“People’s March – Solidarity against UMNO’S Racism”

People’s March – Solidarity against UMNO’S Racism is an event to direct attention to UMNO which leads the Barisan Nasional government. It is not against our fellow Malay or Muslim compatriots in Malaysia. Therefore we forewarn UMNO and it’s allies not to project this march as being against the Malay Muslim citizens of this country in order to deflect attention from their failure to rule this country.

People’s March – Solidarity against UMNO’S Racism is now unavoidable. Despite various repeated attempts by the Malaysian Indian community, the UMNO/BN government has refused to remove the “INTERLOK” novel as a compulsory read for the Form Fivers. An act we consider to be totally insensitive to a significant minority community. The absence of national affinity and shared destiny for all citizens of Malaysia is clearly obvious in this controversial novel that promotes caste epithets, ethnic slurs, racial prejudices, and communal stereotyping. Introducing it as compulsory study material for the young of the country does nothing but to etch these negative images into the future of our country. It is our clear opinion that this act of introducing “Interlok” novel into the school curriculum inspite of the loud objections by all the Indian minority community of this country is nothing but an engineered plan by UMNO to seemingly promote its position by introducing this seed of racism and segregation in schools and in the mind of the youths.

People’s March – Solidarity against UMNO’S Racism is not only about revoking the INTERLOK novel from the form 5 syllabus but it is about standing up to end to this whole regime of racism promoted by UMNO, not only against the Indian minority but every other citizen of this country . As such we call upon our Malay , Chinese , Orang Asli , Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, dayak and all other compatriots to come together in this march and to send a strong message to the UMNO leaders to immediately begin the act of dismantling this racist system that they have institutionalized in the last 53 years.

It is crystal clear that racism impacts the life of every Malaysian in one way or another. This is the only country in the world that practices this kind of racist system in the name of democracy .

Primary schools with 2 systems- fully aided , and Partially aided , Secondary school system that is split in two ( MARA & Non Mara ) University entrance exam system that are split in two ( STPM and Matriculation) Tertiary education system that is split into at least 3 systems, ( MARA , Government public Universities and Private Universities ), employment biases against all minorities in all Government or Government linked organizations, business opportunities which are out of bounds for all the minorities, land allocation for all minorities , restrictions in the practice of religion , This is what we will be marching against – not just about the Interlok novel. That is only the tip of this racist iceberg.. People’s March – Solidarity against UMNO’S Racism is to show our utter disgust at this racist regime and to raise visibility and focus national and international attention on it.

HINDRAF’s leadership of this “People’s March – Solidarity against UMNO’S Racism” is purely for the struggle of justice for all citizens of this country. “People’s March – Solidarity against UMNO’S Racism” will take place as announced earlier. The citizens will gather at KLCC on the 27th February at 9.00am and march peacefully to Jalan Dang Wangi Police Station to launch police reports against this UMNO atrocity. . The details of the Police report will be announced at a later date. Given the attitude of our Judicial System it is very likely that the police reports will be of symbolic value only. But in the process we want the world to know what is really transpiring on the ground in Malaysia.

This morning we have applied for a police permit for this march . We would like to remind the police that it is their duty to provide appropriate security to the

Marchers during this “ People’s March – Solidarity against UMNO’s Racism” and play their role effectively to uphold the rights of each and every Malaysian citizen – the universal right of expression and right of assembly as enshrined in the Federal Constitution. We expect the police to provide security to the archers from any untoward incidents. In addition we urge the police not to unnecessarily harass the marchers with attempts to make unlawful arrests during the march in the name of imagined security problems. We reiterate again this is a peaceful protest March conducted on “Gandhian” principles of non-violence.

Again we reiterate our call to all our Justice and Deemocracy minded Malaysians –

Come one and come all and let us speak up – see what the people of Egypt and Tunisia are doing about the tyrants who are ruining their country. The people

of the world need to now stand up and speak up, it is fast becoming the age of the people . Let us not let this opportunity slip.

Sambulingam

National Coordinator

Hindraf

11^th Feb 2011

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