Anwar in bid to win back Indian support

(see MalaysianInsider.com)

Anwar wants Indian leaders to end their squabbles and work as a team.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last week met PKR’s Indian leaders, leaders of Indian NGOs and individuals sympathetic to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in a bid to reignite the Indian community and get them to support PR once again.

About 60 people attended the two-hour, closed-door meeting at the PKR headquarters last week.

“We talked about how to win back Indian voter support that has drifted back to Barisan Nasional,” said one Indian PKR leader who attended the meeting.

“Anwar rallied the Indian leaders to end their squabbles and work as a team,” he said.

Two decisions were taken during the open, candid and wide-ranging discussion.

One, Anwar has tasked newly-appointed PKR vice-president N. Surendran to form a three-man committee to handle Indian grouses. Major issues that can’t be resolved will be brought before Anwar for an immediate resolution.

One example Anwar cited, PKR insiders said, was the public holiday for Thaipusam in Kedah which the Pakatan had promised but has failed to deliver.

“Anwar wants to know what is holding it up,” the insiders said.

The second decision was to open talks with lawyer and Hindraf founder P. Uthayakumar and if possible accommodate him and his HRP group in return for his help in getting the support of the Indian community.

Anwar silenced opposition to Uthayakumar that was raised by several PKR leaders and NGO leaders, saying “politics is all about accommodating each other.”

Sources said Anwar informed the meeting that he would take up the “Uthayakumar matter” with Pakatan leaders like PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

The meeting discussed the reasons why Indian voters were leaning towards BN after voting overwhelmingly for Pakatan Rakyat in the 2008 general election.

“Anwar was open and listen carefully to everyone. The discussion was heated at times because everyone was blaming each other for the erosion of Indian support,” said one NGO leader who attended the meeting.

Anwar blamed the massive infighting among Indian leaders for the erosion of Indian community support.

“I really don’t understand why there is so much infighting among yourselves,” Anwar alleged said, pointing to the poor showing among Indian Pakatan leaders in the recent Tenang by-election.

“Don’t fight in Merlimau,” Anwar told them, referring to the upcoming by-election in Malacca.

“Go down now (to Merlimau) and please work together. Don’t go to the media with your grouses,” a visibly upset Anwar told the meeting.

Anwar also picked out several key Indian PKR leaders at the meeting and urged them to close ranks and not continue the infighting. “If you are unhappy leave the party,” Anwar pointedly said.

The meeting concluded that the return of Indian voter support was crucial for Pakatan if it was to not just win more seats but retain what it won in 2008.

“I am happy Anwar is willing to listen and put the PKR house in order, at least in the PKR,” said an Indian NGO leader. “My only fear is that the new thinking in PKR might be too late in the day.”

While most of the leaders present, who included all the elected state and Parliament representatives, were not in favour of approaching Uthayakumar, a small group was however vocal in wanting to rope him into the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

They felt that it was he and Hindraf that gave the Pakatan the big lift in 2008 and without him the Pakatan could not perform as well as it did in 2008.

“Let’s admit it, it was Uthaya who gave Pakatan the big win in 2008. Without his involvement Indian voters are unlikely to back the Pakatan in a big way again,” said T. Balakrishnan, a Pakatan supporter who attended the meeting and is better known as David Bala for his staunch support of the late DAP leader and trade unionist V. David.

“Anwar has an open mind about Uthaya. He has no problems exploring alliances with him and other Indian NGOs,” Bala said. “I am happy he (Anwar) is personally attending to Indian issues. It is a recognition that Indian voters matter.”

However Hindraf/HRP information chief S. Jayathas told The Malaysian Insider that it was willing to open talks but its platform was already well known.

“We must be taken seriously and treated with respect. Pakatan must also attend to numerous issues of the Indian community like land for temples and Tamil schools,” he said.

Malaysian Insider