“Un peyar enna?“, I asked the elderly woman in wheelchair whom I met in the Jalan Duta court complex.
I’m not sure if my syntax was in the correct required courteous form for a younger person to address an older one but anyway the phrase is Tamil for “What is your name?”
“Kalaiyani,” she replied in a friendly manner and we chatted a bit.
The lady passed away a few weeks after that meeting.
At the funeral in Seremban, there were lots of flowers sent to her wake. I take it that she was well liked. Her youngest son was given the duty as chief mourner for the prayer ceremony. (I’m not sure; it could be an Indian thing – youngest son for mother’s rites, oldest son for father’s rites – or it could just be their personal family arrangement.)
Anyway, shortly after Madam Kalaiyani’s death, Waytha Moorthy resigned his position as a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
In the twilight of her life, she and this son were for separated almost 5 years because he was living in exile in the UK.
Her other son did not get the chance to visit her during her critical illness because the Kajang Prison reportedly refused to grant him leave. The last time Uthayakumar saw her was that day in court that I mentioned above.
She and this son were for separated 1-and-½ years because he was under ISA detention in Kamunting. And there was the perennial sword hanging over his head of being arrested at any time, and the ordeal of making countless appearances in court for his sedition hearings.
I asked Madam Kalaiyani’s other son – this fella is more low profile compared to his two famous brothers – what he thought of Waytha’s resignation. “You know what, I’m relieved,” he replied.
Chandra Sekaran explained that he was glad his family would no longer have to be indirectly associated with the BN.
I asked Madam Kalaiyani’s daughter what she thought of her brother quitting the PMO. Gowri said the decision had been expected for some time and she too was glad that he opted out.
As for Shanti (Mrs Waytha Moorthy), she had kept her distance from the Mak Datin social circuit of VIP wives. For the record, their daughter is in SRJK(T) and not in a posh private school (one of the many lies being spread to defame Hindraf). I know this for a fact because I’ve seen the girl in her dark blue pinafore with school badge.
Waytha’s detractors also told the story that he was whooping it up in Putrajaya, enjoying the perks of Ministerial office. That’s not true at all. This is a storyline really more applicable to the power- and publicity-crazy DAP evangelista YBs.
You can see that the greedy DAP carpetbaggers are glory- and gold seekers who abuse what little power they have managed to acquire like petty tyrants.
Case in point: Madam Speaker’s summary sacking of the food caterer who gave her a stomach ache. What a vindictive b…. ! In actual fact, all over the state, Selangorians are succumbing to food poisoning due to the severe water rationing.
“Higher threshold of pain and suffering”
Takemon blogger GR Kumar left a comment here in my blog, which to me, rather aptly describes the situation of the Tamil poor.
Wrote GR Kumar @ 2014/03/31 at 6:21 am:
<QUOTE>
“The Indians may not be everybody’s cup of tea. A constituency of the bullied, the deprived, the marginalized if not by their own then by everyone from the BN to the opposition they are the future to the balance of power in Malaysia unless one is blind.
“The Indians who are majority Tamils were brought to Malaysia from certain parts of Tamil Nadu (Madras then) by the British who realized that many of these were good workers who could be exploited because their socio religious conditioning imbued in them the belief they should suffer in this life to be reborn and escalated up the social ladder through suffering and pain.
“The Malays including Dr. Mahathir whom I adore in many respects, failed them. The fact remains though that in spite of their failures, they were never made to feel welcome in Malaysia. The Chinese who the Malays prefer because of their wealth and the fact that they assimilate more readily to advance their causes have now overridden the Malay position in Malaysia and that situation with the BN is rapidly deteriorating to a point only another May 13 will cure the Malay decline.
“But out of a position of ignorant arrogance they the BN continue like the DAP to believe the Tamils will sit by idly. It won’t happen. The Waythamurthis and MIC’s don’t control any group. The groups control them. They make them they break them. And if the Tamils are to be understood one merely has to look into their recent history. Regardless of how it ends, one merely has to look at the price Sri Lanka paid for that same careless attitude towards them.
“Malaysia has been caught up in that middle class trap where the vast majority now have the coveted lifestyle albeit at a cost they can ill afford. They want more. Very few analyse the position they are in and ask what are the consequences of this rapid transformation (socially and economically).
“Unless they court the middle ground the situation will turn ugly because whoever wins will win by a small margin which is really no win at all.
“The Tamils have a higher threshold of pain and suffering than any of the other groups who have been molly coddled by the economic prosperity of the country.” […]”
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If you’ve ever heard the mournful Hindraf “theme song”, you might even say it sounds like a dirge.
They are – as GR Kumar aptly describes the lagging Tamils – the bullied, the deprived and the marginalized who have a higher threshold of pain and suffering than any of the other ethnic groups.
And on top of that, sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga. The Hindraf cause is a difficult, thankless and unrewarding (materially speaking) endeavour. Yet the leadership doggedly struggles on. The worst thing about their predicament is that there is a segment of the public which not only does not help but deliberately hinder. I’m talking about the Dapsters who keep slandering the Hindraf movement.
We’re aware of the gutter standard of DAP 3.0 politics and how they malign anybody who stands in the way of their march to Putrajaya. One of the worst victims of undeserved bad press is Waytha Moorthy, both from the Dapsters as well as Dapster Khairy.
Waytha got his law degree from Lincoln’s Inn and his wife hers from Gray’s Inn. With their prestigious legal qualifications, the couple could be running a lucrative commercial law practice instead of choosing to involve themselves in the Hindraf activism and be subjected to all kinds of unwarranted harassment.
