DON'T STOP PORNTHIP: Sugumar vigil - a warning for Najib & his "FALSE NAMBIKEI"

KUALA LUMPUR - Family members of the late C Sugumar, activists and supporters kicked off their 'Justice for Sugumar, Don't Stop Pornthip' campaign in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night.

Small but spirited, the crowd was able to make their presence felt at Brickfields, the mostly-Indian enclave that has received special attention from Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is banking on the Indian vote to help his Umno-BN coalition defend the federal government at general elections that are expected to be held within weeks.

"Brickfields is just a small area which has been developed but the problems of the Indian community go much deeper and wider than a nice shopping area," PKR MP for Subang Sivarasa Rasiah, who is also a lawyer for the Sugumar family, told Malaysia Chronicle.

"If the Umno-BN had not neglected the Indian community, there would be up-to-mark facilities for them all over the country. We are talking about the economic pie, the education pie, the social pie, and for tonight possible outright and blatant murder."

Sit-in protest at Najib's office

The lawmaker was referring to the long list of custodial deaths in Malaysia, where the police have been accused of being callous towards Indian suspects, of torturing many of them to death as in the case of 22-year-old car thief suspect Kugan Ananthan.

While Sugumar, a security guard, was not detained on suspicion of any crime, police say he had suffered a 'mental' fit and destroyed public property. A government hospital post-mortem said he died of a heart attack, but his family believe he could have been saved if not for alleged negligent and rough police conduct.

They want a second autopsy and renowned Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan had agreed to carry it out. Initially, Najib had shown sympathy for the family's quest but was soon exposed as having gone behind the family's back and using his influence with Thai counterpart, Yingluck Shinawat, to bar Pornthip from coming to Malaysia.

"Najib is doing the same as the police. He is bullying the family, banking on their inability to garner enough support to question him or his government. This is a direct contradiction to his call for 'nambikei' (trust). If he cannot even show some trust and goodwill for the Sugumar family, why should the Indian community trust him. His nambikei is tipu (false)," said S Jayanthas, a PKR co-ordinator and Indian rights activist.

"Don't think that the Sugumar family is poor and the Indian community cannot be bothered. We are taking this campaign nationwide. We will be holding a vigil in Klang on Sunday and after that, we will congregate and march to Putrajaya. We will do a sit-in protest at his office."

Injustice: Anger burns in their hearts

Indeed the determination displayed by the Sugumar family was touching. His uncle was visibly moved at support shown by strangers who passed by and stopped to offer him their sympathies.

Around 9.30pm, the group of nearly 100 marched from the fountain area in Brickfields down the road where a mini concert was being held. Locals say that BN leaders have been busy around the area, organizing communal activities in a late-minute bid to "charm" the residents ahead of the elections.

Posters of the Prime Minister and his wife Rosmah Mansor have also been hung all around the district. Nonetheless, the Sugumar group was able to draw the attention of the Indian crowd away from the concert's overly loud disco music and dancing.

Shouting 'Vendom vendom, nidhi vendom (We want justice for Sugumar), Tipu, Tipu, Najib tipu (Najib lied to us), the group attracted many of the younger people who lit a candle and joined their procession.

Police personnel and Special Branch officers could be spotted in the crowd but did not attempt to block the march. After about 30 minutes, the marchers went back to the fountain area and after being briefed by Jayanthas and other activists, they dispersed shouting Bangkit, bangkit, rakyat bangkit (Stand up, people, stand up for your rights).

The last words, however, came from Sugumar's uncle who tried to shake hands and thank as many of the participants as he could. "Enough is enough," he said in simple Tamil.

And Najib should not need any translator to tell him that he had better buck up or face the wrath of the community at the ballot box.

"We may have no choice but to show a docile face but our anger is burning in our hearts. I don't know how the rest of the Indians feel but don't underestimate us as a community," said Sugumar's uncle.

Malaysia Chronicle