From rocks to island

Can you beat this? Foreign minister Rais Yatim is talking about merging the rocks called Middle Rocks (next to Batu Puteh which we lost to Singapore) into one longer and wider formation.

At present, the collections of rocks are 500-600 metres apart and our grand plan is to somehow join them so that it would become a bigger single rock (or perhaps island) than Batu Puteh.

So what would we gain by this mega plan? The Utusan Malaysia report which carried this story quoted Rais as saying that the bigger rock (or island) has the potential to have a weather station and marine observatory centre.

Perhaps the unsaid plan is that we want to have an island to overwhelm Batu Puteh and halt Singapore’s development plan surrounding that rocky outlet.

Or maybe the grand design is to build a bigger and taller lighthouse to totally eclipse the one in Batu Puteh.

Let’s see how far the government will go with this grand plan.

Read Utusan Malaysia story here.

Shame on you lot

A story in NST today on a group of Mat Rempits robbing five women at a petrol station in Jalan Travers, Bangsar caught my attention.

According to the report, the incident happened at about 3.30am last Saturday.

What enraged me was the public apathy while the incident happened – no one went to help the ladies! Not the three petrol station attendants who were safely holed up inside the station convenience store or several other motorists who were around.

The Mat Rempit gang must surely know that no one will stop them, thus their brazen behaviour. Disappointing even is the fact that the Travers police station is just up the road!

Apparently three police patrol cars arrived at the scene soon after and police obtained CCTV footage from the premises, but no arrest has been made so far.

Hmmm…..If I may suggest an easier way - just round up all the Mat Rempits (this is not difficult to do) and squeeze the truth out of them.

This is easy. The difficult part is to get our fellow citizens to be more civic conscious!

A clip that riled the local Malays

A 40-second clip shown in the UK has got some Malaysians upset.

Actually, the 40-second clip showed a man on a beach firing a machine gun into the air and shouting in the Malay language: "I'm the most evil man in the world. Come fight with me. I will kill you all."

Apparently he appeared to be ethnic Malay or Indonesian.

To be precise, the clip was a recruitment video advertisement of the British Navy.

What got our diplomats to be upset? Well, no prizes for guessing but it was the portrayal of a Malay man as a terrorist.

A letter writer had expressed his indignity in Utusan Malaysia two days ago after have watched the advertisement.

And then, since it involved an issue of Ketuanan Melayu, the senators got all worked up and then the foreign ministry got involved and as a result, the British Defence ministry withdrew the advertisement from the Royal Marines Web site.

The clip will not be shown in British cinemas as well.

Excellent! Out top mandarins surely know how to rectify a situation urgently, as long as it was committed by others.

When it comes to such insensitive activities against certain other races locally, we seem to have to wait forever for any action, let alone an apology to those effected.

Read story on the ad withdrawal here.

Time to stake proper ownership, M’sia

Goodbye Pulau Batu Puteh (now officially known as Pedra Blanca).

We lost an isle the size of a football pitch and gained a series of rocks (Middle Rocks) and most probably another stone (called South Ledge) which is only visible on low tide.

How do we call this a win-win case? The foreign minister is surely taking positive spin to a new level.It’s definitely a bad loss for us as Pedra Blanca was not just a boundary marker, it was also a source of income from passing international ships, let alone the rich natural resources one can find there.

Now we have rocks in the region, with Singapore right on our noses, extending their boundary.

The ICJ ruling is clear – the Malaysian government has been lackadaisical in exercising sovereign rights over a piece of ‘useless’ rock which the Johor Sultanate's had sovereignty since time immemorial.

I don’t know if the problem started in 1844 when the British Colonial Administration built a lighthouse on the island or in 1953 when the Acting State Secretary of Johor replied to the colonial authority that "Johor has no claim of ownership over Batu Putih".

But I solely blame the federal government for not staking sovereignty the moment Singapore became independent in 1965. Only in 1979 did we include it in our maps and even then took no bloody steps to assert any ownership.

And over the period of time we allowed them to take control of the island, even having to seek their permission to land there. Their navy blockaded the island to stop us from entering the waters surrounding it.

It’s quite embarrassing that an isle which is only about 14.3km from Johor has been a no-go zone for Malaysians while Singaporeans from 46.3km away were ‘ruling’ it.

Anyway, it’s gone now. But, hei, we have Middle Rocks.

And then we have Pulau Pisang, which also has a light house maintained by Singapore, who also controls a jetty and a team of border guards on the Malaysian island.I think we should exercise some form of ownership before it too goes the Batu Puteh way.