The same could be said about Uthaya who is also a lawyer. At a press conference yesterday, Uthaya’s wife Indra Devi read out, to the reporters present, her husband’s latest letter written from jail.
Uthaya’s letter said: “I myself since April 16, (was) locked up for 14 days at the fully closed up (room) except (for) a small ventilation hole (in the) punishment cell – no reading and writing materials, towel and (having to) sleep on cement floor,” he said.
According to Indra, Uthaya attributed the punishment of solitary confinement to his constant complaints about the prison wardens whom he alleged would beat and torture the prisoners. It is public knowledge that alarming deaths are occurring in police custody. Likewise, prison is not a safe place and it is most unsafe for Uthaya.
Indra is pleading for Uthaya to be treated as a political prisoner rather than a common criminal.
Uthaya is a political prisoner
“Kumar is a good man”. This is what his mother-in-law vouches. During one of our prison visits, I had sat beside her in the waiting room and we talked about her two dogs. She had volunteered the information to me and said that Uthaya doesn’t make any fussy demands on her but always accords her filial respect.
Uthaya has two step daughters. One is in college and the other one in her teens. The girls had unfortunately lost their biological father when they were very young. They see Uthaya as “Dad” and tell me that he treats them like they are his own flesh and blood.
This is a family that has been put through the wringer. You can imagine how difficult it is for Indra having to maintain her 9-to-5 job and at the same time raise her girls, look after her own elderly mother while constantly worrying about her husband’s health and safety.
Uthaya is in jail because he shone the harsh, glaring light of day on the abysmal plight of the abandoned Indians.
The Tamilians may possess a considerably higher threshold of pain and suffering but still the government should not allow him to continue to be treated this way. Uthaya’s imprisonment was one of the factors that made it difficult and conflicting for Waytha to remain in Najib’s cabinet.
Public pressure must be generated so that Uthaya is transferred out of the Death Row cell in which the prison authorities lock him up every now and again. Our system is surely better than this. If we want to call ourselves a Caring Society, we must do better.
It is a signal failure of government and an abandonment by society to leave P. Uthayakumar languishing in his present condition.
(1,596 words)
Read also:
Helen Ang 
Which is why I and many like me are not mourning the passing of the wealthy Jaga who did not consider himself Indian like most of his ilk. They are “Sikhs” which is really their religion. They are the “fairer” or lighter skinned Indians. The brawn of India not its brains. It is their attitudes that have relegated the Indians of Malaysia as the “also rans”.
Karpal was loud the Malays and Chinese believed these were the mythical ‘warrior’ movie star breed from the pages of Indian Movie news. In truth he was no great lawyer. But he had established himself cleverly at a time when lawyers were scarce and disobedience to authority was still a Gandhian virtue to be revered.
Karpal had no time for the Tamils or their plight. He was the “Tiger of the Chinese” monied classes in Penang. On occasion when he assisted a death row prisoner it was for a political rather than humane causes. And he wanted the world to know about it. His failures those that could have been avoided with care were never for public discussion and the Malaysian bar are to blame for that.
I do not agree with Waytha Murthi’s or Hindraf’s approach to their politics or the organizational structure which is doomed to repeat the failures of the past. But until Waytha and his brothers learn to be more open, more diverse in their approach and more inclusive the martyr strategy is all they have.
Someone ought to tell them that if Gandhi were around today fighting the British he would not have earned the attention he did in the 1940’s.
Your Tamil is far better than that of more Tamils in exile I know. Whats your background? Very few analytical and effective writers like you around.
Please drop me a line.
Thank you. Will do.
I wanted to say it but you did first. Congratulation! The general rule in Islam is not to say bad things about the dead. We are urged to talk about only their good deeds. But it is not a blanket, wholesale prohibition because certain things need to be told.
I wanted to tell those people who mourn Karpal’s passing. They only know the media & stage image of him. Though he deserves some degree of praise, no doubt, but don’t be too lavish because when the murky side of him comes out in the open, you will regret your praises.
grkumar who knows KS better should perhaps “regale” us with more stuff because I hate to hear, see, read about people getting credits they don’t deserve.
I did write a piece on Anil Netto’s blog about the late Karpal Singh.but that was like casting pearls before swine from the responses to that piece. I did have something to say about respecting him for what he stood for. I did not agree with it but he believed in it.
re: I’m not sure if my syntax was in the correct required courteous form for a younger person to address an older one but anyway the phrase is Tamil for “What is your name?”
Most people use the lesser “Un” for younger people and reserve the more respectful “Unggal” for older people. Same goes for referring to people of lower and higher social standing (Indian class consciousness, I suppose).
I use “Unggal” for all.
Okay. “Unggal” it is, thanks.
Actually unggal is the grammatically correct word that should be used for people who are elder to oneself. In practise it is also used (historically as well) when referring to people of higher social standing (govt officials, royalty, management,etc). Some Malaysians these days even use the word for their kids for reason that is beyond me. However in practise I use “unggal” / “neengal” for all adults even those who are younger/junior than me as a sign of good manners.
Okay, thanks.
Tamil is so complex, like written form of a word is pronounced differently from oral form, is it?
Is ‘book’ Tamil widespread in its use? What is the level of formality in casual conversation?
Tamil is different from amy other languages I know of since the written/formal language is almost never used in a social setting (day to day communication). The formal version is only used for newspapers, books and TV news. The informal version is used for all inter personal communications, even in the movies or TV dramas/shows.
It is easier to pick up the spoken version as it has less grammatical rules.
