and upper-middle-class Indians must take a genuine interest in the poor Indians, becoming part of the solution; they must stop being part of the problem. They have to learn a lesson from the Chinese community that set its priority in education without depending on the government. Empowerment through education is the beginning of independence. We can wait another half century; this kind of independence will not fall from the sky, whichever government is in power. It has to be nurtured from within.
The first batch of doctors, lawyers, engineers and other professionals in the country were Indians after the British, but they set themselves apart from the poor Indians whereas the wealthy Chinese made contributions to bring up the poor in their community. The Indians have lagged behind because of the self-interest of well-to-do Indians. There are indeed very well-to-do Indians today like Ananda Krishnan and Tony Fernandes.
still blame UMNO but not mentioning Samy Vellu…
MalayPrincess,
what you have stated is history, Just like how Daim with Tajuddin Ramli, Amin Shah, Halim Saad etc. We can also talk of the Chinese hegemony. We all know the history.
Those in power whether it is Malay, Chinese or Indian does not matter, but how the affiance should not be UMNO/PR but rather what is the policy for its transparency can do for fellow regular Malaysians without the influence of politics.
Pointing finger at politicians is not going to solve the problem because we elected these dogs irrespective of the origin. Today you see a problem, nobody is blaming UMNO solely but also their coalition partners who neglected their own community to fill their own pocket just like UMNO, MIC, MCA and their coalition partners.
The reality here is not a blame game but rather how we the common folks can come together to eradicate the faults irrespective of the origin but rather address it if this is right to pursue and enhance our fellow Malaysian irrespective of the origin.
I think in Najib, not UMNO, has come forward in a proactive manner unlike the opposition in handling the Malaysian Indian dilemma directly as a Malaysian beyond the usual protocol in an artificial perspective like a defunct Aliran.
Understand the concept that evolvement needs participation with a wit, courage and self independence whereas enslavement needs just typical obeisance for our own fairy tale story.
re: “defunct Aliran”
The NGO is not defunct. It has merely Ubah to now channel the Tokong’s voice.
How Chandra Muzaffar the Aliran founder must be cringing at their base transformation.
Uthaya, show them you are elected by Hindraf members (100,000 you say) then, they will come running to you. This de factor leader only works for Anwar Ibrahim.
Uthaya,
what have you contributed to the people since 2008?
you may be good then but we need leaders or wakil rakyats with wisdom and vision. not wakil rakyat like mahathir.
Prove you value to the people and they will vote for you regardless of whether you pro PR or BN or Bebas.
out of curiosity, if Hindraf already decided or have a mindset not to give Najib a chance for the next term, why agree meeting him recently? The way I see it, they’re hopefuls for Pakatan support but since nothing concrete transpires, they merajuk and meeting najib is just a ploy for Pakatan to take them seriously, no?
They are two Hindraf factions. The one that met up Najib is the younger brother Waytha.
The one taking the political route is Uthaya. Much earlier Uthaya was already in the Pakatan bad books.
Both factions as well as their supporters are more inclined to the opposition than they are to the establishment. There is evidently a lingering ‘dissatisfaction’ (I’m using a mild word) with Umno.
Helen,
Nothing concrete can come out of a negotiation tainted with dissatisfaction & closed mindset.
There is only a small window of opportunity for Hindraf to trade its influence over the voters in return for the adoption of its blueprint.
After polling day, Hindraf will no longer have this bargaining chip.
The poor Indians are the pelanduk mati di tengah. The NEP under Umno successfully uplifted the Malays. Under the Pakatan states for 5 years, the marginalized Indians lost as much ground as they did over 55 years under the BN.
Saya berharap agar pihak (Najib) yang duduk berunding akan melapangkan hati serta berjiwa besar dalam menangani permasalahan kaum India yang ditimbulkan Hindraf.
It is not a weakness to bend. I think it will be a greatness to be able to give the Indians their rights as due despite that dissatisfaction with Umno’s 55-year rule tinges the air. Reconcile and move on.
agree with your last statement, “Saya berharap agar pihak (Najib) yang duduk berunding akan melapangkan hati serta berjiwa besar dalam menangani permasalahan kaum India yang ditimbulkan Hindraf”.
i’d say that Najib will do something provided that BN wins with UMNO the majority thus he can trasformed his new cabinets.
If PR wins, i dare not put myself into believing Hindraf will see any changes..
secara langsung masalah terbesar kaum India adalah MIC mereka GAGAL……rasanya tak payah lah saya nak uraikan satu persatu. manakala masalah BN pula adalah juga MIC
in a way BN – UMNO/MCA tahu mereka GAGAL menjaga kepetingan orang INdia melalui MIC which they have only themselves to blame…..
tetapi benda dah terlajak……nak buat camna tapi saya rasa mereka amat berharap ketika isu RT, ugutan anak sami velu menjadi kenyataan because I DO…. kerana ianya boleh membuka jalan untuk mereka duduk semeja dengan BN ….kerana halangan terbesar untuk ini terjadi adalah MIC….
bagi saya jalan terbaik bagi HINDRAF sekarang adalah to sit with MIC work out their differrence and stay as on unit and go hunting…..
election so close…..lots of game out there…..
pembetulan : kerana ia nya membuka jalan untuk mereka duduk semeja dengan HINDRAF…
That’s the reason why i commented (in your previous posts) that Hindraf has not issued any diplomatic statement re: meeting with Najib.
In this post, Uthaya blamed UMNO wholly and strongly urge the voters not to give Najib a chance but OK-ed the supporters’ decisions to vote Pakatan.
