Clean up your act first, Waytha told

Former Hindraf participants want Hindraf leader P Waythamoorthy to clear the air over the group's political stand and finances.

PETALING JAYA: A leader of a grassroots movement today lashed out at London-based Hindraf Makkal Sakti chairman P Waythamoorthy for criticising Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s efforts for the Indian community.

Action Team Force president and a former Hindraf supporter B Kalaivanar said Waythamoorthy should first reveal details of Hindraf’s accounts and its political stand before hitting out at Najib.

“A total of 196 were detained during the protests in 2007 and we never got funds for our court cases.

“The court cases finished last year and we forked our own pocket money. Waythamoorthy has been collecting funds overseas and no one knows any details of the ammount since 2008,” said Kalaivanar in response to Waythamoorthy’s latest criticism against Najib.

A BN critic-turned-supporter now, Kalaivanar defended Najib’s various policies that helped the Indian community, including giving out MyKads for those who were ‘stateless’ before, and ensuring that this group also receives financial aids.

Kalaivanar also queried how Waythamoorthy was living in the UK without holding a job, and questioned Waythamoorthy’s personal commitments to safeguard the Tamil schools.

Pressure Pakatan too
He further urged Waythamoorthy to make clear Hindraf’s stand in politics.

“If you are neutral, remain neutral (instead of bashing Najib in the media),” said Kalaivanar.

“If Waythamoorthy is a brave politician, he must be based here and oppose the government instead of issuing statements to the local media.”

Kalaivanar also dared Waythamoorthy to push Hindraf’s 18-point demands to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang if he had the interests of the Indians.

“Why don’t you (Waythamoorthy) push for Anwar to announce the 18-point demands in Pakatan Rakyat’s election manifesto?” asked Kalaivanar who was a former Jerai PKR leader in Kedah.

He claimed that the Indian community did not gain anything even though they placed Pakatan Rakyat in power in several states in the last general election.

“Indians are not given privileges in the local councils. One of the 18 points was a demand to increase participation of the Indians in local councils but I haven’t seen that in Selangor and Penang,” Kalaivanar said.

Hindraf’s accounts
Before Kalaivanar, many other critics of Hindraf had also asked the movement to account for the money it had collected from the public, resulting in the movement releasing details of its accounts in January 2010.

Waythamoorthy had said then that all the money it had collected from the public was accounted for and dismissed allegations of misappropriation.

He also had said that Hindraf had paid a total of RM111,706.60 for fines for Hindraf supporters charged in court and for their travelling allowances and accommodation.