The formal version is so tough not just because of grammatical rules but also the nuances in pronouciation. Which is I think beyond most non natives and even among many Tamils.
I know some Mandarin which I have studied formally and as you know it has 3 different ways to pronouce the same word. But Tamil is vastly more difficult and frankly even I cannot pronounce it 100% correctly despite my A2 in SPM Tamil.
And don’t even get me started on the written Tamil…
re: “you know it has 3 different ways to pronouce the same word”
4
re: “The Indians may not be everybody’s cup of tea. A constituency of the bullied, the deprived, the marginalized if not by their own then by everyone from the BN to the opposition.”
Those humans who partake in the worship of caste idolatry doth betray their own souls from the Mercy and Justice of the Celestial Lord of the Heavens and the Earth, and the ten million myriad things.
DAP.. carpetbaggers yankees.. good one
i agree, Uthayakumar should be treated fairly ahd propely and more resources directed to the Tamils, the allocation of rm150 million nder budget 2014 was too little.
Ministry of Youth given RM754 million in this year’s budget for their – in the words of Regina Lee – “awesome projects”. What? Another Monsoon Cup?
https://helenang.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/khairy-dapsters-youth-sports-ministry-rm754-million-to-spend/
Why blame DR M when the Samy Vellu still standing?
Kak Helen
I need to highlight how my Green Lane has deteriorated from a good subburb to drug centre Penang since my area is preparing for the by-election at Bukit Gelugor.
First we are shocked with super sized drug bust at Jalan Gangsa in February.
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/02/18/Crime-Penang-heroin-Lab/
GEORGE TOWN: The Special Tactical Intelligence Narcotics Group (Sting) has uncovered a heroin-processing laboratory in Green Lane here, arrested four people and seized more than 80kg of the drug, according to a police source.
80kg of heroin! That the weight of a full grown muscle man.
Last night teens caught in a drug party in Green Lane.
http://www.bnbbc.my/?p=12146
20 APR: 88 individu termasuk 38 wanita ditahan dalam keadaan mabuk dan khayal ketika meraikan pesta hari jadi ‘liar’ di sebuah banglo yang disewa sebagai inap desa (homestay) di Jalan Masjid Negeri, Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, awal pagi Ahad.
I noticed the party goers were all young Malaysian Chinese college students. Malaysian Chinese girls acting drugged and slutty. It is shameful.
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/04/20/Crime-party-homestay/
What has my Bukit Gelugor Green Lane become?
Mulan, Penang has been a key center for drug trafficking for a long time (from Indon, Burma & Thailand). But my friends in the police say that these activities had gone up exponentially since the CAT gomen came on board. It is said that many triad leaders have been supporting DAP financially for a long time. Many of these leaders used to be in the background but since 2008 these guys are emerging out in the open and even seen with the DAP state and national leaders.
Have you noted the sudden rise of “entertaintment” centers and projects in the state since 2008 ? How licenses for these establishments have been approved ? have you seen the police or MPPP raiding these places recent years at all ?
Many of these triad leaders are into housing developments too..
The funny thing is that the girls caught from the birthday/drug/sex party are all Chinese. Chinese kids are supposed to be well protected by their church/temple going Tiger parents who will fret on anything.
http://www.sinarharian.com.my/hari-jadi-bertukar-pesta-dadah-1.272546
Do they girls shown in the picture look like they are from a poor neighbourhood? No.. seems like those girls who come from affluent areas. The kind of house with parents earning a combined income of RM15,000 p.a. , 2 BMWs and Indon maid. These girls will evantually bag a white man (like the Journey) when they grow up.
Cina hari ini. Can anyone share any brat in sex and drugs from the Holy Jerusubang? I bet there are lots of cases.
P/S These girls got their pictures in a Malay paper… aiyo yang pakcik/makcik baca… so malu-ation.
Come to think of it those Chinese girls are really 2 faced.
Face No 1: Cute angelic church/temple going girls with 8A
Face No 2: Hell raising, gutter mouth sluts.
BTW. Harvey Dent or Two-Face is a politician..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-Face
Perhaps you could use his cartoon for someone we know.
I.
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I respect Uthaya’s / Waytha’s commitment and sincerity. However I said many times before that I disagree with their approach. I had come across Uthaya before and I have known him since the 90s as our paths have crossed and I have seen him in action. The problem with him is that his style of struggle may be suitable for Tamil Nadu but certainly not in Malaysia.
Second he has a long track record of illogical exaggerations – whether it is about some injustice to the Indians or about his treatment in detention. So when these get exposed, he loses his credibility. That’s one of the reasons why he’s not universally accepted by Indians in Malaysia. The story how he ran off to the UK also illustrates this. He accused that his life was under threat in Malaysia and was marked for murder by PDRM. In actual fact he ran off since he had made highly defamatory statements against an OCPD and was in trouble with law as unable to substantiate these accusations in court.
The way he operates also irritates and enrages both BN and PR with his wild accusations and name calling. Many people in UMNO have not forgotten his accusations of ethnic cleansing and mass murders. I have attended some of his speeches during the 2007 period and watched some of his VCDs. I have seen his antics at Batu Caves the day before the 2511 protests. Had these speeches been translated into Malay, there would have been a bloodbath on 2511.
He was at his peak of popularity when he was arrested under ISA but his behaviour and actions during and after ISA led him to lose much of these support and sympathy. Today he still maintain a core group of supporters – the 3rd group which supports neither BN or PR. However as seen in the 13GE, this is a very small group.
Let’s not forget also about Uthaya’s demand to PR for seats during GE. He couldn’t cut a deal with BN since he has antagonised them too much over the years. How such seat allocation would change the plight of Indian underclass is beyond me. At least Waytha had some specific plans.
