MIC, PKR to work together to solve Effingham land issue

Hunger strikers agree to drop the term "thief" to describe MIC while the party in turn would consider a proposal for the land to be given to the Effingham Tamil School.

KUALA LUMPUR:  The Effingham Tamil School (SRJK(T) Effingham) land controversy finally looks set to be resolved following a compromise reached out between MIC and the PKR-backed Return Effingham Land Action Team (Reflax).

The initiative was taken by MIC vice-president and Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Deputy Minister M Saravanan who visited five members of Reflax who had been in a hunger strike since Saturday morning seeking for the return of a three acre land for the school which they claimed had been taken by MIC.

However after Saravanan’s visit to the hunger stikers, followed by a short discussion involving PKR’s R Sivarasa as well as MIC secretary-general S Murugessan, both Reflax and PKR agreed to stop calling MIC “thieves” who “stole” the said piece of land.

The hunger strikers also agreed to replace their demand for MIC to “return the land” with a new one which will “seek for the land” for the school.

In return, Saravanan agreed that he would bring up the group’s proposal to MIC’s highest leadership level, the central working committee, to consider the request for the land to be allocated for the school.

However, Reflax, which has been holding candlelight vigils every Saturday night for the past 14 weeks, would continue to hold it’s hunger strike, which is now on it’s third day.

Currently there are five people, out of an original seven, who are taking part in the hunger strike at the water fountain in Brickfield’s Little India.

They said that they would continue with their hunger strike until MIC confirms that it would release the piece of land. Reflax and PKR had originally accused the MIC of stealing the land which was given for the school.

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