The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi kicking the ball back to the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) to set up another committee on the plight of Malaysian Indians is a great letdown after the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration — which was both a cry of desperation for justice of Malaysian Indians at becoming a new underclass and a powerful vote of no confidence in Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu after more than 28 years as MIC President and Cabinet Minister.

Samy Vellu’s revelation yesterday that after meeting the Prime Minister on Wednesday, Abdullah had asked MIC to set up a special committee to analyse and address socio-economic problems faced by the Indian community is further proof of the advanced denial syndrome of the Barisan Nasional government.

It is also powerful vindication of the critique by the Penang State Exco, Dr. Toh Kin Woon that the Abdullah administration had failed ordinary Malaysians in the past four years in being impervious and insensitive to their “grievances, frustrations and unhappiness”, giving force to his contention that “it is this discontent and unhappiness that will be a greater threat to our country’s peace and stability, rather than the marches, pickets and demonstrations.”

The worst possible responses to the Hindraf demonstration by the government are two — one, to persecute the organizers and supporters of the Hindraf demonstration as “bad hats” and “trouble-makers” and two, refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the “grievances, frustrations and unhappiness” of the Malaysian Indians which have transformed the Hindraf demonstration into such a powerful expression of protest and alienation.

Both these “worst responses” have been adopted.

Firstly, organisers and supporters of the Hindraf demonstration are being persecuted and prosecuted.

Secondly, asking the MIC to set up another committee after three decades of neglect and marginalization of the Malaysian Indian community is no different from dismissing or treating flippantly the root causes of the Hindraf demonstration.

It is also adding salt to injury as Samy Vellu and MIC must bear full responsibility for the relentless political, economic, educational, social, cultural and religious marginalization of the Indian community in the past 28 years (the period Samy Vellu was MIC President and Cabinet Minister) until they have become a new underclass in Malaysia.

The proper and responsible government response is for the Cabinet and Parliament to heed the views of Toh Kin Woon and concede the legitimacy of the “grievances, frustrations and unhappiness” of the Malaysian Indians resulting in the 30,000 Hindraf demonstration and to adopt a new strategy to address and resolve them — by way of a new policy for a New Deal to end the Marginalisation of the Malaysian Indian community.

However, when the ball is kicked back to the MIC without Cabinet and Parliament acknowledging the legitimacy of the long history of “grievances, frustrations and unhappiness” leading up to the Hindraf demonstration, both the Cabinet and Parliament would have abdicated from their responsibilities to ensure that every Malaysian, regardless of race or religion, is entitled to an equal place under the Malaysian sun.

There can be no denial that the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration was a public vote of no confidence in Samy Vellu for his failure in the past three decades to check and reverse the relentless marginalization of the Malaysian Indians into a new underclass in the country.

Samy Vellu has two honourable options before him as his response to the Hindraf demonstration — firstly, to admit his failures as MIC President and Cabinet Minister in the past 28 years and submit his resignation as both MIC President and Cabinet Minister.

Option Two — to get Cabinet and Parliament to concede the legitimacy of the “grievances, frustrations and unhappiness” of the Malaysian Indians resulting in the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration by adopting a new national policy on a New Deal to end the Marginalisation of the Malaysian Indian community, failing which, he should resign as MIC President and Cabinet Minister for three-decades of failure to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Malaysian Indians.

There is no third honourable option available to Samy Vellu.