HINDRAF calls for nationwide prayers to be organised to commemorate the 1st year anniversary of UNITY amongst the marginalized, oppressed and suppressed Malaysian Indians over the last 51 years.
November 25th is a day no ethnic Indian in Malaysia would ever choose to forget for it reminds them of the struggle of these marginalized community against the state which came hard to suppress the legitimate voice of democracy.
No Indian would forget the fact that a peaceful gathering correctly exercised under Article 10 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution and Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 was met by state violence and aggression.
We call upon all Malaysian Indians to organise prayers in their respective Temples and light up 18 Ghee Lamps each to signify the 18 demands submitted to the Prime Minister on 12th August 2007.
The purpose of this exercise is lessen the evils that is partaking in the current scenario in Malaysia and gain faith and confidence from the almighty to overcome these evils and move forward for the goodwill of the Malaysian people in fairness to all irrespective of their color, race, religion, creed or following.
The burning of these lamps is similar to a candlelight practiced throughout ancient time and it is not sacrilegious to anyone as it seeks the omnipresent power of the almighty to strengthen and boost our faith and confidence for the spiritual and moral path that we have embarked and overcome turbulence time to lessen the evils that are prevailing for the Malaysian society.
Kindly take note that mass prayers would be organised at the
Batu Caves Temple for the southern region and
Butterworth Mariamman Temple for the Northern Region on the 25th November 2008.
We invite all those who are unable to attend these temples to organise prayers at their respective temples.
Though HINDRAF has been unlawfully declared illegal there is nothing the UMNO regime could do to stop us from organising prayers. We welcome our fellow brothers from other faiths to organise similar prayers at their respective places of worships and seek the divine blessings for the continued struggle and success in our endeavour.
Let us unite on this day and show our oppressors we are UNITED MALAYSIAN INDIANS.
We invite all our supporters to send SMS’s to their friends to attend these prayers and be united on this day by wearing orange clothing as a mark of our unity.
P.Waytha Moorthy
Chairman
HINDRAF
14th November 2008
1 comment:
There is a difference between UMNO and Barisan Nasional. I want to make it clear that it is not the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, but the UMNO government. It is not the government, but UMNO. Barisan Nasional is a coalition of unequals, not equals. UMNO is the big brother in BN. Therefore UMNO must be held responsible; and more importantly, UMNO must not be allowed to hide behind the BN banner. UMNO is the enemy, not BN. UMNO is a racist party which has perfected the art of divide and rule. Using “carrot and stick” UMNO has obtained support. If moderate Malays, the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Chinese and Indians unite, then they can vote UMNO out of office.
For decades UMNO has strengthened her position by destroying the independence of the judiciary. So much so that high officials and the Police can almost act with impunity.
I have come to the conclusion that the easy solution is to completely defeat UMNO in the next elections. We have to vote racist UMNO out of office. UMNO is bent on divide and rule, which has affected Malaysia badly. It is for the next generation of Malaysians to undo the damage done to Malaysia by UMNO. There is a dire need for moderate Malays at the political level. There is also a need for the natives of Sabah and Sarawak to form a third force to protect their own interests. Imagine how UMNO had dealt with Sabah; from a rich state, Sabah has been reduced to a poor state subservient to UMNO. There has to be an explanation. The only way is UMNO has to be voted out of office. The younger generation of Malaysians do not like racist politics and UMNO must be taught a lesson by the younger generation by voting UMNO out of office. Please vote for any party but UMNO/BN.
To my Sabah and Sarawak brothers and sisters I tell you that historically UMNO has always avoided a Royal Commission of Inquiry as much as possible many times. Historically, UMNO has misused the Internal Security Act numerous times. Any political party that is an accomplice to UMNO is also the enemy. Any political party that is a co-conspirator to UMNO is also the enemy. To my Sabah and Sarawak brothers and sisters I say that you should form a third force. A third force would require unity among Sabahans and Sarawakians.
To my Sabah and Sarawak natives, I need you to understand some things. Who is a so called bumiputra? UMNO policy has made it that just about any Muslim (from any nation) who can obtain Malaysian citizenship can claim bumiputra benefits. How about the natives of Sabah and Sarawak? When it is beneficial to the Malays, the Malays cleverly put the Malays, the Orang Asli, and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak together. The Orang Asli of Malaya are not even mentioned in the constitution. Who are the bona fide indigenous people of Malaya? There are some who feel that the Orang Asli of Malaya are the indigenous people of Malaya, not the Malays. It may be possible that the Malays have usurped the position of indigenous people of Malaya and cleverly excluded the Orang Asli in the constitution. If we allowed the Orang Asli or the natives of Sabah and Sarawak to draft the constitution of Malaysia, it would look very different. So, it all depends on who drafts the constitution.
We have to get into the habit of putting people in office through votes, and removing people from office through votes. Nobody should be allowed to topple the government. We have to institutionalize the multi-party political system, one person one vote, and an independent judiciary.
In the 2004 elections (11th General Election), the voters gave good support to Mr.Abdullah Badawi. But reforms did not come. Why? Probably because UMNO had done well in the elections. If UMNO had done well in the elections, then the election results tell UMNO that the voters are satisfied with the status quo. If the voters are satisfied with UMNO, then no reforms are necessary. In the 2008 elections (12th General Elections), UMNO did not do well, but she managed to win. UMNO did lose the 2/3 majority in the Parliament, but she did win, nevertheless. Will UMNO undertake reforms now? I would not be surprised if she did not. Why should she? UMNO is still the winner in the elections; and she can plan to rise and may even succeed to rise again. So, as long as she wins, she will never undertake the reforms. So, how do the voters get the reforms that they need? The voters will get the reforms when UMNO is completely defeated in the 13th General Elections. If UMNO wins zero seats in the next elections (13th General Elections), then some other party would have to rule Malaysia. Let us call it Party B. If UMNO is completely defeated in the next elections (13th General Elections), then Party B would rule Malaysia. Would Party B undertake reforms? If Party B does not undertake reforms, then voters would know what to do.
There is no doubt that UMNO has used gerrymandering to strengthen herself. If we removed gerrymandering from UMNO, then there would be a reduced UMNO. So the non-UMNO voters of Malaysia have good reasons to vote against UMNO.
It is possible that UMNO has used the Police Force to strengthen herself. The Police Force is required to be neutral. But is the Police Force neutral? I appeal to the Police Force to be neutral.
UMNO is a race based political party and also the big brother of BN. So, the complete defeat of UMNO in the next elections is the only way to get reforms. The complete defeat of UMNO in the next elections is the only way to get a new beginning.
UMNO is inclined to believe that Malaysians cannot do anything if they are in any way dissatisfied. The voters, however, have to send a strong message to UMNO that the voters can do something: the voters can vote. The voters can vote against UMNO/BN.
So, the next step for Malaysians is to completely defeat UMNO/BN in the next elections.
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