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Hindraf has always been a PR supporter. We called on the people to overwhelmingly come out in support of the PR in the last GE. Why did we do this?

We did this because we wanted to see positive changes in the socio-economic policies of the country affecting Indian Malaysians. A critical problem has developed in the Indian community due to the neglect of the preceding 50 years by the UMNO regime. If left without any state intervention we will see a further and accelerating deterioration of the status of the Indian community.

The changes we are expecting should address the core issues. which we have articulated untold times. The change we are expecting should be holistic – not piecemeal changes. Piecemeal actions do nothing other than to give a semblance of action . The reality however continues to deteriorate. The facts speak for themselves – crime rate, suicide rate, incidence of poverty, urban slums, alcoholism, drug abuse, single parents, citizens without proper documentation, children without birth certificates, rising unemployment and a host of other problems. – a progressively deteriorating socio-economic status for the Indians as a whole in our country.

So far, in the 5 PR states we see only a continuation of these same approaches of the last 50 years. The PR governments have not got it all.
Recently the Chief Minister in Penang said, Who says we are doing nothing for the Indians in Penang – we give money to the temples, we have given RM1.5 million to the Tamil schools, we have road signs in Tamil. We are doing a lot. This is exactly our point,
These things do very little for the real problem. The PR governments in General and DAP in specific must, I repeat must, understand that what we are seeking is not this, what we seek is a truly wholesome approach to the problem.

We interpret all this to mean that there is no real political will to address the problems. After all, only 7.4% of the population. Or the explanation given is that we are not in the Federal seat yet, the Federal control most of the strings. We are powerless.
We cannot accept this argument any more. Because, even in the area where the state governments have unfettered power, the PR governments have not shown a willingness to use their power to address the problem in an effective manner.
The state government has complete authority over land matters. Have the PR governments given land to the Tamil schools, Temples, Burial grounds – have they.

Even leaving that aside in the current case of Kampung Buah Pala, where there was and I quote the CM of Penang, fraud involved in the transaction of sale of the Kampung Buah Pala land, they have not had the will to act positively to correct the situation using the authority they have. It took a momentuous amount of pressure on the part of the residents and support groups till the CM decided to act last night to use his authority. Why did he not act on this before. Here we were not even asking for alienation of new land , but to use the powers of the state government in matters of land to return land which belongs to the Villagers .

The events leading to the Kg Buah Pala saga reinforces our interpretation as to why the DAP led government had refused to exercise its exclusive power under the National Land Code and the Land Acquisition Act to acquire the land for the benefit of the people. Guan Eng acknowledges that the Kg folks have been cheated of their land (held under trust for their benefit) by the previous Gerakan Government and yet they remained silent on this until Hindraf raised the matter.

Why wasn’t the fraudulent deal by the Gerakan Government exposed by DAP especially since they have total access to all documents pertaining to the fraudulent transactions all these 14 months.

Why weren’t police reports lodged earlier. Why did they wait until Hindraf lodged nationwide reports against Gerakan and DAP before they initiated similar actions.

Why wasn’t the matter raised in Parliament by DAP when the poor, illiterate and helpless people were cheated of their land held on trust.

Why did DAP authorize the transfer of the land to Koperasi after coming into power. Why didn’t DAP take the advise of the then Legal representative of the Kg folks, Cecil Rajendra that they could have revoked the transfer of land on grounds of fraud.

Why is DAP plucking figures wily-nily of hundreds of millions compensation to developer when the assessment of damages and its procedures are clearly laid out in the land acquisition act ie that the sum should be reasonable and would be assessed by the Land administrator.

Why didn’t the DAP government revoke the development order earlier. The decision last night was not based on any new facts, these are facts that have been there since March 2008 and totally available to them. In any case, this decision does not help solve the villagers problem. It is plainly clear that the villagers were cheated of their ancestral land and by revoking the development order DAP is diverting from the real issue of the fraud. There is only one thing that the DAP should do, that is, exercise its powers in Section 76 of the National Land Code and Section 3 of the Land Acquisition Act, acquire the land and return the land to the rightful owners, the villagers.

Why doesn’t the DAP government truly appreciate the value of the Heritage embodied in the continuing existence of Kampung Buah Pala.

All of this sums into this one cause ‘ THERE IS NO POLITICAL WILL TO ADDRESS INDIAN PROBLEMS IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER BY THE PR GOVERNMENTS”

The whole country is watching Kg. Buah Pala closely and the silent majority of PR supporters are bound to lose hope and confidence on the ability of PR if the DAP keep dodging the real issue and divert the attention of Malaysian public from the truth.
Our expectation specific to Kampung Buah Pala is this - Kampong Buah Pala must be returned to the Villagers and preserved as an Indian Heritage Village for all of posterity – all of it – not a part of it as he Chief minister is proposing.

Our expectation, general to governing policies of the ruling PR state governments is that all the State PR governments must develop a blue print of action addressing the larger Indian issues where the State governments do have the power to act. No more excuse, no more appearances, no more titbits.

PR has to be accountable to the people. Hindraf will stand by PR, but we are not political slaves of anyone and we will not close our eyes to injustices and bullying. As we called on our people to support for change we now expect change. If change is not forthcoming, then what difference does it make to us, who we support.

HINDRAF will always stand on the side of justice, truth and fairness.We urge DSAI and all Pakatan MP's and Pakatan State Governments to rise to this call of justice and fairness and equity.

Makkal
26/07/09

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