MIC President and Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu should cut short his current India trip and rush back to the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday to uphold justice for the Hindraf Five wrongly detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) since he has admitted to the Indian media that there is no evidence about Hindraf’s terrorist links.
Samy Vellu had told the Indian media in Chennai that the Malaysian government did not have any evidence that Hindraf had connection with Tamil Tigers or terrorists. He was responding to questions from reporters in Chennai.
This is the Q & A on the NDTVG.com where Samy Vellu admitted that there is no evidence that Hindraf has terrorist links:
NDTV: Do you have any evidence to back your government’s charge that the Hindraf has links with terrorists?
D S Vellu: Hindraf said they would fight like the Tigers, the way the Tigers are fighting in Sri Lanka. It was by Vedamurthy. After he talked like that, we did an investigation and it was felt that he may have gone there for training.
NDTV: Do you have evidence of this?
D S Vellu: No. It is our suspicion.
It was because of the alleged Hindraf’s terrorist links that the Hindraf Five, P. Uthayakumar, V. Ganabatirau, M. Manoharan, R. Kenghadharan and T. Vasantha Kumar were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
The Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan had told Malaysians immediately after their ISA arrests on 14th December 2007 that the detention of the Hindraf Five was “imperative” because “they clearly have links with international terrorist organizations”. (NST 15.12.07)
As the whole case for the invocation of the infamous ISA to detain the Hindraf leaders was their international terrorist links, which has now collapsed totally with the admission by Samy Vellu in India, the Hindraf Five, P. Uthayakumar, V. Ganabatirau, M. Manoharan, R. Kenghadharan and T. Vasantha Kumar should be released immediately and unconditionally from ISA detention in Kamunting detention centre.
Samy Vellu cannot do any good in India, with him being snubbed by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi despite waiting for an appointment for three days in Chennai “to clarify his government’s stand on the Malaysian Tamils issue”.
Samy Vellu had been a party to the great wrong perpetrated on the Hindraf Five in their ISA detention and the least he should do is to rush back to the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday to ensure that justice is done to the five with their immediate and unconditional release without a single moment’s delay.
The other reason which Musa had mentioned to justify their detention was that they were “involved in activities that amount to inciting racial hatred” does not bear scrutiny.
This is because these charges come under the Sedition Act and the Hindraf leaders should be charged in court so that they could exercise their constitutional right to defend themselves in an open trial in accordance with the Constitutional guarantee and Rukunegara principle on the rule of law in Malaysia.
#1 by Tickler on Wednesday, 9 January 2008 - 8:09 am
NEW DELHI :Malaysia on Tuesday denied reports emanating from Kuala Lumpur that it had taken a decision to put a freeze on employment of Indian workers. Malaysian works minister Samy Vellu, who is here to attend the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2008, on Tuesday denied the reports, and said there is no ban or freeze on Indian workers. Mr Vellu made a statement after talking to his Prime Minister Abdullaj Badawi.
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Significantly Mr Vellu just an hour before his denial said Malaysia had enough foreign workers. “The government decided it is enough, and we don’t want to recruit any more because we have enough workers… Is it wrong?,†he told a news agency when asked for a comment on the reported ban.
The Indian government has anyway sought a clarification through it’s mission in Malaysia. Sources said India’s high commissioner in Malaysia has got in touch with the Malaysian foreign office seeking a clarification on the issue.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/No_freeze_on_Indian_workers/articleshow/2684754.cms
#2 by Tickler on Wednesday, 9 January 2008 - 8:13 am
It is laughable. A day after the Indian defence minister completes his trip to Malaysia, that country announces a ban on the intake of workers from India. Existing workers will be asked to return to India after their work permits expire. The Malaysian government took this decision—it claims—in late December 2007. It probably held back the announcement to ensure A K Antony’s visit took place. Yet, the timing of the announcement—a day after India agreed to train Malaysian air force pilots, among other things—should be embarassing for Mr Antony.
