INDIANS IN REVOLUTION AFTER 13TH GE?

By : JOE FERNANDEZ

GIVEN the looming 13th General Election, the minority Indian Nation in Malaysia must keep in mind the tragic fate of the Christian minorities in the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring -- valid as its other reasons are -- which chose to ignore the fact that the only majority that matters is that in the legislature, not in demography.

And that dialogue, not necessarily to agree, is the best way forward politically in any civilised nation wedded to democracy, human rights and freedom.

Consider the fact that Obama, a Black American, became US President. The Blacks number only ten per cent of the US population.

In Iraq, Washington put the "Shite majority in power" after invading the country and hanging Saddam Hussein, a Sunni. The Christians, who supported Saddam, continue to suffer i.e. if they had not already fled the country.

The so-called Sunni-Shite divide is a creation of the West obsessed with Islamic terrorism and a militant Islam. If Muslims are busy killing each other, the West feels safe, albeit for the moment. They don't want to think too far beyond their noses.

In Syria, the West is arming the Sunni majority to seize power by force. The Christians, who chose to back the Alawite minority led by President Assad, continue to suffer at the hands of the so-called Syrian Free Army and flood into the refugee camps.

In Mali, in a hypocritical about-turn, the West led by France took military action to reverse the forcible seizure of power by Islamists in the country's north.

Anwar doesn’t say what he means and doesn’t mean what he says I hope that I don't have to write an "I told you so" comment piece on the Indians after the 13th General Election.

It's pointless for any Indian to talk to Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat (PR). Why is PR reluctant to endorse the Hindraf Makkal Sakthi Plan for Indians? The lack of sincerity on the part of PR is all too obvious.

De Facto Chief PKR Anwar Ibrahim has never been known to say what he means and mean what he says. Granted that Anwar can deliver a good speech and like Pas draw Malay votes away from Umno but that's about all that he's good for.

He has been a notable failure in Government. Every Ministry this Pass Degree in Malay Studies graduate led has been a failure, from Agriculture and Education to Finance, the last the most spectacular in the wake of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

God help Malaysia if Anwar, the least qualified ever, becomes Prime Minister. We would need a Revolution to drive him out from power.

Anwar continues to remain a court jester of sorts who has carried his act too far this time and, being too full of himself, is in great danger of getting carried by it. Mahathir Mohamad once shamelessly rode on the ignoramus Anwar's sham Islamisation. Pas is Dap engaged in secret talks with Umno to form coalition Government

now doing the same thing with Dap in tow for the sake of tasting power. Dap is riding a tiger (Anwar/Pas) which will return with it inside and the smile on the face of the animal.

Logically, the Dap should reach out to the Indians and other minorities, instead of banking on PKR and Pas so much, but it has failed to do this. The Chinese can only weaken themselves politically by not capitalising on the one million strong Indian votebank.

If the Malays want to divide themselves politically it's not the Dap's business. The Dap should focus on the 45 per cent strong non-Malay minorities and forget the 55 per cent strong Malay majority. Let the Malays settle their politics on their own.

Meanwhile, there's some talk that Dap is engaged in secret talks with Umno to form a coalition Government, good for five years only, after the 13th GE. It won't be a two-third majority Government as Dap would not want BN in Peninsular Malaysia as part of the picture.

Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak is picking the BN candidates in Sabah and Sarawak himself to rule out defections there and ensure that he leads the biggest block of seats in Parliament after the GE. Dap is expected to emerge the next largest.

It's better for community leaders to encourage Indians to vote for candidates, not parties or coalitions.

This is to avoid them being persecuted, prosecuted and/or victimised by police brutality and the like. The police represent the ugly face of racism in sick societies.

If Indians root for PR, and BN still comes in after the 13th GE, they will continue to suffer after the GE.

If Indians root for BN and PR wins the GE, they will suffer even more after the GE.

Indians don't have even one seat in any legislature in the country.

Indians should not vote for Indians

So, there's no point at all in Indians voting along party or coalition lines.

If a candidate has been holding a seat for two terms or more, vote him or her out, even if he or she has been performing as far as the Indians are concerned.

As regards other candidates, vote them out if they have not been performing as far as Indians are concerned. Generally, this means that Indians will be voting against all incumbents, both BN and PR. The winners will come in by default.