Personally I think there is a need for an independent group to fight for the plight of the Indian poor. But this group needs to be apolitical so they can act independently and put pressure on both BN and PR. That’s why I disagreed with Waytha’s deal with Najib. I didn’t think Waytha as a team player or someone who can operate within the narrow limits of a deputy minister’s authority or willing to toe party line. In fact I am not surprised that he quit.
Many people do not know the real story of Hindraf. Neither Uthaya nor Waytha formed it for led it officially. They were actually the legal advisors to Hindraf. But once the Hindraf 5 were arrested and jailed under ISA, these 5 detainees fell out. In fact Uthaya was boycotted by the other 4 and the situation was so bad that it almost led to physical violence. As such, Uthaya was separated from others and kept in a different block.
This is the real problem for the Malaysian Indians – a lack of unity. The rich Indians (the very same voting block that adores Pakatan) consider themselves as Anak Malaysia / Global Citizens. While the Christian Indians are even worse – they think they are more Caucasians than Indians and feel no connection or empathy whatever to the Hindu Tamils.
re: “But this group needs to be apolitical so they can act independently and put pressure on both BN and PR.”
The 3rd force failed to get traction among the Malays and Chinese which are both larger groups than the Indians. I doubt that an Indian 3rd force per se would amount to much.
PSM can be considered a 3rd force but they refuse to be seen as Indian-dominated even though by headcount they are.
re: “That’s why I disagreed with Waytha’s deal with Najib.”
I think they made the right choice at/for that time. Najib promised and they accepted his word.
re: “I didn’t think Waytha as a team player or someone who can operate within the narrow limits of a deputy minister’s authority or willing to toe party line.”
In the first place, he did not join the Najib administration under the aegis of a political party. In that sense, Waytha would be closer to Paul Low who did not have any political affiliation but was invited to join the cabinet based on his NGO (Transparency International) credentials. What I’m trying to say is that there is no “party” (so to speak) whose line he should toe. He reported directly to Najib.
And lately, the components are not toeing the BN line either. MCA and Gerakan object to hudud but Umno is receptive.
In the second place, he entered Putrajaya to carry out the blueprint (to solve the “Indian poor” problems) and I doubt that the other cabinet ministers would have wanted him in their “teams”.
e.g. KJ had a budget allocation of RM754 million to carry out his Ministry’s “awesome projects” and he and Regina didn’t offer a sen to Waytha for any Indian poverty alleviation projects. So what team playing was KJ talking about?
re: “Many people do not know the real story of Hindraf. Neither Uthaya nor Waytha formed it for led it officially. They were actually the legal advisors to Hindraf.”
You’re correct about their status at its inception as “legal advisors”. But then again, nobody else stepped up to take the lead and thus the responsibility devolved on their (the Ponnusamy brothers) shoulders.
Technically, Hindraf was registered when Waytha returned from exile. That would put its registration date sometime in early 2013. Earlier the movement was banned by the Home Ministry, i.e. around the time of the ISA arrests.
re: “But once the Hindraf 5 were arrested and jailed under ISA, these 5 detainees fell out. In fact Uthaya was boycotted by the other 4 and the situation was so bad that it almost led to physical violence.”
The 5 of them were: Uthaya, Manoharan, Ganapathy Rao, Kengadhadran and Vasantha Kumar.
Mano has been representing Uthaya as his legal counsel, and just a few months ago (Dec 2013) Mano launched a book on Uthaya, see http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/12/15/pakatan-leaders-failed-the-indians/
So it’s not true for you to say that Uthaya fell out with all the other 4. He and Mano are close.
VK is alleged to be a Special Branch plant. Ganapathy Rao is a DAP Adun and S’gor exco.
1. Uthaya & Mano – OK, you are correct though the original 5 have split up and gone their own ways. They were separated even during their ISA days and there were violent confrontations among them from what I hear.
2. The accusations that VK and others are SB plants are another of Utaya’s wild claims. These folks are die-hard PR supporters. Vasantha too lost a lot personally by joining Hindraf (his job for example).
3. As for funding, Waytha is merely a Deputy Minister without a portfolio and funds are never allocated to them but to ministries. KJ is the Sports Minister and the funds are allocated to the ministry. Even though Waytha is supposedly for Indian affairs, the role is not solely Waytha’s as there are other more senior Indian ministers in the cabinet. He cannot expect to be given the entire budget for the Indian community. If you noticed (and one of the things that never get reported in the media) the funds for Indian community these days are channelled directly to the community without the usual middle men like MIC.
re: “there were violent confrontations among them from what I hear”
The hostility could have been directed at Vasantha since they suspected him to be SB plant.
re: “The accusations that VK and others are SB plants are another of Utaya’s wild claims.”
I once asked Surendran this about this (since Surendran had made visits to Kamunting to see the ISA Hindraf-ians). Surendran – at the time that I asked him – seemed to think so too.
re: “These folks are die-hard PR supporters. Vasantha too lost a lot personally by joining Hindraf (his job for example).”
Ganapathy and Kengha are DAP. So what was Vasantha’s job earlier?
re: “As for funding, Waytha is merely a Deputy Minister without a portfolio and funds are never allocated to them but to ministries. KJ is the Sports Minister and the funds are allocated to the ministry.”
Correct. But there are a lot of agencies under the JPM and these agencies are given their own budget. The JPM budget is RM16.45 billion with a huge contingency fund.
