An urgent open letter to Indian Malaysians via Aliran on 4 May 2013

Tota issues a special appeal to the community not to fall prey to vote-buying, open bribery and empty promises as they head to the polls.

The Reid Commission Constitution granted all Malaysians equal rights. Tunku generally kept his word – but those who came after him openly promoted ethnic politics and non-Malays became victims of evil policies. Indian Malaysians became the worst victims in almost every area of national life.

At independence, the community laboured in the rubber estates in slave-like conditions – daily-rated, whole families living in a single-room hovel and their children ‘educated’ in attap sheds. Thousands perished because of tuberculosis and malaria, for which there was no cure then.

The British set up the South Indian Labour Fund to cater to the retirement needs of the community. I was told by a British manager that each worker would have received between $15,000 to $25,000 – a princely sum then. However, the workers never got the money. No one has provided an explanation as to where the money went.

Malaysia is what it is today because of tin and rubber and the contribution of Indians in the economic development of the country has been forgotten. In addition, the Indians played a major role in infrastructural development. They built the roads, railways and many government buildings.

While some Indians were granted citizenship at independence, a sizeable number were denied citizenship; currently the number stands at 300,000. Nurul Izzah of Pakatan Rakyat has taken up their cause seriously.

Occasionally, the print media carries pictures of 70- or 80-year old Indians gratefully clutching a citizenship certificate. These poor souls have been robbed of the benefits of citizenship for 56 years – no voting rights, no medicare, no schooling for their children, etc. Just imagine illegal immigrants into Sabah were given instant citizenship under Project M!

The Indians lost out seriously in education. Estate schools were attap sheds housing children from Standards 1 to 6 in a classroom manned by a single teacher. Tamil schools in the urban and semi-urban areas, 523 in all, suffered serious neglect. The per capita government grant was the lowest for Tamil schools.

The MIC stole three acres of land given by a developer to a Tamil school in Selangor. The corruption in MIED, the education arm of MIC has been exposed.

From 2011 Najib made dozens of empty promises to Indian Malaysians. In 2012, out of 10 scholarships awarded by the Agong, six went to Malays, four to Chinese and none to Indians. In the same year the Chief Secretary’s talent scouts’ hunt for first class honours graduates produced 21 candidates – 18 Malays and three Chinese, no Indians.

In the economic field, the Indian Malaysians are said to hold less than 1 per cent equity. SME Indian entreprenuers do not get sufficient government funding and bank loans. The MIC crooks stole the RM10m Telekom shares given to the Indian Malaysian community. Those poor Indians who invested in Maika received no dividends for more than 30 years and then got 80 sen for every one ringgit share.

Now Najib has promised to give RM180m to the community, to be administered by Palanivel. I bet you the money will never reach the community. History will repeat itself.

At independence, there was a sizeable number of Indians in the civil service but now they have literally disappeared.

Government forms require Indian Malaysians to indicate where they belong out of eight categories: Malayalee, Punjabi, Sikh, Tamil, Telegu, Malabari, Indian Muslim, Orissa. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to know to whom the Indian quota for jobs and scholarships are given with Islamofascists controlling everything in the public sector.

When the Indians were displaced from the rubber estates they ended up either as beggars or urban squatters. The youth, without education and skills, turned to crime to survive. Young Indian criminals form a very disproportionate number compared to the population. Young Indians constitute the largest number of custodial deaths. A few examples of police brutality will suffice:
1. M Ragu died in Kampar lock-up.
2. Sugumar, beaten to death in Kajang.
3. R Kumarajah, 27, died in Kajang prison.
4. Kugan – beaten to death.
5. Murugeso – shot dead at Batu Caves.

Then there was Kampung Medan where thugs ran amok and killed six people and injured scores more, including many Indian Malaysians. In most cases no coroner’s inquests were held and in many cases no post-mortems were carried out.

The brutality of the police on the Hindraf marchers was horrendous.

In the area of culture, it is a well-known fact that overzealous officers in the town and city councils have destroyed Hindu temples and shrines. The Temple of Fine Arts was denied the use of the P Ramlee auditorium on religious grounds

When it suits Umno leaders they crow about a multi-racial and multi-religous society. This is the facade. It is important for Indians to realise that the real Umno is Ibrahim Ali, Zulkifli Noordin and Mahathir. Zukifli Noordin insulted the Hindu religion, Hindu Gods like Lord Ganesha and Hindu temples. Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli are Umno candidates for GE13.

To rub salt into the wound, a thoughtless and insensitive Najib said that the recalcitrant Zulkifli is the saviour of the Indians. Nothing can be more insulting than this. I would like to know why Ramli Ibrahim, the famous Bharata Natyam dancer, is not seen performing on TV.

After the Hindraf action in 2007 and Bersih 3.0 in 2012, the BN government and its cronies appeared to have singled out the Hindu Tamils for insults and ill-treatment. The brainless ex-army veterans performed the butt exercise only outside Ambiga’s house. Pak Samad, co-chairman of Bersih, invited them to perform their butt exercise outside his house. They did not. Why?

The ex-army goons even wanted to set up stalls outside Ambiga’s house to sell beef hamburgers. A bootlicking Deputy Inspector-General said the goons had not broken any law. I wonder if someone wanted to set up a bak kut teh stall outside his house, he would say the same thing.

We had the Umno goons dragging a cow head over a Hindu temple issue. No one was charged for inciting hatred. The Perkasa goons performed a mock Hindu funeral outside Guan Eng’s house. Why not a Muslim funeral, why not a Buddhist, Christian or Sikh funeral?

Dear Indian Malaysian brothers and sisters, do not become victims of bribery – a bag of rice, bicycles and schoolbags, radios, sarees, cash and buffet dinners. Despite all the promises, Indian Malaysians have remained a marginalised group under the Alliance/BN and will remain so unless you vote for change. Your salvation lies with the Pakatan Rakyat’s needs-based policies under which the Indian community will benefit substantially.

Because GE13 is at hand, a false Najib has asked for “Nambikei” (Trust) – but with his Umnoputra Agenda camouflaged as a Malay Agenda, he has deceptively avoided talking about “Urimai” – RIGHTS.

Hindraf has betrayed Indian Malaysians; their flyer is a severe indictment of the BN’s neglect of the Indians. The heading of the flyer speaks for itself: “Kejayaan Hindraf. Undilah BN yang menjamin penyelesaian muktamat bagi masalah yang dihadapi oleh masyarakat India selama 56 tahun.”

The long 56 years of neglect and marginalisation is enough. Vote for Change and vote the liars and crooks out.

Tota is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to our Thinking Allowed Online section

Please forward this to your family and friends.

-ALIRAN