So it’s up to the Johor state government and the federal government that Pulau Pisang remains ours.

Interestingly there are other islands next to it - Pulau Tunda, Kemudi and Sauh. Quite a rich picking these ones. If it goes to ICJ again, who knows we might face another banana skin with Singapore taking Pulau Pisang and we are left with the other smaller ones!

And then we have Pulau Unarang (off eastern Sabah and bordering Indonesia), Pulau Perak (between Penang and Sumatra) and several islands in the South China Sea.

Interestingly Malaysia had taken control of some of the islands, which are unclaimed. To stop a Pedra Blanca fiasco, we will have to start exerting our presence in these islands now.

In Pulau Unarang for example, the Indonesians have put up fishing apparatus but are unable to build a lighthouse or permanent structure as our navy is patrolling the island.

And in Pulau Perak, we have a helicopter pad with our army and navy patrolling it, still these strategic rocks are being ignored, with reports of pirates resting there at times!

So we have to move fast. I hope the government will wake up.

A New Straits Times report today indicated that we are looking at the right step by staking claims and sovereignty over 100 islands, reefs, rocks and other marine features lying in the South China Sea, Straits of Malacca and off Sabah.

Pulau Batu Puteh may have gone. The rest should remain ours, at all costs. We should not lose them due to our lackadaisical attitude.

Figures that matter

Figures that matter:

72 - Number of Indian students who received PSD scholarships this year out of the 2,000 scholarships awarded.

130 - In US dollars or RM418.79, the oil price per barrel today.

242 – Number of missing children in Malaysia for the first three months of this year, 80 percent of whom were girls.

364 – The number of village heads not recognised by the Pakatan-led Selangor government because they were appointed by the BN-led federal government.

7,430 – Number of Year One students in Terengganu who can’t read and write.

10 billion – The net value, in US dollars, of tycoon Robert Kuok, who is Malaysia’s richest man according to the latest Forbes Asia’s list.

570.0 billion – In Ringgit Malaysia, the profit made by Petronas since its inception in 1974 to March 31, 2007.

(source: local dailies)

This is ridiculous…

Misplaced loyalty from a former premier who shaped the future of the nation? Or is it just blind hatred towards the present number one? Or is he bordering on senility?

His latest move is to urge all BN MPs to lompat to become independents, and then return to BN after the removal of the PM.

This latest call by him changes his use of Umno/Malay sentiments to trying to influence the BN cadres to remove the PM.

Is he being fair to the voters?

Read his latest blog entry here.

How should Pak Lah react?

Now that Mahathir has decided to quit Umno in protest to force Abdullah to step down, it is inevitable that in the coming days a few more shocks will happen.

There will be some pockets of party members who will join MM in leaving the party. Some pundits are even saying that some 200 divisions in Johor alone are ready to follow suit.

Likewise I am sure some veterans will also follow MM. But, how about Umno MPs and state level leaders? Would they jump the ship as well?

I highly doubt it. I think it would be against their self-interest for any minister, deputy minister or and MP to quit the party now.

As it is Abdullah is holding a meeting with Umno MPs today and tomorrow he would have a similar meeting with BN MPs. What will follow is a BN meeting and then Umno supreme council meeting.

I am sure they will discuss the repercussions of MM’s decision and on Abdullah’s future as well.

There are two strong messages which Abdullah and Umno can give MM. They are:

1. Thank you for all your services and now that you have resigned, we hope you will have a good rest. Do enjoy your break.

2. Do not get yourself involved in local politics, especially in Umno politics, as you no longer have the standing to comment on a party which you are no longer a member.

At the same time, MM should be reminded to be prepared to defend himself in court IF he is to be tried for the conspiracy in the appointment of friendly judges, as recommended by the Lingam tape commission.

He should also be reminded to keep himself occupied with completing his memoir.

And finally someone should ask MM as to the real reason he is doing this.

Is it because he loves the party too much that he can’t sit and watch Abdullah ruining it, thus wanting him to be replaced by Najib or Muhyiddin or even Tengku Razaleigh?

OR, is it because he is afraid that Anwar Ibrahim will take over the government if Abdullah remained in power?

MM must openly explain if it’s his dislike of Abdullah or fear of Anwar coming back to haunt him.

What’s happening in Cheras?

The first photo is a sad and dramatic image of a woman who was stabbed – at least four times – in broad daylight on Friday morning.

