Hindraf Protest – Did Indians change the political situation in Malaysia?

Hindraf, an Indian NGO is organised rally to hand over a petition to the British High Commission of the legal suit against the British Government for USD4 trillion.

There had been a growing “fashion” to protest via street rally – the Bar Council in Putrajaya and the successful BERSIH march to the royal palace and Hindraf’s rally.

Hindraf in the past been rallying on many pressing issues – particularly on demolition of temples but it has fell on deaf ears and they have taken one step further. Hindraf has also accused the government of sidelining and denying the rights of the Indian community in the economic, education and public sectors.

The Government and MIC, as expected, were quick to paint the rally as illegal and that is the work of the opposition party. The police, as expected, rejected the application for a permit but added the usual “you can appeal” statement after the rejection. The warnings and threats issued for those wanted to participate. Indians in Malaysia were discriminated and marginalized and hence poverty, religion, lack of education opportunity and gangsterism just to name a few, been hogging the community for very long, and there is really no light end of the tunnel.

In essence, Indians have realised that they can make the change if they put their mind to it. They threw away the “minority” and “inferiority” notion which they have been “carrying” the minority tag for far too long. The more people talk of “minority”, the more the probabilty that they will end there and stay there too.

Hindraf move seems strategic?

Considering that a group of “minority” demanding an ex-colonial master to protect the minority which also paints a very undesirable picture of the party who is claiming to champion the rights of the minority – MIC and Malaysian government in general in the eyes of the international community.

The point is generating enough publicity not only in Malaysia but also internationally, to pressure the government. If Hindraf’s plans well executed, will generate the right amount of publicity and force the government to sit up and take note.

The Indians in Malaysia are angry and energized like never before. Despite their entrenched second-class status in Malaysia and their failure to gain a foothold in the surging economy, most Indians would probably not have challenged the status quo. But when property developers began destroying Hindu temples, often historical but unused, the Indian community began to protest.

The November 25th, 2007 rally was the largest of a series of agitations, provoked by the temple destruction and the failure of Samy Vellu, president of the MIC, to halt the practice. The MIC was no longer seen as an effective Indian voice in Malaysia’s government. The indefinite detention of the HINDRAF Five under ISA was the final straw.

Hindraf ‘s struggle was supported by the opposition parties , including former deputy premier, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and another opposition group DAP had also supported the outfit on the demonstration.

Indians knew the stakes are extremely high in the election. “If the Barisan Nasional government is going to garner the same support, then the Indians in this country are finished.”

An estimated 89 per cent Indians voted for the opposition in general elections in Malaysia, severely restricting and denying the two-thirds majority to the ruling coalition.

The vote swing in favour of the opposition was as high as 42 per cent in the case of the Chinese, who constitute 33 per cent of the 28 million populations.

Ten per cent of the local Malays, mainly in the cities, voted with the opposition.

Apart from feeling marginalised, the Indian and Chinese voters were unhappy as the government seemed not to think of their livelihood. They felt the government had failed to care for their 'stomach'. The rising cost of living made it difficult for them to live comfortably. But ultimately, the tipping factor was the perception that the government was not doing enough to solve problems like the rising cost of living, curbing the high-handed behaviour among some civil servants

They believed that if the BN was given the majority of votes, the cost of living would go up and this would impact their quality of life," Silent voters, accounted for 40 percent of swing votes. These silent voters were people who never openly criticised the government but instead took their grouses to the ballot box.

Bigger and richer Penang, Selangor, Perak and Kedah have fallen to opposition. And at the centre, the Front lost the two-thirds parliamentary majority it has enjoyed since 1969.

exclusively by: mi1