"Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a time to forgive and forget. Anybody can go (to the open house) regardless of what shirt we wear. We were not at all unruly," said Thanenthiran. - Malaysiakini, 3/10/2008 - Hindraf open house visit: 'We informed them'
Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) National Coordinator RS Thanenthiran said today the movement’s followers who attended the prime minister’s Hari Raya open house on Wednesday were only there to extend their greetings, rejecting criticisms that the move was ‘improper’.
Some 200 Hindraf activists thronged the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) on Oct 1 where Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi together with his cabinet minister hosted their annual Hari Raya open house celebration.- Malaysiakini, 3/10/2008 - Hindraf open house visit: 'We informed them'
Why bother whether it was 'proper' or 'improper'. Remember that what was 'improper' was the arrest and detention of Uthayakumar and the rest under ISA and the other laws...
Yes, it is Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Mohd Najib Razak, the Cabinet and the BN government that used water cannons and fired tear gas on peaceful protestors, who beat and arrested and detained persons...Let us not forget this...they are the persons who are guilty of all the violations of Human Rights..
HINDRAF should not have to defend themselves when fools say their actions are "improper", ‘discourteous and disrespectful’, ..or that it was not the proper venue for protest...or that the HINDRAF action will tarnish Malaysia's image.
Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the prime minister’s open house celebration was not the proper venue.
"This is not the time; this is not the correct venue. They can come to wish Selamat Hari Raya and shake hands, but the rest of it, different time, and different date," he said.
Similar sentiments were also expressed by Tourism Minister Azalina Othman who alleged Hindraf’s move would reflect poorly on Malaysia’s image.- Malaysiakini, 3/10/2008 - Hindraf open house visit: 'We informed them'
Well then, splashed in the paper yesterday fo a statement made by BN minister that those attending the PM Raya open house 'means' support for BN Govt.
ReplyDeleteNo forgive and forget until all repressive laws are repealed and all ISA detainees released.
ReplyDeleteLet us show our protests to the PM, DPM and Ministers by attending not only their Hari Raya open houses but all other functions to be held by them.
No forgive and forget until PR takes over.
Dear Charles,
ReplyDeleteI hope it is not lost on you that the purpose of rendering an unasked for apology was to indirectly insult Badawi, to let him and the world know how small he is, to show how magnanimous the Indian community is, and to remind him of the inhumane nature of ISA arrests and its toll on the family!
More than all these, it is to show that Hindraf is not an enemy of BN and that they are peaceloving people who are just fighting for their constitutional rights.
It was a PR campaign!
Long ago, there was a country in Europe that carried out propaganda to brainwash its citizens that they were supreme to others and therefore they had to conquer and rule other countries. And then there was a country in Asia that kept telling its citizens from young that if they want to have the resources in the world, then they must be prepared to fight and rule the other countries. The two countries since then had brought untold misery to the world.
ReplyDeleteIn our country, those political parties that survive based on race politics will keep on telling the people the importance in protecting their race and religion. They even have programs like the BTN to brainwash the people from young as well as the civil servants about the need to propagate the racial thinking in all fields and their ketuanan towards others. They will tell the people that they will champion the interest of their race above all. Without their protection, the people will not survive in the open. So the people must give them the full support to propagate such ideology. Just like that two dangerous countries, these political parties are doing the same to fortify their political foundation, but in doing so, they are bringing this country to a catastrophic end in the future. Their continuing action to segregate the communities in this country is doing untold damages to the wellbeing of the nation who needs its citizens to be united to meet the global challenges it faces today. Unfortunately these communal political souls only care for their own survival in the present and will never venture out of their propaganda game for the best interest of the nation and its citizens. Divide and rule will be their continuing battle call while the country moves in its peril.
Well said, Charles.
ReplyDeleteYou are spot on.
We must not be distracted, from the real issues at hand.
Human rights my foot.. What about my rights to live peacefully in Malaysia without this so called peaceful demonstration? What about my rights to attend the Open house in peace? What about the human rights of other attendees? What Hindraf ppl did was "biadap". They are a lot of people will also wont forgive and wont forget that "kebiadapan".
ReplyDeleteThere alway two sides of the coin in any issusue.I would take a neutral stand,to understand core elements of this issuse better.
ReplyDeleteFirst,from hindraf prospective: They would like to keep up the pressure,on the govt to release the hindraf 5,To them this is one of the venue's they can show their distatisfaction and submit a petition to released the hindraf 5.It seem's logical and fair,as they have every right to submit their petition.
From umno or general muslim population:They feel it's wrong venue for such a petition,as syed hamid had pointed there are few hundred muslims in ISD detantion center as well and they didn't behave in such a way.By going into the muslim's religious event,in such a way it come's in direct confrontaion with the muslims.According to them,they are invited by PM's associates to attend the open house,If that is case,then they have failed to behave like guests. guests should show respect for their host and should not do things that might embarrse or aunger them.I feel this would have some back-lash to the entire indian community,I don't see how this event,going to spark an immediate release of ISD detainees
conclusion:There is alway consquence's for any actions.The chanting of hindraf is getting louder by the day.It's unlikely this govt or any govt will concede to such demands.I think they are gonna import indonesians in large numbers to place them in chinese and indian dominated areas and give them citizen status.This is happening in singapore,when the local chinese population started decling,they import them from china,taiwan ,hongkong and malaysian chinese and gave them citizen status.