According to a NST report, she was left for dead by robber(s), near the police college in Cheras. The daily today reported that the attack was done by a taxi driver.

Now, note the place of the attack – Cheras, which also happens to be the same place where Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng was ‘assaulted’ – by the police – on Thursday night at an anti-toll gathering (second photo).

My point? Shouldn’t the police be busy protecting the citizens from brutal attacks conducted by robbers rather than ……. (I am sure you get my point).

The cops seem to have their own agenda

‘Don’t bribe me’ - So says a car sticker found at the back of almost all police patrol cars you see in KL roads nowadays.

I understand the message the cops are trying to send to the public but there is a small problem here, at least for me.

Why is it that the police seem to be trying to put the blame on the public for the corruption in the police force?

It sounds as though it is the public who are forcing the cops to take bribe. I would have thought that a more positive message would be one in which the message reflects the force itself and not the public -something like ‘I don’t take bribe’.

Hang on a minute! Didn’t the cops use to have a ‘Saya Anti-Rasuah’ badges on the uniform?

Yes they did! I know the top brass had removed that slogan in a recent revamp, ostensibly to send a better message to the public.

The problem is that the new message, as found in the patrol cars, gives a wrong impression that it’s the public, and not the cops, who should bear the brunt of the corruption menace!

Something more reflective and self appraisal is definitely needed if the force is genuine in wanting to remove graft.

And I would like to add something else about the action of the police in regards to the residents’ protest for a toll-free access road in Cheras - the superior officer who gave the go-ahead to fire tear gas and spray water cannon two nights ago should be disciplined!

Don’t they ever learn? It has been just about two months since the people gave a resounding warning to the BN government on the various grouses with government policies, one of which was the way the police was acting like kings in many instances while failing to solve more important matters like crime prevention.

And the brutal action by the cops seem to indicate that the force think they are a government on their own. What could have been solved amicable has been allowed to spillover into another people versus government matter.

What were the cops thinking when they sprayed a pepper-spray onto a DAP MP? And what were they thinking in trying to intimidate people who had gathered at the same night in Dataran Merdeka for a candlelight vigil?

If Abdullah thinks he can make reforms, the first thing he has look at is the police force. These guys need serious lessons of public relations and on how to treat people decently.

Not everyone is a national threat, not everyone is a criminal, BUT everyone is a citizen who has his rights that must be protected, especially by the police.

The cops must first ditch their attitude of Us versus Them and start seeing the public as people who they are suppose to protect, not antagonise.

What a headline...

Do you want to know how our government is portrayed in the Australian media?

The headline in today’s The Australian said Newspaper raid 'like in Malaysia'.

The daily was referring to a police raid to the Perth-based The Sunday Times on Wednesday, to investigate a source-story carried by the daily about election funding.

Read more about the raid and the attack of press freedom here.

I was surprised about the raid for I didn’t think for a moment it would have happened in Australia. And then when I saw The Australian headline this morning, I realised how bad the media industry must have felt too over the raid.

Anyway, the headline is correct. I should now. I was there when the police raided my organisation in 2003.

The timing of the headline could not have come at a more appropriate time for me. I was part of a forum on the future of journalism today and among the questions I was asked related to press freedom in Malaysia.

Interestingly the audience wanted to know if the media laws in Malaysia would be relaxed and if ISA would be done away with.

There was also a question of Anwar taking over the government and if his government would be a good news for the media in Malaysia.

One thing is sure, the audience - basically people from the journalism and related fields - are keeping a close watch on what’s happening on our shores for they too want what most of us want - a free media and a responsible government.

Live on RTM with Home Minister

On Tuesday night I was a guest panellist on RTM1's 'Bersemuka Bersama Media', having the chance to grill Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar on the ISA and press freedom.

It was a good session, one of which I personally am proud of for having a chance to ask some questions to the minister on these issues.

There is a media report on the programme itself (read here) so I will not get into that apart from saying that the minister did give his assurance that he would continuously looking into making reforms, without making any concrete promises.

So as it stands, there’s no end to ISA and no immediate freer media environment.

Other interesting things that came out from him (both on and off-air):

1. On KDN meetings with editors: He sort of alluded that would not happen under his ministry. So let’s wait and see if he sticks to his words.

2. On having evidence but still detaining people under the ISA: The way he put it, it was as though the Hindraf 5 are hardcore terrorists that were on the verge of toppling the government.