Rosmah’s Permata is provided a budget of RM32 million, Pemandu RM39.2m, TalentCorp RM20m with an additional special project cost of RM58.45m, Jakim RM779m, etc, etc.
Waytha was promised a Special Unit under the Blueprint which could have been incorporated into JPM. Nothing materialized.
https://helenang.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/bajet-jabatan-perdana-menteri-ialah-rm16-45-bilion/
re: “Even though Waytha is supposedly for Indian affairs, the role is not solely Waytha’s as there are other more senior Indian ministers in the cabinet.
Agree. But they are the Health Minister, Environment Minister, Deputy Youth Minister, etc. The scope for Indian poor and resolving their problems should more rightly come under Waytha’s “portfolio”.
re: “He cannot expect to be given the entire budget for the Indian community.”
He did not ask for the “entire budget for the Indian community”. That’s KJ’s slander. Waytha asked for the particulars promised Hindraf in the MoU signed by Tengku Adnan on behalf of the BN.
re: “If you noticed (and one of the things that never get reported in the media) the funds for Indian community these days are channelled directly to the community without the usual middle men like MIC.”
Yup. I believe it is for this reason – i.e. to bypass the MIC – that DS Najib took on board Waytha.
1. Confrontations – I was told that it was due to many issus. Some money related, some over who the position of Hindraf and most about who caused them to end up in ISA. The families of the detainees had different fortunes. Some suffered as their husbands were the sole breadwinners but some had better support. Pakatan never helped the detainees’ family and had to fend for themselves.
2. VK – I heard he was a senior manager with a private company and due to Hindraf he lost it all.
3. SB ties – Surendran is not the most reliable or truthful of lawyers. He’s the Indian version of Tian Chua. I am sure he has a different opinion now that VK is with PKR.
4. SB – I have many friends and relatives in the police and I do know some SB folks. I happened to know some of them who were tasked to Hindraf case at state level (Penang). You might be surprised to know that they are non Indians! I know a lots of Hindraf folks and leaders so I know their mindsets and the SB folks often ask me my opinion on certain matters over SMS or sometimes lunch. But I never asked or told about who’s the officer in charge of Hindraf at Bukit Aman or if they had any sources or informants within.
But my feeling was that the police was totally under estimated the Hindraf movement and caught unprepared and made many tactical mistakes. I also thought the ISA arrests were wrong. It was my impression that they had no sources in Hindraf on the high levels and further more Hindraf never had any formal structure or organization. Had they planted an informant (like VK) they would have surely acted differently. However, I do sense that they had sources at a later stage though I do not think they are from the ISA 5.
5. I agree that Waytha should have allocated some budget and specific tasks. But I don’t think it is because Najib is uncommitted but because he was distracted and unfocused because of the poor GE13 result which almost fatally weakened his position. His standing within UMNO became shaky and the rejection by the Chinese caused any moves to reach out to non Malays very unpopular within among the UMNO supporters. I think Waytha should have stayed on.
re: “Confrontations – I was told that it was due to many issues. Some money related, some over who the position of Hindraf and most about who caused them to end up in ISA.”
Okay, credible conjecture.
re: “I am sure he has a different opinion now that VK is with PKR.”
Possibly.
re: “But my feeling was that the police was totally under estimated the Hindraf movement and caught unprepared and made many tactical mistakes.”
Uthaya told me that the police intel correctly estimated the size of the rally whereas the organizers themselves were surprised that so many participants turned up.
re: “However, I do sense that they had sources at a later stage though I do not think they are from the ISA 5.”
Among the ISA 5, only VK has been suspect. As for the eyes and ears watching Hindraf, I’m sure.
re: “I agree that Waytha should have allocated some budget and specific tasks. But I don’t think it is because Najib is uncommitted but because he was distracted and unfocused because of the poor GE13 result which almost fatally weakened his position. His standing within UMNO became shaky and the rejection by the Chinese caused any moves to reach out to non Malays very unpopular within among the UMNO supporters.”
Your appraisal makes sense. To take it further, the behaviour of the Dapsters indirectly and inadvertently cost Hindraf. The hostility and distrust generated among pro-establishment Malays for the non-Malays due to the climate of Dapsterism caused poor Indians to be collateral damage.
re: “I think Waytha should have stayed on.”
Tough call. In my article above, I suggested that Uthaya’s incarceration was one of the factors that made it difficult for him to do so. There would have been a lot of pressure on Waytha and doubts cast on Najib’s sincerity.
Waytha’s faction took a lot of flak from Uthaya’s faction for the way things turned out and there was no shortage of political opportunists who exploited the Tamil melodrama of the vastly contrasting fortunes between the two brothers.
1. What I heard was that the ISA detainees were initially happy to be jailed under ISA but as time went on they realised the toll on them and especially on their families. It seemed that most blamed Uthaya for it and some of them (VK chiefly) had to be physically restrained from attacking Uthaya. Of course there were disputes on other issues but this was the major cause of the confrontation and split.
2. I still don’t buy VK as a SB plant but what I can reveal here that all, except Uthaya, told the police about their Hindraf activities in full details after some period in detention. Perhaps this is what led Uthaya to accuse VK as a plant. However I don’t think it extended beyond that.
3. The police intel wasn’t good at all. I am not sure what Uthaya’s expectation of the turn-out was but I personally predicted many more (easily more than 100k). The police were expecting 10 to 30k people according to my SB pals but I told them they have no idea what’s happening. In fact it would have been many more had not the police stopped blocked the roads and highways. I was attending Hindraf events the whole time during the period in Penang while talking to my friends in KL to know what’s happening. It was a surreal experience – many temples in Penang having special prayers for people travelling to KL to attending the rally. The leaders were garlanded and honoured at the temples – something that I never witness in my life before. Such special sending off only happens to warriors going into war in Indian culture. So you can imagine the significance. The police blocked the highways and hundreds of buses couldn’t get out of Penang or enter KL. I heard the same in KL where tens of thousands were prevented from joining.
