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Media Conference          
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Monday): MIC MP for Cameron Highlands Devamany a/l S. Krishnasamy should publicly apologize for his Aljazeera interview yesterday belittling the Hindraf demonstration and condemning the demonstrators when he should be deploring the police mishandling and excessive use of force in firing tear gas and liquid chemicals against the defenseless and unarmed in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

In the Aljazeera interview, Devamany joined the chorus of Barisan Nasional leaders in running down the Hindraf demonstration, condemning it as irresponsible with bad intention, making derogatory reference to the “type of people” who came to join the demonstration – as if they were the riff-raff and good-for-nothings when they in fact represented a fair cross-section of the Malaysian Indian community from all over the country, including professionals and among the most idealistic men and women for whom the Malaysian Indian community and the Malaysian nation have every reason to feel proud.

I actually gave Devamany an opportunity during parliamentary question time this morning to apologize and withdraw his offensive and derogatory remarks about the Hindraf demonstration and demonstrators, but he chose to be obstinate and unrepentant, trying to argue and justify his offensive Aljazeera interview.

As I had said during my supplementary question this morning that the government failure to ensure equity has created the conditions for the Hindraf demonstration, which was “a cry of desperation” by the Indian community at their neglect and marginalization in the Barisan Nasional nation-building policies which have made the Malaysian Indians into a new under class in Malaysia after 50 years of Merdeka.

Never before in the past 50 years have Malaysian Indians felt so discriminated and marginalized in the whole gamut of their citizenship rights – political, economic, social, educational, cultural and religious.

It is precisely because MIC leaders in Parliament and government are not prepared to give voice to the legitimate grievances of the Malaysian Indians that the frustrations of Malaysian Indians are so deep-seated and widespread – nurturing a grave sense of alienation among the Malaysian Indians at being cut off from the mainstream of development and full recognition of their legitimate aspirations and rights as equal Malaysian citizens.

The refusal by UMNO Ministers and Deputy Ministers in Parliament and government to concede the validity and legitimacy of the grievances of the Malaysian Indians which have led to the Hindraf demonstration is not surprising, as this is part of the very serious denial syndrome of the UMNO and Barisan Nasional political leadership.

However, the failure of MIC leaders to recognize the factors that have led to the Hindraf demonstration yesterday or to have any good word for the Hindraf demonstration and demonstrators is most deplorable and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

The Cabinet on Wednesday must discuss the “cry of desperation” of the Malaysian Indians symbolized by the 30,000 Hindraf demonstration yesterday and the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must “walk the talk” of his pledge to be Prime Minister for all Malaysians regardless of race, religion or political beliefs.
 

(26/11/2007)