Kula flays Waytha for silence on custodial death

DAP MP for Ipoh Barat M Kulasegaran said the "deafening silence" of Deputy Minister P Waythamoorthy over the latest death in police custody showed up the Hindraf chairperson as "bad-intentioned" in dropping a halt to custodial deaths from the movement's list of demands of the government.

N Dharmendran, 31, died in a Kuala Lumpur police headquarters' lock-up on May 21, the fifth death this year of a detainee while in custody and the 218th in all since a count of such mortalities was kept from 2000.

"Custodial deaths have become an exposed wound on the psyche of Indian Malaysians," claimed the DAP national vice-chairperson.

"The frequency of its occurrence and the apparent immunity enjoyed by those who inflict it have become a national shame and a flagrant reflection of the devalued worth of Indian Malaysian lives," observed Kulasegaran.

The DAP legislator said when Hindraf dropped the demand of a cessation to custodial deaths from their list of conditions to BN for extending the movement's support to the ruling coalition just before GE13, "people were suspicious that Hindraf had sold out to the BN in exchange for the material rewards of ministerial office."

"Now Waythamoorthy's deafening silence goes some way towards confirming that Hindraf shed that demand because it knew it cannot compel the government to rein in rouge elements in the police force," said Kulasegaran.

'We'll give as good as we got'

"The movement's leaders showed no hesitation in the past in denouncing any lapses on the part of Pakatan Rakyat in states the opposition coalition controlled, so they can now expect the same treatment for lapses occurring on their watch in the federal government," said Kulasegaran.

"We will not resort to their demeaning terminology when denouncing their targets, but we'll make sure our slings and arrows hit home," said the federal lawmaker.

Hindraf was notorious in spraying the derogatory epithet ‘mandore' at any Indian leader they found wanting in the defence and assertion of Indian rights.

"We intend to give as good as we got but, unlike our Hindraf counterparts, we will stay civil in speech and behaviour," said Kulasegaran.

"We won't be petty but we intend to make Hindraf realise that it is much easier hurling criticisms from without than warding them off when they are the government," declared Kulasegaran.