Hindraf tells Pakatan to spell out plans for Indian poor

Hindraf has urged top Pakatan Rakyat leaders to outline their policies for the Indian Malaysian poor at a public meeting on April 22 in Klang.

At a press conference today, Hindraf de facto leader P Uthayakumar said the movement hopes Pakatan leaders will spell out what they plan to do for this community within 100 days of taking Putrajaya.

Referring to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim as the incoming prime minister, Uthayakumar said Pakatan also needs to explain what it will do to “undo 55 years of Umno and BN injustices on the Indian (Malaysian) poor”.

“For the record, the Hindraf political position is not to support Umno and BN. We are inclined to support regime change and also a two-party system which does not continue in particular the Umno racism and segregation targeted against the Indian (Malaysian) poor,” he said.

An official invitation for the event has been sent to Anwar, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

Asked how many people Hindraf expects at the meeting, Uthayakumar replied: "We had about 300 people at Putrajaya (on March 25) … this event is more serious now."
In justifying the need to involve Pakatan leaders, he cited a meeting he had with a mother of six who has been sole provider for her children after her husband died in police custody.

"She said she was contemplating giving poison to her children and committing suicide.

"The Indian (Malaysian) poor problem is so bad that they are worse off than foreign workers."

‘Waiting for reply’

The Pakatan leaders are being invited to a public meeting with this community, as well as to commit to Hindraf’s 18-point demands mooted in 2007.

Stating that Hindraf is "more than willing" to endorse Pakatan Rakyat in the next general election, Uthayakumar said: "We are still waiting for Pakatan’s answer, (to see) if they are agreeable to the 18 points and will endorse it in writing.

"We are in a difficult position because Pakatan does not want to engage us. We may have no alternative but to contest in the coming general election."
Hindraf is looking to contest in Selangor, in the parliamentary seats of Kota Raja, Kuala Selangor and Kelana Jaya, and the state seats of Seri Andalas, Bukit Melawati, Ijok and Seri Setia, he added.