Hindraf to submit anti-racism memo to UN sec-gen

Hindraf will submit an anti-discrimination memorandum to the United Nations on March 21 in conjunction with the visit of its secretary-general Ban Ki Moon to Malaysia.

In a statement today, Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorty said this is to highlight the "racist provision" in Article 153 of the federal constitution.

Article 153 was intended to assist the majority Malays who were left behind in the socio economic development of Malaya by the British government, he said.

"However the British failed to realise that 95 percent of the Malayan Indians in 1957 were living in slave like conditions, without land of their own, citizenship and were at the mercy of the British capitalists and opportunists", Waythamoorty (right) added.

The then Alliance government which sought this racist provision under the constitution colluded with the British to make the provision which was meant to be temporary in nature into a permanent feature, he charged.

"Today after 55 years of independence, Malaysians suffer as a result of the continuous manipulation of Article 153 to enrich a particular race and deny the basic rights of other minorities," he said.

The visit coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Hindraf is expected to send a 10-men delegation to the Kuala Lumpur UN office and is calling on other groups to follow suit.

"Hindraf recognises other communities as equally affected especially the Orang Asal .

"After 55 years of independence, it is time this racist provision is dismantled and all Malaysians are given the right to co-exist and enjoy the fruits of their labour in equality and dignity," said Waythamoorty.