3. The Chinese Tsunami had a major collateral damage – the poor Indians. You know very well the feelings of Malays in general about Najib and his policies of reaching out to non Malays after the 13 GE. I can well understand that Najib was afraid of further antagonizing the Malays by annoucing major initiatives for non Malays so early after the drubbing in the GE when BN almost lost.
4. About Waytha and Uthaya we need to understand the background of Hindraf which is way I say people don’t understand the context and history of Hindraf. One of the main reasons why Hindraf became such an emotive issue was that it involved the temple demolitions. However Hindraf would have been so big on this issue alone since they never had a formal leadership structure or foot soldiers. But it spread like a wild fire because the Pakatan leaders and supporters immediately saw the massive opportunity to exploit and they seized it with both their hands.
I remember LGE,LKS and Karpal coming down to Penang to talk in a specially arranged sessions on Hindraf back in 2007. Many of DAP were in the forefront in helping Hindraf and attending the rally on 2511. Their financial and organizational support was the critical factor and the tipping point. After his release when Uthaya started to demand Pakatan deliver its promises, the very same guys who supported Hindraf previously turned nasty on him.
I was shocked in their biawak-like transformation. When I questioned them, these ex-Hindraf supporters told me that Hindraf shouldn’t question PR but only attack BN and that’s their role. Then it dawned on me that all along Hindraf had been used by Pakatan supporters to gain votes and as soon as the GE is over and when Hindraf turns on PR, it is abandoned.
So, that’s why Uthaya and Waytha will be abused as long as they don’t support PR. These rabid PR supporters think it is Hindraf’s duty to help PR to gain power and undermine BN. Most neutral Indians have no problem with Hindraf staying impartial or Waytha signing MOU with BN.
re: “These rabid PR supporters think it is Hindraf’s duty to help PR to gain power and undermine BN.”
Hahahahahaha but you’re right.
The rabid supporters also think it is the duty of anyone bearing a Chinese surname to help PR to gain power and undermine BN and scream “ABU! ABU! ABU!” at the top of our lungs.
I rasa pelik Cik Helen, my take of Indians they are just like anyone of us here in Malaysia.
Kecik2 classmates Indian kat Convent, all of them are doing exceptionally well, minimum degree holders, few doctors, lawyers, isteri2 top politicians etc.
While spending my life in the plantations, many of the top executives there including the Group GM, are Indians. Our plantation Indian workers are well taken care of, even those 70 yrs and above given light task (gatekeepers or weeders) and provided special quarters for those with no families.
Today my neighbour suami isteri dan anak are doctors, specialist in their own fields and running a very successful private clinic in a majority Chinese community. Two other families are as equally rich, doing business. Even my doters Eng teacher, UM graduate and hubby is a successful lawyer. 3 of her Indian classmates’ parents pon dari golongan middle income group.
You duk kutip cerita sedih2 hal Indian community in Malaysia ni semua dari ceghoq mana? Besides the mentioned in prison you quoted here Cik Helen dah pi interview nasib malang prisoners2 yg lain tak? Cina, Bumiputras pun ramai dari golongan miskin jugak..
Apa mungkin mereka rasa sangat2 miskin pasai tak kaya macam Ananda Krisnan ke?
re: “Today my neighbour suami isteri dan anak are doctors, specialist in their own fields and running a very successful private clinic”
I’m impressed. Malaysia at present has a total of 36,607 doctors for a population of 30 million. Link here, http://www.unikl.edu.my
This ratio means that there is one doctor for every 820 Malaysians. So imagine! Three of them (suami doktor, isteri doktor & anak doktor) are all living in one house neighbouring to yours.
You are one statistically exceptional Malaysian, I must say, Puan Rina, to have 3 doctors as your neighbours in one house. You probably live in a doctor-affluent neighbourhood. Not all housing areas are like yours, obviously.
re: “You duk kutip cerita sedih2 hal Indian community in Malaysia ni semua dari ceghoq mana?”
Oh, I kutip them from the newspapers lah.
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2014/03/29/Family-in-dire-straits-Husband-and-wife-with-18-children-trapped-in-poverty/
Excerpts from the 29 March 2014 article:
K SARASWATHY Dewi, 39, and her husband S. Vellu, 49, have 18 children and they are facing financial difficulties.
Of the 18, seven are their biological children while the rest are nieces and nephews they adopted when the children’s fathers died.
“Two of my younger brothers passed away in 2005 and 2007 respectively and they left behind 11 children. We adopted them legally about seven years ago,” said Saraswathy.
Thirteen of the children are girls and five are boys.
Vellu is a lorry driver while his wife was laid off two months ago as a cook at a private hospital after her nine years of service.
The family lives in a rented three-room single storey house in Jalan Templer, Petaling Jaya.
The eldest child is a 20-year-old daughter who works as a nurse in a private hospital.
She is the only working child and helps to support the family. […]
One of Saraswathy’s younger brothers, K. Chandran, was a contract worker and he died in 2005 while working at a construction site in Sungai Buloh.
He left behind five children between the ages of eight and 14.
His wife has since remarried and left the children under Saraswathy’s care.
In 2007, another younger brother of hers, K. Letchumanan, died in prison.
Letchumanan’s wife committed suicide in 2008 and they left behind six children between the ages of 12 and 18.