3. On number of ISA detainees: He said there were about 55. Also added that the government was successful in rehabilitating them. I don’t know how when there are some who has been detained for six years and entering into their fourth two-year term (meaning it would be 8 years).

4. On new publishing permits: He said there were about 7 or 8 still pending. Also said it was PM who actually approved PKR’s permit for Suara Keadilan even before the March 8 GE. He clarified that it was not for a daily.

5. On mkini print permit: He said we should just stick to online publication. Said we shouldn’t cause competition to the MSM. However agreed we can re-submit application.

6. On Indian priests, musicians and sculptors: I told him that although there seem to be a change in policy, the immigration people were still not renewing permits for these category of people. The minister said these people would be allowed to remain and work and at the same time said he would move for a revolving system where these foreign experts would eventually be replaced by locals. He said he was going to have a talk with all concerned parties soon to see how this could be done without affecting the temples, foreign skilled workers and local talents.

7. On overcrowded illegal foreign workers detention camps: He said nothing could be done on that now. Said it was unfortunate and blamed foreign embassies for delaying the repatriation of these workers.

8. On mainstream media: Agreed that they had lost some credibility and agreed the alternative media was become mainstream now and indicated his willingness to work together with them. "We can agree to disagree," he stressed.

At the end of the interview, the RTM people were happy with the line of questioning. They are eager to regain some credibility and want to be seen as a reliable news agency - thus the invitation to people like me to go live to question the minister.

The information minister was there too and he was eager to make use of the internet new organisations and bloggers in generating debate. That’s good indeed.

And finally, both the ministers said they were ‘happy’ with the grilling they got from me and The Sun's political editor Zainon Ahmad, the other panellist.

Jakim contradicts PM

On April 19, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the government would introduce a regulation requiring non-Muslims wishing to convert to Islam to inform their family before doing so.

He said this would prevent problems of families disputing the conversion of their loved ones when they die.

He made this announcement after meeting with Islamic religious authorities, giving the impression he had spoken about this to them and had obtained approval.

His basis for such a regulation was to ensure people would not be going at each other over this matter, as it is happening now. In a nutshell, Abdullah wanted a harmonious relationship between all.

However a report in the Star today gives a different picture altogether.

Surprise! Surprise! Now senior Jakim leaders are saying converts need not inform family, and openly rejected Abdullah’s proposal.

This rejection was mentioned by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz himself, saying that it was the joint view of state legal advisors, muftis, syarie judges and Islamic department directors.

And their basis for this - nothing to do with human relations but instead it was based on the Quran!

It seems the holy book does not provide anything that “compel a person wishing to convert to Islam to inform the family before doing so”. Instead they want the need to inform loved ones should be left to the discretion of the person wishing to convert.

So in one hand we have a premier who is thinking about maintaining a racial harmony and thinking like a leader for all Malaysians and on the other a group of religious old-schools who simply refuse to move away from the interpretations of their holy book.

Malaysia for Malaysians? Fat chance if this continues.

Rompin’ MP shouldn’t get off easily

I don’t care if the victim has withdrawn her police report against a former minister for alleged sexual harassment. It is the duty of the police to call in the former minister, who is also an MP, for questioning.

There can be many reasons for the victim to have withdrawn her report. She could also have cited various excuses for lodging the report in the first place.

Of course it is within her right now to say that there was a misunderstanding over the ex-minister’s behaviour and that she was "sensitive and moody" at the time of the incident and as such she had felt offended at that time due to her “complicated mood”.

She had added she had known the former minister over the past five years and was used to his rough ways, and he had acted in jest without any bad intention.

Based on her statutory declaration which she signed to withdraw her report, it can be alluded that:

1. the MP is known for such behaviour against her in the past, and,
2. that she had in the past experienced his rough ways and his “jest without bad intention”.

However, sexual harassment is still sexual harassment and an offence even if it was done in jest!

I am glad the KL police chief had said that they would still question the MP, which they had done yesterday. They have also spoken to some witnesses apparently.

Now if they think he had acted against the law in sexually harassing the woman, they should pass the file to AG for action. And on the other hand if the victim had indeed lodged a false report, action should be taken against her as well.

I think the public perception at the moment is that she has been either forced or has been bought over to withdraw the report.

The police can clear this perception by completing their probe on her report and making public their finding, all in the spirit of the new found reform agenda of the prime minister.

[Rompin’ (or romping) means, among others, to play or frolic boisterously.]

Ex-minister in sex harassment scandal

This is a Bernama report:

“Police are investigating a woman's claim that a former minister molested her at a five-star hotel near KL Sentral last week.

