An Open Letter to Mr P Waythamoorthy and Hindraf Committee Members

 

Benjamin Loi 

Dear Mr P Waythamoorthy and Hindraf Committee Members:

First of all, I wish to express my most heartfelt congratulations on your success in ending more than 50 years of hardships endured by your fellow Indians in Malaysia. As you ended your hunger strike not too long ago, now is the time of celebration to enjoy sumptuous food, Indian curry chicken is my favourite food, I think you like it too.

Your achievement is remarkable and I think the Malaysian Government should nominate you for the Martin Luther King Legacy Award in America for your sacrifice to make significant contributions in race relations, justice and human rights in Malaysia. If they reject the Malaysia government’s nomination, it is still okay as you may still be conferred a Datukship or Tan Sriship after 5th May 2013 in Malaysia, as in the case of Jelapang ADUN Mdm Hee Yit Foong, who, like you, fearlessly fought for justice and equality (Mdm Hee was not provided a state-sponsored vehicle when she was with Perak PR-led government, it was really not fair and just to her).

Nevertheless, I felt very prompted to write you a letter when I heard of your history-making achievement at 5pm this afternoon. I just simply want to share a family story with you…

More than 50 years ago, my daughter Indianah was conned into giving herself to a guy called Ummnooo. Ummnooo has always treated my daughter like a nobody; mental torture and verbal insults are part or parcel of her daily life, and sometimes physical abuse. In spite of more than 50 years' requests to grant her proper “status”, Ummnooo just wants her to remain stateless so he can continue his arrogance and threaten to send her back to me so he can use it to embarrass my entire family. Sometimes I feel my daughter is just a sex toy to him - no status, no money, no security and there was one occasion where Umnooo kept on kicking and hitting the head of my daughter’s pet, a cow … calling her stupid while torturing her pet in front of so many people.

More than 50 years of suffering suddenly comes to a very interesting twist when another handsome guy Pi-R appears. If I am not wrong, Pi-R told my daughter to leave Ummnooo and elope with him. He promised a better future and would treat her with honour, dignity and respect. I am not sure whether Pi-R can be trusted but when Ummnooo found out Pi-R was after my daughter Indianah, he first tried to threaten her, slapped her and said: “I can live without you, get lost now”. My daughter really did it in 2008 and she eloped with Pi-R.

The thick-skinned Ummnooo realised how important my daughter is to him. My daughter is hardworking and most of the time Ummnooo does not even bother to provide allowance for her and she has to stay hungry sometimes. Where to find such a good and cheap labourer??? So Ummnooo started a new strategy to win my daughter back. Firstl he went to Korea to have comestic surgery to make him look nicer, younger and of course stronger. He has come to my daughter many times after the surgery and continued to make even more beautiful promises. I am happy and worried at the same time. Ummnooo may have changed his ugly face through surgery but there is no way he can change his heart overnight. And Ummnooo’s relatives and friends have never failed to cast disparaging remarks on my daughter, one of them is Puki-flee. Yesterday somebody told me he was going to stand as a candidate in the election, puki puki…pui!!! And I am very afraid that Ummnooo may get influenced by his relatives and friends and start to torture my daughter again.

My daughter is very very confused now. Someone who has called her a whore for 50 years is now treating her like a young pretty princess and since she has slept with Ummnooo on the same bed for more than 50 years, she is going to give Ummnooo a chance.

I respect her decision and at the same time, I think I owe Pi-R a debt of gratitude for without Pi-R Ummnooo will never realise how important my daughter is, Ummnooo will never appreciate her sacrifice and surely he will continue to torture her and let her remain “stateless”.

I just told my daughter this afternoon: “Ummnooo has never loved you, never cherished you … but he merely needs you now to satisfy his urgent “needs” … Indianah, you don’t have to thank Pi-R, but neither do you have to be unkind to him (because Ummnooo asks you to accuse Pi-R of being a seducer).

Oh oh, sorry for the digression and I am getting a bit emotional…sorry sorry…

Last but not least, I sincerely wish all my fellow Indian friends the best!

With Love & Warmest Regards,

Benjamin Loi