Since Saraswathy and her husband adopted the 11 children, they have been receiving a total monthly aid of RM450 from the Welfare Department.
Sometimes they children also study in their bedroom due to lack of space. […]
Based on StarMetro’s visit, the house had broken furniture and little valuables.
The family has a donated small television and fridge.
They also have a satellite TV connection, which Saraswathy said was the only form of entertainment for the entire family of 20. The rooms were filled with stacks of mattresses but there were few beds.
They had broken cupboards without doors and their sofa had no cushions.
Their kitchen had a broken cabinet and a simple stove.
The family hand washes their laundry and have no washing machine.
Their outstanding bills consist of three months’ house rent plus water and electricity bills amounting to RM3,000, RM300 and RM83.69 respectively.
The family hopes for some form of assistance from the public but has no intention of putting any of the children up for adoption. [Those who wish to help the family can call Saraswathy at 016-909 0503 or visit the family at 78, Jalan Templer, Petaling Jaya.]
Maybe you could drop by and interview them Puan Rina and provide them with the petua-petua and panduan hidup for them to improve their lot in life. After all, your Indian friends and neighbours are ALL doing so well being doctors, lawyers and teachers.
Re. Maybe you could drop by and interview them Puan Rina and provide them with the petua-petua and panduan hidup for them to improve their lot in life.
The family is trapped in a vicious life cycle of poverty, donation money will help them to get by for short while but in the long run they will back to square one.
Both of them need jobs badly now.
Re. After all, your Indian friends and neighbours are ALL doing so well being doctors, lawyers and teachers.
Birds of the same feather flock together.
BTW, secara tradisinya bagi orang India yang kaya, professional dan Christian, termasuklah golongan “I am not Indian Actually’. golongan yang miskin melarat ni bukan kaum kerabat dia orang. saya tidak fikir mereka akan bergolok bergadai nak bantu dia orang yang miskin ni.
Aiya Helen, Aci (or even Aya for that matter) just need to do more lah! [YouTube]
Bila I kata jiran tu bukan le jiran rumah… klinik depa just next door to my shop le.. Yg India dekat rumah ade juga, anak dia baru aje tamat Meds kat Rusia.. Bapa tu kerja tourist guide aje.. yg bawa2 van tourist round2 sekitar Kuala Lumpur.
Kat kpg sya pon ade keluarga satu ibubapa anak 14.. I used to sit down to get tips frm her mcam mana 12 of her kids semua jantan membesar handsome2 dan cerdik2 belaka. Dia jual nasi lemak kat depan rumah, petang goreng kueh.. according to her afterall she need to feed that many kids herself so masak lebih jual depan rumah to get xtra income for the family.. Suami dia kerja apa you tau tak? Tukang kebun kat sekolah.. go check berapa gaji dia?
How do I know this family.. Very religious, masa lapang anak2 dia mereka latih do voluntary work kat semejid (saya AJAK semejid), they involved themselves in community work macam kenduri kendara kampung – dah besar kejo part-time dgn kampung caterer sari diberi gaji RM50.
Kawasan sya Tesco, 7E, 3Mini markets, 99SpdM, Klinik x4, restaurants, macam2 jenis kedai lain, Nagoya, Electricals, bla bla… sentiasa tampal advert kat pintu masuk kedai tiap hari cari pekerja.. lekeh2 kat sini storekeeper pon dpt RM1K excluding obertime..
I am living in a very hardworking community… dimana bebudak 10 tahun pon dah pandai cari rezeki membantu keluarga mereka or for their own poket money. My doter’s classmate I can assure you she earns easily RM3K – jaga sendiri gerai pasar malam while the parents serviced at the same time gerai masakan sama kat pasar malam tempat2 lain – jual meehoon sup, mee kari dan laksa…
You come to my place kalo kata Indians miskin pasti semua gelak as we feel yg MALAS aje akan tetap miskin!!!! (Tak termasuk le yg OKU or berpenyakit sampai takleh bangun cari rezeki).
re: “Bila I kata jiran tu bukan le jiran rumah… klinik depa just next door to my shop le..”
According to the news reports, Karpal’s kids – Jagdeep, Gobind, Ramkarpal, Sangeet – ALL also lawyers (not sure about the youngest, Mankarpal). Obviously this reflects an imbalance compared to the general ethnic minority population since not all ‘Indian’ families monopolize a profession like Karpal’s does. Same with doctors lah.
Your shop neighbour with 3 doctors in one family is similarly exceptional statistic wise. Since out Doctor-to-Population ratio is 1:820, that means we find 3 doctors for an area of 2,460 inhabitants.
So for you to have 3 doctors (somewhat like the PKR trinity of Anwar-Wan Azizah-Nurul, LOL) belonging to one single family as your business premises neighbour is – as I’ve said – statistically exceptional.
You should not extrapolate your own personal and exceptional experiences to the Indian community at large, and especially to a particularized segment, vis-a-vis the Hindraf poor that we’re talking about. The experiences of MCKK and Tunku Kurshiah (your alma mater?) old boys and old girls are also exceptional because it is particularized.
re: “Yg India dekat rumah ade juga, anak dia baru aje tamat Meds kat Rusia”
Tak dapat tempat kat local uni, ye. Berwaspada, Crimea State Medical University tidak diiktiraf oleh kerajaan Malaysia. Harap-harap anak jiran Puan Rina tu bukan berkelayakan CSMU.
re: “Dia jual nasi lemak kat depan rumah, petang goreng kueh.. according to her afterall she need to feed that many kids herself so masak lebih jual depan rumah to get xtra income for the family..”