The Malaysian government took this decision—in all likelihood—as part of its clampdown on the movement among its ethnic Indian minority, who are demanding an end to systematic racial discrimination. The manner in which it treats its citizens is entirely its own business. But if Malaysia has the right to decide its own immigration policies, the ban adversely affects Indian nationals. For that reason, the Indian government must respond.
The ban on immigrant workers has become an additional sore point in India-Malaysia economic relations, the most visible of which was Malaysia’s holding up of an India-ASEAN preferential trade agreement blaming India’s customs duties on the import of palm oil. And even if Mr Antony and his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak, have announced an ‘elevation’ of defence co-operation, Kuala Lumpur has been less enthusiastic on India’s involvement in securing the Malacca straits.
http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/2008/01/08/look-east-and-frown-at-malaysia/
#3 by Tickler on Wednesday, 9 January 2008 - 8:15 am
In the Indian history idiom, this state of affairs is called Tuglak durbar. I hope PM Badawi does not go down in history drawing a comparison with Mohammad Bin Tuglak who shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. Together with the banning of visas for non-muslim priests, Badawi is being misled by wahhabi groups into turning Malaysia into an islamist state. All ethnic communities of Malaysia, Beware ! Malaysia is no longer the pluralist, multi-ethnic society that made its citizens proud as Malaysians, a nation almost reminding one of the continent of Asia, hence the name Malaysia. PM Badawi will do well to release the Hindraf 5 and start a national reconciliation dialogue. That will get him a place in history; else, he will not even become a footnote in Malaysian history. The choice is his.
#4 by Tickler on Wednesday, 9 January 2008 - 8:25 am
The Malaysian Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism said foreign priests already in the country have only been given six-month renewals and told they must leave after expiry.
Foreign priests already in the country have only been given six-month renewals and told they must leave after expiry, said the council’s president A Vaithilingam.
Seeking PM’s explanation
Vaithilingam said the restrictions mostly affected ethnic Indian Hindus, who have been at the centre of a discrimination row, and that there would now not be enough priests to conduct prayers.
“We want an explanation from the prime minister and the government on this,” Vaithilingam told AFP.
“Why are they carrying out the sudden action to restrict foreign priests from practicing in the country when there are millions of foreign workers who are allowed to work here,” he said.
Vaithilingam, who is also president of the leading Hindu organisation the Malaysian Hindu Sangam, said that about 200 Hindu priests were the majority of foreign clergy here, but that there are also some Buddhists and Taoists.
He said visas for temple musicians have also been reduced from one year to six months while temple sculptors have had their permits reduced from six months to one week.
“I am shocked because normally Immigration has a talk with us before changing any policy and this has happened without any discussion,” he said.
Immigration department officials confirmed that the visas issued to priests were being restricted but refused to give details.
#5 by lakshy on Wednesday, 9 January 2008 - 1:57 pm
Ayyoyyo Semi Value, first you say there is no marginalisation of the Indians, and show statistics to show Indians are doing well and then you go to India to say the same thing.
But in the same breath you say the issue is being looked into by gomen.
haha, if its not true, then no need to look into it, and no need to visit your kampung lah.
Dei lu balik India pun India tadak mau sama lu.
See this is an Indian who cant even speak proper Malay, and he is a Minister…..a Clown, but still a Minister.
#6 by lakshy on Wednesday, 9 January 2008 - 1:59 pm
Heyyyyyy the driving out of Hindu priests………ethnic cleansing or not?
#7 by lakshy on Wednesday, 9 January 2008 - 2:01 pm
But in India Semi Value called his even less value boss the pm who told him that no truth to the fact that Indian visas being restricted or limited etc. So who is bluffing now?
#8 by kbp240874 on Saturday, 12 January 2008 - 12:51 pm
Uncle Samy, pls leave your office for the sake of Indians in Malaysia. U still can afford to survive w/o your mininster’s pay….ahhhhhhhhhhh