Kuala Lumpur CID Chief SAC II Ku Chin Wah said the woman, in her 30s who works at the hotel, lodged the report at the Brickfields police station on Friday.

The incident allegedly took place on April 14, he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent Headquarters today.

Ku refused to divulge more details but did say that the ex-minister was currently abroad and police would summon him for questioning on his return.

He said police were investgating the case under Section 354 of the Penal Code which carries up to 10 years jail or a fine or whipping or any two.”

From my sources: the incident happened at the Havana cigar club in Le Meridien Hotel near Kl Sentral. Apparently he was drunk and when this girl served drinks to him, he tried to touch her hand, and then followed her to caressed her buttocks.

The girl shouted and an angry scene arose after her boyfriend, who also works there, confronted the ex-minister. The couple finally lodged a report on Friday.

So who is this sex deviant?

Well, lets look at the clues:

- A sitting MP but dropped in the new cabinet line up.

- He headed a very important space-age ministry before the March 8 general election.

- A very cocky fellow who before being appointed a minister sat in a powerful parliament committee.

- Cigar-loving Umno person

- Was embroiled in a racist controversy last year - for making a nasty, demeaning remark to a student overseas for which he was forced to apologise to the student.

Enough-lah....It should be clear now who this Jinjang Joe is!

‘Have they forgotten us?’

I didn’t expect such complaints to come out against the new state government in Penang.

Suddenly the high-expecting makkal sakthi people are wondering if all their hard work has been misplaced and taken for granted by the new administration.

Their complaints in particular are on:

1. The lack of non-Chinese staff in the CM’s office

2. The number of Indian reps in the two local councils in the state - about three or four at most and that too given to people closely aligned to a certain state/party leader. No makkal sakthi grassroots leader has been recognised, they claim.

3. The new state leaders are also paying less attention to the Indian issues now, in fact at times not bothering to take part in open dialogues in trying to solve issues which they said they would do before being voted in.

4. A seasoned journalist also said that the newly appointed leaders have become so elusive that its difficult to get hold of them.

Well, I would still say that we should give the new state government some time to settle down and get on with their own policies. It’s only been more than a month now since they took over.

I am sure they would not be chauvinistic as they are labelled now. We wait in full patience. After all, they too are fully aware of the power of the makkal!

First sign of repression?

This was the question posed by opposition leader Lim Kit Siang after the banning of popular Tamil daily Makkal Osai today.

He asked if the daily was denied the renewal of its KDN due to prominence in its coverage for the Pakatan Rakyat.

“Is this the first sign of repression and crackdown on human rights and the little space opening up in the printed media after the March 8 political tsunami?” he asked in a statement today.

Insiders say there are many reasons for that - but chiefly it was for being anti-establishment.

Apparently the ministry was upset that daily gave wide coverage to Anwar (including the Black 14 rally and the police probe that followed) and Makkal Sakthi issues.

The publication of Uthayakumar’s photographs from the Taiping hospital is also said to have riled the ministry.

And finally it seems there was a business competitor who had fed information about Makkal Osai’s misdeeds to the ministry.

I am sure the cabinet had discussed this matter this morning. Is this how the PM is going to regain the trust and support of the Indian community?

As it is I think the one-month suspension of Makkal Osai last August for publishing an offending photo of Jesus caused some resentment towards the government - perhaps it was even the start of such a feeling against the BN.

The government must be smart enough to just renew the KDN and let the daily do its business.

Watch Pak Lah fall (2)

Looks like it is gonna happen sooner than later.

First we had a handful of powerful leaders calling for his resignation (led by Dr M no less).
Abdullah said he was not convinced as he had the people’s mandate.

And then you had individual leaders making similar noises.
Abdullah said these were the minority within the party.

Then came the divisions in Kedah, Penang basically asking him to step down in favour of Najib.
Abdullah said he has some unfinished task in hand and that the people had not rejected him.

The biggest blow, as I see, finally came from Johor divisions, who couched their call for his resignation in a civilised manner - they asked for a succession plan.
Abdullah was in a corner by now, accepting that BN’s defeat was his fault but still determined to hang on.

Then came the clincher - his so-called ally Muhyiddin Yassin first telling on Friday that Abdullah has agreed to discuss succession plan with Najib and then again over the weekend hammering the nail by adding that it was time for a leadership change in Umno to save the party from becoming irrelevant.