The Indian kids in the Star-Metro story also do the same — “some of the teenagers would set up tables and sell fruits and drinks outside their rented house”.
re: “Suami dia kerja apa you tau tak? Tukang kebun kat sekolah.. go check berapa gaji dia?”
Ya lor. Orang India miskin kerjanya gitu lah — tukang kebun, tukang bersih rumah. Sebab tulah anak-anak mereka harus diberi peluang untuk masuk pusat latihan vokasional, politek dsb.
Tapi ada segelintir orang Melayu yang nampaknya lantang membantah peluang-peluang dibuka kepada orang India. Kata orang Melayu ni, kaum India sudah begitu maju dah – ramai yang jadi doktor! peguam! guru berkelulusan ijazah!
Re. I am living in a very hardworking community… dimana bebudak 10 tahun pon dah pandai cari rezeki membantu keluarga mereka or for their own poket money.
I have seen the same as well and I am very proud of them. A boy who just received his SPM result, used to set a small table in front of the Mosque almost everyday selling stuffs. Apart from that he volunteer to teach the younger one Al-Quran unknown to most of us, until one the kids told me. He is now serving PLKN in Kota Belud, Sabah. He did quite well for his SPM too.
Here is another heartwarming story.
Budak cemerlang SPM tekad jual air
SELAMA – Tiga pelajar perempuan yang mendapat keputusan 10A dalam peperiksaan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) lalu terpaksa menjalankan perniagaan sampingan bagi membolehkan mereka mengumpul duit untuk melanjutkan pelajaran ke universiti.
http://www.sinarharian.com.my/edisi/utara/budak-cemerlang-spm-tekad-jual-air-1.272403
Kita sbagai org tua must educate our kids dari kecik how to be financially independent owh… jangan motivate anak2 supaya jadi orang miskin ya…
Very true. I will always make a point to support when I see any of them, even though I don’t need the stuff. They need a morale boost to have a good start in life.
Another younger friend who graduated from the UK worked for an organization for a while. In 2012 he was sent on contract basis for an assignment in the UK and came back after PRU13. He went to helped another friend to run IT business in Low Yat Plaza after coming back. This year, he has started his own business in Bandar Tun Razak and the business has been great, where he practically sleep at the office to do paper works and all. He is barely 30 btw.
I have also seen more and more Malay youth becoming financial planner full time now. After PRU13, the support from the Malay community towards them is overwhelming. They are earning GM salary.
My roti-canai friend”s business is also expending, In Syaa Allah he will get his own lot at the canteen soon, as opposed to now renting a space from another shop. He is earning RM4000 plus net per month now. I am expecting that he will triple his income when he starts to operate at new site.
Another kakak that I have been sort of ‘coaching’ is improving with her kuih/nasi lemak/mee goreng business as well. Just last week, she told me that now she can afford to pay all additional school expenses for her kids as opposed to last year.
re: The Malays including Dr. Mahathir whom I adore in many respects, failed them. The fact remains though that in spite of their failures, they were never made to feel welcome in Malaysia. The Chinese who the Malays prefer because of their wealth and the fact that they assimilate more readily to advance their causes have now overridden the Malay position in Malaysia and that situation with the BN is rapidly deteriorating to a point only another May 13 will cure the Malay decline.
That’s Malaysia in a nutshell today.
The greed-driven Malay partiality for the greedy Chinese has come around full circle to bite the Malays in the ass.
What goes around does come around.
‘What goes around does come around.’
I’m sure people like you felt glad being kept a bystander for all this years.
re: I’m sure people like you felt glad being kept a bystander for all this years.
Bystander or not, I did not leech off the greed of the Malays or the Chinese to be where or what I am today.
Nor did I have to suckle at the NEP tit.
Yea, I’m pretty sure you are the holy one and probably celebrate a festival that goes by the sound too, to prove a point! Go ahead, hit it where it hurts most, I bet that’s all you have got to it. Happy watching!
re: Yea, I’m pretty sure you are the holy one and probably celebrate a festival that goes by the sound too, to prove a point! Go ahead, hit it where it hurts most, I bet that’s all you have got to it. Happy watching!
Dude…wtf you been smoking?
Nothing beats a good todi!
Don’t completely agree with that sentiment. There are greedy Malays as there are idiotic Indians. But these are exceptions to the rule. With the Malaysian Chinese any virtue in them is an exception rather than the rule.
Malaysia’ Indians must have the courage to make difficult decisions like toppling their current leaders who are very much like their older leaders. They must learn to live with the times and engage with more technocrats and born leaders who show leadership qualities rather than loud and outdated champions of slogans and symbolism.
re: I’m sure people like you felt glad being kept a bystander for all this years.
Bystander or not, I never had to leech off Malay or Chinese greed to be where and what I am to day.
Didn’t even have to suckle off the NEP tit.
Calvinsankaran said it all, though i sympathise with the families but waytha’s n uthaya’s brash
approach with totally
exaggerated wild n
ridiculous accusations n
demands of msia made
many malaysians angry. its style is
appropriate in tamil
nadu not msia. they became
Very hostile, arrogant n
greedy thus
rejected by
both bn n pr. but najib still
gave waytha a golden
chance but he burnt the
bridge by being
impatient. nothing
comes
easy, waytha n uthaya when
such dirt has been thrown
at your own
malaysia, negara tanah tumpah both of you.
“If we want to call ourselves a Caring Society… “
The society is anything but caring, one loses all the human dignity when behind the bar; treatment received that’s sometimes worst than an animal.