Race-based politics is very much alive and relevant in Malaysia. HINDRAF was formed on the basis to protect the rights of the minority Indian community, which HINDRAF says had been under substantial exploitation since independence, forcing many into the lower working class that constitute the social problems today.

This fact today has put many Indians in the very difficult postions to play catch-up with the rapid economic and social development of this country. In recent development, Syed Hamid has declared it an illegal organization and all attempts have been intensified to silence the HINDRAF voice permanently.

Will MIC be the saviour for the Indian folks to turn to, to speak on their behalf the issues they face today, while UMNO has consistently turned back the group? For years, UMNO has been demonstrating their expertise in implementing the “divide and rule” strategy, while in public calling for unity and peace among the people. We all know talk is cheap and talk is free.

The government has the responsibility to protect and uplift any weak and deprived group from being marginalised. Just as we have seen in the global financial turmoil, the government has to intervene at the right time to bail out the banks and insurers in trouble, to restore the confidence in the banking system, to save jobs, to safeguard the public deposits and hard earned money, to prevent people from losing their homes and many more. In this case, quarters from the Indian community are crying for help and we have seen least effort from the top to listen to the voices.

The way I see how things are going, only Indians can help themselves defending and upholding their rights, for race-based politics is the reality today. It will be a very long and tiring journey ahead in this nation building process, before Malaysians bearing the thought of being true Malaysians.

In 1994, Lim Guan Eng got into trouble for his attempt to fight the justice of an underage Malay girl, in regard to the allegation of the statutory rape of the girl by the chief minister of Melaka, Rahim Thamby Chik. Whether Rahim Chik had done it with the underage gril, we do not know as no tape has been presented during the trial process, unlike the case of Chua Soi Lek.

Nonetheless, Guan Eng was charged under the sedition act for causing “disaffection with the administration of justice in Malaysia” while Rahim was left undisturbed by the police. Guess what, Guan Eng was found guilty and spent 12 months behind bars, for “minding the business” of a UMNO warlord.

Now that HINDRAF is illegal, I guess MIC will have to bark harder to have their voices heard. In the spirit of Dewali, I urge the HINDRAF supporters and fellow free-thinking Malaysians to pay MIC leaders and Samy Vellu the house warming visits, to reiterate and share with him your noble thoughts in freeing the ISA detainees, in conjuction with celebrating the festival, just as what you did in the raya open house; to show the people your will in having the detainees freed and justice done while embracing the joy of Dewali; while the UMNO crooks will surely be calling the movement a threat to the public.

One more thing that is for sure, when you have become pain in the neck for the UMNO goons, the goons are not going to like it. When they don’t like what they see, they will fix you. Whenever the goons plan to fix you, they will fix you darn right one way or the other with conveniently instituting the many powerful and fearful acts, while mobilizing the media in spreading the propaganda to brainwash the people for the justification of the draconian punishment.

The people today are swamped with too many over-ambitious political warlords especially from UMNO. Yet, we have to live with the madness and ensure that ourselves put in every bit of the effort to build this nation a better country which we call home.

Before March 8, under the four-year Abdullah’s administration, Ong Kah Ting being the chinese version of “Mr. Nice Guy” which he probably learned from Abdullah, has been making numerous attempts to pacify the chinese community, explaining to them how the prime minister has been an exceptional open-minded leader, who has been willing to listen to issues and how the BN components have been having the close-door discussions to address the various national issues.

Kah Ting like many of us, might have bought into the perception what a strong leader Abdullah has been, based on his tremendous record and strong mandate of winning over 91% votes in the 2004 GE. Little does Kah Ting know that the dissatifaction has been brewing in the hearts of the community towards the weak leadership of Pak Lah, the kind of leadership that has allowed the UMNO warlords to beat them own drums of racial politicking spree. The result of 2008 GE as we know, has unveiled the entire make-believe misconception of “strong” leadership under Abdullah.

So said Abdullah, that Umno has never bullied its Barisan Nasional partners, that he actually does not know how to bully people. To substantiate his claim, he said if indeed Umno was a bully, many component parties would have left because they would not want to put up with such an attitude. Upon hearing this “fact”, I bet Ong Kah Ting must be squeezing his balls hard and feel like throwing in the towel at the time, especially Koh Tsu Khoon when his picture was torn apart by one of the UMNO goons. This should be served a wake up call for MCA to push for the reforms in BN. It has tarnished the BN spirit for the effort of closed-door discussions and tolerant compromise that the other BN components have upheld all these years.

Having said this, it makes little difference for Liow Tiong Lai to suggest having a deputy BN post for other non-UMNO components, if UMNO is maintaining its strong grip of dominance in BN. One step at a time, says Tiong Lai. Right, try asking UMNO to rotate the post of home minister that you will get a good brushoff. UMNO will tell you to give some and take some, now take your share in the human resource, transport, housing, health and women development ministries and leave your hands of finance and home affairs. So much for power sharing, in the eyes of the lion.