Abdullah is silent on these, perhaps realising too late that even his allies are now against him.

Today, former Selangor MB Khir Toyo urged for a quick hand over and urged for an open contest in party polls in December. And another ally, Rais Yatim, also wants Abdullah to be swift with his succession plan.

I am sure more will come out in the open in the next few days/weeks to force Abdullah to step down, perhaps forcing him to announce his intention in the next month or so and officially giving up to Najib in December!

Anwar’s goal: MP or PM?

This is part of an interview which PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim gave to The Jakarta Post today, which I found rather interesting.

Q: You will be eligible again to be voted as state official this month. Do you have any plans to become a parliament member in the next election to pave your way to become prime minister?

A: April 14 is the date when my ineligibility period ends, a period which was imposed on me by corrupt judges who were politically steered. But I've never been worried about or paid attention to that situation, and I've been campaigning all along.

I do have an option (to become a parliament member and run for premiership), but I am not making it my personal agenda. It is more crucial for now to manage the opposition coalition and I will deal with my personal goals in the coming years. I'm in no rush.

I was particularly drawn to this line: “I do have an option (to become a parliament member and run for premiership)...I will deal with my personal goals in the coming years. I'm in no rush.”

He says he is in no rush. Betulkah ini? I guess we may know a bit more of his immediate plans right after April 14.

note:

I just found out that PAS president Hadi Awang was admitted to hospital in Kuala Terengganu this morning, suffering from a mild stroke. He won both the Marang parliamentary and Ru Rendang state seats in the general election.

Imagine the irony if his seats were to fall vacant for Anwar to contest after April 14. Anyways, according to PAS sources, the tok guru is fine!

Powdering up for TV appearance

Did you read that the traditional Wednesday cabinet meetings are now to be held on Fridays? What to make of this switch? For me, it shows the lowest level our BN reps can come to.

So low, to the extent of rescheduling the all-important Wednesday cabinet meetings to Fridays so that they can be ‘seen’ doing their job on live parliament telecast.

The question now is this. Fridays, being a holy day for Muslims, mean a limited working day. And then it is also the day for MPs to head back to their respective constituencies.

With all these, can the ministers give us an assurance that they would not be rushing their cabinet meetings to fulfill their religion and constituency obligations? When would they be holding their post-cab meetings and the usual press conferences that follow? Mondays?

Definitely not an effective method of governance.

Also it is uncertain if this arrangement is only during the parliament sittings or throughout the year. I await our beloved PM’s comments on this matter.

The full Bernama report on this can be found here:

Below is the excerpt

“KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (Bernama) -- The Cabinet meetings usually held on Wednesdays will be moved to Fridays to enable ministers to be present at parliament sittings, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He said it also had to do with the planned 30-minute live telecasts of Parliament proceedings from the end of this month.

"Before this, during question time (Q&A) deputy ministers or parliamentary secretaries answer for ministers because they (ministers) sometimes are unable to be present.

"Now with this live telecast move, the ministers themselves will provide the answers as the people will be closely watching the proceedings," said Mohamed Nazri on the "Bersemuka Dengan Media" talk show programme on the RTM1 television channel tonight.”

Now, everyone wants them released

MIC president S Samy Vellu is under fire for asking for the release of Hindraf 5. Rightly so, I think.

What took him so long to finally make that call? Some of his party supporters defend him by saying that he is at least pushing for the release now. To me, this is shallow thinking, precisely why MIC lost horribly in the general election.

As an Indian-based party, MIC and Samy Vellu should have nipped the community problems way before it came an Hindraf cause.

And then when Hindraf took off, the party should not have seen them as criminals or outcasts. It should have embraced them and worked with them - within the BN system - to solve the issues.

What happened was the opposite. The party and it president refused to acknowledge the existence on Hindraf, played down the role played by the Hindraf leaders and even justified their detention under the ISA for allegedly being linked with LTTE.

And now suddenly for the president to call for their release is comical, to say the least.

I would see Samy Vellu’s sudden change of mind on the Hindraf leaders as one calculated to fool the community again. An attempt for him to win again the trust of th Indian community.

I don’t think the community will buy this, again!

The same goes to the other BN component parties - Gerakan and MCA - who suddenly feel that the Hindraf 5 should be released. Where were they when the Hindraf rally happened on Nov 25 or when ISA was used on the 5 on Dec 13?

Why is it that only after losing the Indian voters in the general election do these parties think they need to do something for the Indian community?

They are still hellbent on taking the community on a ride, I’d say.