‘MoU destroyed Hindraf’

Several Indian leaders have lashed out at Hindraf's P Waythamoorthy for signing a pact with the BN.

PETALING JAYA: Several Indian community leaders claim that the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) yesterday between the Barisan Nasional and a faction of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has successfully destroyed Hindraf and its objectives for the Indian community.

“The MoU was not signed in ink but with blood of thousands of Indians who were beaten up by police during the Hindraf rally in 2007,” said S Barathidasan, secretary of Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (Mipas).

“The Indians are shocked with [P] Waythamoorthy [Hindraf leader] and his team who sold out the community for their personal interest,” he told FMT today.

He claimed that the Indian community was, however, mature enough to understand the political gimmick staged by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Hindraf leader P Waythamoorthy.

“Hindraf [Waythamoorthy's faction] has lost touch with Indians. Only the opportunists are with him,” he added.

Yesterday, Hindraf, an Indian rights movement, signed the MoU with Najib, who is also the Barisan Nasional chief, to put to paper the government’s commitment in uplifting the Indian community.

Barathidasan claimed that only about 1,000 Indians attended the signing ceremony yesterday evening, and many of them were from the MIC and not original Hindraf members.

He also questioned why the movement only tabled a six-point demand to Najib when originally Hindraf has made a 18-point demand.

It is learnt that Hindraf’s blueprint, among others, highlighted issues related to displaced Indian plantation workers, the need for tertiary-level education for Indian students, job opportunities in the government sector, financial loans to Indian entrepreneurs, and the establishment of a Minorities Affairs Ministry.

“It seems like all his [Waythamoorthy's] actions including the hunger strike was pre-planned to improve his rating among Indians,” added Barathidasan.

No positions in BN

Sharing the same view, Malacca PKR vice-chairman G Rajendran claimed that the MoU was half baked, which would not benefit the community.

“Furthermore, it is not necessary for Najib to fulfil the demands in the MoU, since he is a caretaker prime minister,” he added.

Rajendran challenged Waythamoorthy to reveal his stand on certain issues raised by Indians.

They include Zulkifli Noordin who is given a ticket to contest under the BN banner for the Shah Alam parliamentary constituency, the CSMU medical university de-recognition, compensation for all the temples demolished by BN government, fully residential Tamil schools, more director- general posts for Indians in government service and such.

Meanwhile, the Serdang Indian Welfare Association put forward a condition for its support for the MoU.

“We will back Hindraf in the election, but Waythamoorthy and Hindraf coordinators [W] Sambulingam and [N] Ganesan must pledge to the public that they would not hold any position under Najib’s government after the election.”

“We hope they will agree to our condition before the nomination so that we can work with them,” said its chairman R Kumaresan.