If you’re in Najib’s position, wouldn’t you think it’ll be awkward for you to bend or support when they specifically says NO to your face ? Even if he’s to contest under BN ticket, wouldn’t BN (at the back of their mind) think, that he will be pakatan-friendly should he win?
His fascination with Pakatan is still there – everyone here can read through his writing; like bertepuk sebelah tangan, at the moment. That’s why he never overly go ballistic when DAP has been saying nasty things about the indians.. but skewed everything to the failure of BN (UMNO basically) for not helping.
I am not saying that he needs to sugarcoat and be pro-BN all of a sudden, but sometime, a little tact will go along way.
re: “diplomatic statement”, “a little tact will go along way”
I agree with you. But we’re both not Indian and thus are able to be more detached. The shoe pinches them. That’s why I said rather than meeting them halfway, I hope that the side that’s on top of the wheel (that would be Najib-Umno) would go the extra mile.
re: “Pakatan friendly”
Yes, both factions are. That’s the mood of the moment with the minority races. But the Putrajaya talk is a start to softening on both sides. It’s always good to have a beginning.
Anakjamil,
as much as HIndraf cares about the Indians, its method is plain provocative.
At height of makkal sakti, HINDRAF claimed UMNO engineered “etnhic genocide” on Indians.
A little humility will open doors. What HINDRAF expects UMNO to do? Kiss its leaders after being insulted like that?
Indians, just like any other races have things that upset them. That is normal. But please . There is no need to be provocative like that.
Naturally the response would be “pergi mampos la’
Salam Helen,
If a chinese (or a malay) slips and falls into a drain, the crowd would most probably not say anything BUT if an indian slips and falls, the crowd would most probably says ‘apa pasal….mabuk ka…!!! What is wrong here ? (I’ve heard this before…..)
It doesn’t help that the negative stereotype is perpetuated.
In the polemical arguments stemming from the Pakatan supporters’ distaste as Hindraf holding a discussion with Najib, the pro-DAP readers were branding the Hindraf defenders as toddy drunkards in the pages of Malaysiakini. See ‘HERE‘.
So the problem is with the people. We have to be aware as to who the most problematic people are, and they ain’t the poor Indians.
ah those racist lots…..i actually like what RPK s answer to that..
Pray for racial riots and hope those lots will die in it……
Uthaya = ular berkepala dua.
An opportunist like M kayveas.
I think Najib would love to talk and try to resolve the some of Indian issue with HINDRAF but in doing he will sideline MIC which he cant cos MIC is the Party that represent the Indians within BN.
So macam mana…..MIC+HINDRAF > BN
As for Uthaya he will have put his ego aside, he should keep his OPTION open be practical then if THEY play their card well they might get more than just A SEAT to Parliment…he just have to play smart….
Dont worry about UMNO getting piss off…..Melayu mudah lupa anyway we Malay are a very forgiving lot…
Najib is smarter than many who give him credit. He has already sidetracked MCA and MIC in dealing with ethnicity based grassroot leaders as he is not wholly reliable on the major component parties and their fictitious representation.
He saw the mistake Badawi did in 2008, see http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/4/11/nation/12954092&sec=nation. Read between the lines.
The main component parties need to bite the bullet and accept Najib’s decision as those independent grassroot leaders seems to wield their influence in their own segment. This does not mean MIC or MCA becomes irrelevant but to keep them on their toes to translate real changes for the people rather than swiping it under the carpet like semua okay, I can take care of it.
Must give credit to Najib, that he has acknowledge that the poorer segment of M’sian Indians had been neglected somewhat without a safety net and that is why all the Indian based component parties of BN are keeping their trap shut as he boldly engage groups such as HINDRAF. That is a sign of a good leader.
Try telling this to PR and they will say HINDRAF is a traitor, blackmailing, sold out to BN etc because they look at it in a political sense for their thirst of power rather than dealing with the solutions needed to eradicate genuine issues raised by HINDRAF for fellow Malaysian Indians.
The tail end of the dilemma is who is able to solve the problems not a spiked or skewed views and commentary based on a political agenda for the regular middle and affluent folks like us unlike the truth and reality faced by those poorer segment of the M’sian Indians that have been long neglected.
Good luck in exercising your voting rights.
re: “Try telling this to PR and they will say HINDRAF is a traitor, blackmailing, sold out to BN etc because they look at it in a political sense for their thirst of power”
Yes.
The problem is there is no public space for Hindraf without their leaders being demonized like how you’ve described.
I really must to underline here that the Star Media Group, which has a reach to an audience 5.63 million, has been given over to the influence of Jerusubang elements.
These Jerusubang elements are precisely the culprits responsible for the accusations against Hindraf and any other group (CAP) or individual (SM Mohd Idris, Tunku Aziz, Chandra Muzaffar, etc) that is not aligned to the Pakatan thirst for power.
It is okay Helen, HINDRAF does not need artificial publicity or public space when it advocates the truth.
The truth always bites you someway or rather when you are not ready to accept it.Truth is self sustained within us individually for common well being unless we are not ready to accept it because it serves an agenda like how it is for the predicament of the poorer segment of the Malaysian Indians from the estates and their issues.
“An error does not become truth by logic of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it for the reasoning”. Mahatma Gandhi
Helen, I hope you don’t mind that I have reproduced this in http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/04/15/fusion-of-lies-skepticism-by-pr-on-hindraf/.
Naturally for the betterment of the community