Hindraf 2.0's new battle cry: 'End Umno era policies, help Indian poor'

Hindu rights NGO Hindraf 2.0's battle cry now is "end Umno era racist policies and politics" in the new Malaysia.

Its de facto leader, P Uthayakumar (photo, above), said BN may have been toppled by Pakatan Harapan in the last national polls, but its racial policies and politics continue to hamper efforts to improve the lives of the bottom 75 percent of the Indian poor.

"As usual, the classic B75 Indian poor problems start with the denial of their innate birth right, their birth certificates and national registration identity cards, which is a non-starter for some 350,000 B75 Indian poor in Malaysia," Uthayakumar told Malaysiakini.

He cited a case disclosed at a forum held in Padang Serai on June 23, where Manimala Subramaniam, 25, from Ladang Kuala Muda Estate was given her birth certificate by the Sungai Petani General Hospital.

"However, it is unfortunate the hospital omitted her Malaysian citizen mother’s identity card number. This was the beginning of her lifelong misery," Uthayakumar said.

"She was unable to get pediatric care at government clinics, she could not enrol into kindergartens, she was denied primary, secondary and skills training education.

"She could not even get the lowest level job as a sweeper in a factory. She appears to be worse off than the illegal Bangladeshi worker."

Uthayakumar, a lawyer by profession, pointed out that Harapan, in its GE14 election manifesto, pledged to resolve the estimated 350,000 stateless cases within 100 days of its ruling.

"This could have been done by a mere stroke of the prime minister and home minister’s pen via an executive or cabinet directive to the director- general of births, death and marriages in the National Registration Department," said Uthayakumar, who was a former Internal Security Act detainee.

"But why has this not been done despite 14 months of Harapan rule? Is it because of the existence still of Umno era racist policies and politics?"

Land titles

He also took the Harapan government to task over cases of demolition of Hindu temples in the country although the coalition's manifesto pledged to grant land titles to these places of worship.

He alleged that the 143-year-old Ladang Victoria Mariaman Hindu Temple in Padang Serai was denied its land title and now "given the boot".

He claimed that Padang Serai MP M Karupaiya, Lunas assemblyperson Azman Nasrudin and Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir "were not helpful" in resolving the matter.

"The local Hindu cemetaries have also been denied land titles and risk being demolished at any time," Uthayakumar claimed.

Meanwhile, Uthayakumar also expressed frustration that contrary to Harapan's promise to upgrade Tamil schools, some 90 percent are yet to be granted full government-aided status.

"These schools have to go begging for even basic things like stationery, teachers' salaries, school fencing; they are also denied canteens and childrens' playing fields.

"All this can be resolved by a mere stroke of the prime minister and education minister’s pen," he said.

Uthayakumar added that the only way forward is for the Election Commission to create at least seven Indian majority parliamentary and 14 state seats.

Hindraf 2.0 had sent a letter 13 to the EC on May 13 regarding this matter to give the Indian community "a leg-up and a real voice” at the highest political level.

"This will undo the 62 years of Umno era and now Harapan racial injustices," Uthayakumar said. -Mkini