The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should immediately declare Wednesday, January 23, 2008 as the first Thaipusam national public holiday instead of just thinking about it.
Abdullah told a Ponggal Festival event at Bukit Bintang last night that he would consider declaring Thaipusam a national public holiday.
In the past decades, both inside and outside Parliament, DAP has been calling for Thaipusam to be declared a public holiday and not just a state holiday in Penang, Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Johor.
As there is nothing more to consider, Abdullah should immediately announce Wednesday as the first Thaipusam public holiday so that Thaipusam could be celebrated by all Malaysians throughout the country beginning on January 23, 2008.
#1 by boh-liao on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 9:39 am
“Malaysian Press said 21,000 or 22,000 mainly MIC members turned up at the gathering. But foreign press said only 7,000 people turned up.” – Obviously, the foreign press did not know how to count.
“The annoucement of a PM’s department for poverty cases to me is more important.” – Don’t be too optimistic over this ‘Department for Poverty’. Previously, there was this Committee for the Hardcore Poor established to uplift the economic status of the hardcore poor. Sounds wonderful, caring, and compassionate. However, the money meant for the hardcore poor was swallowed by the person or people in charge of the Committee for the Hardcore Poor. At the end, another committee is just another additional avenue for some of the privileged people to wallop all.
Visit and read ‘Hot air over corruption’ (still very relevant)
http://www.aliran.com/oldsite/monthly/2005b/11d.html
The system has not changed. The spots are still there on the leopard. We still have a den of increasing number of thieves and cheats and liars.
#2 by k1980 on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 10:02 am
Abdullah Declares Thaipusam Public Holiday In KL, Putrajaya
Thaipusam is currently a holiday in Selangor, Penang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Johor.
So the Hindoos in Kedah can go hang for all he cares
#3 by grace on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 10:21 am
Dear Indian friends,
Do not be taken in by just a holiday which is long overdue.
I hope all of you would not be hoodwinked by this gesture. It is GE gimmicks. I believe your votes are not that cheap. Do not fail Hideraf members who are in jail. Next they would free Hinderaf just to win votes!!!
Remember, A swallow maketh a summer not!
#4 by boh-liao on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 10:42 am
“The annoucement of a PM’s department for poverty cases to me is more important.†– More money for who?
Please visit and refresh our mudah lupa memory:
http://www.malaysia-today.net/Blog-e/2005/11/kl-to-jail-top-civil-servant-for.htm
#5 by DarkHorse on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 10:47 am
“The police can also no longer prevent people from assembly, as it is their religious right to visit the temple. It is not something I’d advocate, but something that I foresee may happen.” dranony
Why should the police want to disrupt a religious assembly? What is it that you;re advocating??
#6 by dranony on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 11:28 am
I’m not advocating anything, as I’d written clearly. Just that I foresee a possibility of an occurence of an event.
What I meant was that, compared to Nov 25, 2007 (when the police could actually search cars and hinder people from entering KL and converging at a particular place), with the Thaipusam being declared a Public Holiday and many people converging to Batu Caves for religioius worship, police will no longer have any grounds to stop and search, or hinder people from converging at a particular point, ie Batu Caves.
I foresee that Hindraf might use this opportunity to use Batu Caves during Thaipusam as a convergence point, all handed to Hindraf on a platter by none other than Abdullah Badawi himself.
#7 by undergrad2 on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 8:56 pm
“…with the Thaipusam being declared a Public Holiday and many people converging to Batu Caves for religioius worship, police will no longer have any grounds to stop and search…” dranony
The police in Malaysia could legally search your house, stop and search your person and your car anytime they feel it their duty and need to do so – and there’s nothing much you can do about it. No warrant is needed to enter and search your house. No reasonable cause is required before they could stop you and search.
U.K. is not much better.
Unlike in the U.S. where the police would need a search ‘warrant’ to search your house, and ‘reasonable cause’ to stop you in your car and conduct a search. Even to search your person, they must first have ‘reasonable cause’.
So if you think Malaysian police would need reasonable cause before they could do a stop and search, then you’re wrong. They don’t.
#8 by malaysiatoday.com on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 8:47 am
Thaipusam is only celebrated by 7% of Malaysians, YB Lim’s suggestion to make it a national holiday is too much.
I disagree because Malaysia is already one of the most holiday days nation in the world.
#9 by U32 on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 9:10 pm
Scoreboard reads:
Hindraf 1
Barisan Nasional 0