All this means we have to drop Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy's idea of abstinence and his elder brother P. Uthayakumar's idea of Indians contesting 15 parliamentary seats and 38 state seats.

Also, Indians should not vote for Indians. They will only function as political mandores and window dressers a la MIC.

This approach by the community will shake up the political system, the Chinese and the Malays and will far reaching repercussions in Sabah and Sarawak. The Indians have nothing to lose but their chains.

Indians will get nothing by taking divided approach

The Government of the Day can be expected to appoint Indians, as the 3rd largest in the country, to the Senate, Federal Cabinet, Local Councils, GLCs, and the Government sector. They don't need parties and coalitions for such representation. The Government of the Day can be expected to set up the Hindraf proposed Ministry of Orang Asal and Minority Affairs (MOAMA), also endorsed by Jeffrey Kitingan, the De Facto Orang Asal Chief.

Left to themselves, Indians are likely to be equally divided in the PR states and vote more for PR in the other states.

Indians will get nothing by taking this divided approach.

Still, it can be deduced that the Opposition, if the Dap agrees, will not allow the BN to take power even if it (BN) wins the 13th GE.

Unconstitutional grab for power a no no

This would be on the grounds that the BN has been in power in Malaysia since 1957 by hook or by crook. Another reason would be that 56 years is too long for any party/coalition to be in power. Thirdly, the Opposition would claim, and not without substantial proof, that the BN cheated to win the 13th GE.

These are all legitimate reasons to forcibly drive the BN from power. The international community will endorse this as elsewhere particularly in the Arab and Muslim World.

This is what happened in Egypt. Mubarak clung to power for 33 years by means foul and fair.

Nevertheless, it must be noted that the Christians, protected by Mubarak, suffer under an Islamist Government which took power.

Should the Indians be prepared to help the Opposition to occupy Dataran Merdeka after the 13th GE and march on Putrajaya to force the BN to step aside for an Interim Government of National Unity to act as a Caretaker Government until the electoral rolls can be cleaned up for fresh elections to be held?

Or should the Indians oppose the seizure of power by unconstitutional means?

What if there's an Islamic Revolution?

In any Revolution, there must be a new Constitution since the old one would be torn up by the revolutionary process.

We cannot have Pas and PKR dictating a new and Islamic Constitution. Surely, the Dap will not be a party to such a treasonous act even if Pas/PKR is bolstered by defections from Umno.

Islamic Revolution not for Malaysia

Indians must consider carefully whether they are in a position to oppose any attempt to create a Tahrir Square-style situation in Malaysia after the 13th GE for an Islamic Revolution.

Revolution okay but not an Islamic Revolution. Sabah and Sarawak will be in agreement on this and hopefully the Dap as well.

Any Revolution in Malaysia after the 13th GE must be secular. All non-Muslims including the Dap must be firm on this.

If there's an Islamic Revolution in Peninsular Malaysia in the aftermath of the GE, tainted as it will be, Sabah and Sarawak must have no part in it whatsoever and must exit the Federation, something they should have done in 1965 in the footsteps of Singapore.

Now when the 13th GE will be held is something that only God knows.

If Najib calls Parliament into session before April 28, it can only mean the GE will be held just before Oct 28.

The law is clear.

Not more than six months must lapse between one Parliament and another, meaning one parliamentary sitting and another and one Parliament and another.

The GE only needs to be held within two months if Parliament is dissolved.

If Parliament is not dissolved but expires automatically on April 28 at the end of its five year life span, the GE can be held within six months.

Najib, to ensure political stability, should bring the Opposition into the Caretaker Government which will run Malaysia from April 28 to Oct 28. Let's see what the Ponnusamy Brothers, Jeffrey, Karpal, Kit Siang, Hadi and Nurul can contribute!

(NOTE : Joe Fernandez is a mature law student, among others, who loves to write. He feels compelled, as a semi-retired journalist, to put pen to paper -- or rather the fingers to the computer keyboard -- whenever something doesn't quite jell with his weltanschauung (worldview). He shuttles between points in the Golden Heart of Borneo formed by the Sabah west coast, Labuan, Brunei, northern Sarawak and the watershed region in Borneo where three nations meet.)