Numbers don't lie, but Surendran did!

 

James Singam 

It was a major turn off for those present at the National Registration Department in Putrajaya, not because the department closed its premises for those wishing to get their marriage registered on this special day of 12/12/12. Instead, the much expected 300,000 stateless Indians who were said to gather there for a sit-in protest and paralyse the operations of the department somehow failed to turn up. With a mere crowd of not more than 700 people, of which only about 300 people with documentation problems, turned up at the protest, raising once again the question, WHERE ARE THE 300,000 STATELESS INDIANS?

Despite months long planning and campaigning over this protest, the Pakatan leaders could only produce 0.1% of their claimed figure of 300,000 stateless Indians. Despite postponing it for a week from the earlier date of December 5, they simply couldn’t find the number they claim. And no one really knows until now what is the reason the date was changed to a week later. Well, knowing Surendran, it could be another cheap tactic by him to gather the day when many Indians, making use of the special date, will be at the NRD for their marriage registration. With these numbers, he can simply claim there were lots and lots of Indians with documentation problems gathered at the department.

The Government on the other hand spent only 8 days for the MyDaftar campaign and brought out over 9000 Indians facing documentation problems and in just over a year resolved more than 6500 cases. Yes, they are in power and have all the resources, but the number speaks for itself. People came out and made the attempt to register themselves. With all the hoohaa the Opposition makes about the issue of stateless Indians, why didn’t the so-called stateless ones rally behind Surendran and prove his claim right?

This protest was clearly a mega-serial directed by Anwar Ibrahim to promote the backdoor “superstar” of PKR, Surendran, who recently announced his candidacy for Padang Serai in the upcoming election. With political chants of “Hidup Anwar” and hundreds of PKR supporters bused in, the actual scene on the ground was nothing but PKR’s desperate attempt to attract the attention of Indians for its political mileage. One “actress” of this mega-serial, Latheefa Koya was even heard by observers standing near her, instructing PKR supporters to put down the political banners they were carrying to avoid public exposure of their pre-planned political drama.

If it is true there are 300,000 stateless Indians, Surendran must produce the list of the people affected. Enough with this drama, show the proof, if not all the 300,000, at least 10% of it. But again, does he know where to find those 3000 people? Will he take another 5 years to find them since it took him a year to gather the 300 people he gathered today?

At the end of the day, people know that the numbers don’t lie, but, SURENDRAN DID!