P Waythamoorthy  

Many have forgotten that Pakatan and the agenda to capture Putrajaya at 12th general election (GE12) became a reality after the tsunami of Hindraf on November 25, 2007. Till then, even the top leadership of Pakatan never for once imagined the prospect of reaching so close to Putrajaya.

The cry of Makkal Sakthi reverberated in every household irrespective of race or creed. Yes, there was a shift of the mindset of the grassroots Indians which was the main cause of the now forgotten impact caused by the Indian voters.

The great tsunami brought about the 'change' much spoken about by the PR leadership.

Pakatan can't go on the rhetoric of change without defining its true meaning. Since gaining tremendously in the last GE they have been talking about the change that is needed for Malaysia. Promises of accountability, openness and eradication of corruption have been made to convince Malaysians of their agenda for 'change'.

But let us be honest - these promises are good on paper but the true change starts with what is being done for the poor and discriminated. Every aspiring politician speaks those words which are no more than than vague promises made without commitment or convictions. (What we call kosong politics)

For a human rights movement like Hindraf/HRP, which represents the poor, and underclass, those promises are meaningless. Honestly, it does not matter to the poor man suffering on the ground level if politicians are corrupt. It does not matter to the poor if the country will be provided with good governance should there be change of government because the poor man needs to be fed first. He needs an income. He needs a house.

What's 'change' to stateless Indians?

The almost half million internally displaced Indian labourers' from the estates need to be provided with compensation for their displaced lives, training opportunities to cope with their displacement, proper relocation and affordable housing. Since 1975, they have become the new urban poor and underclass who are suffering on a daily basis. A large number of them are stateless and a good 150,000 such stateless children are not attending schools because the Umno government dictates so.

By virtue of being stateless, many are unable to avail of the basic benefits of healthcare, social welfare, employment, driving licenses, acquire property etc. How does it matter to these men and women if a new PR government is not corrupt or can provide good governance? These offers of promises of change do not matter to them.

Pakatan should understand their version of change is only cosmetic when viewed from the point of view of the common man, leave alone the underclass. True democracy requires much more inclusive change, not continuing benefits to only those who are already benefiting from the Umno crafted system. Instead they need to come out with a bold new commitment for true change and draw a road map for true democracy.

It is time the main component parties of Pakatan (I will further pinpoint that PKR is filled with BN rejects) shed their Umno, MCA and MIC mentality and start thinking seriously about getting rid of the regime. The Umno regime has been monopolizing, bullying, plundering and shortchanging the country and its people for a good 53 years and everyone realizes this.

So talk of capturing Putrajaya should be backed up with a concrete commitment for change instead of mere rhetorics.

So what democratic changes are we looking for?

20 concrete steps proposal:

Let me list down the following basic democratic changes, which in our opinion mean true change:

1. Clear and unambiguous commitment to the principles of equality for all as stipulated in Article 8 of the Federal Constitution.

2. Strict adherence to the original spirit and intention of the drafting of Article 153 of the Malaysian constitution, i.e. the 'special position' of the Malays (and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak amendment to it) in limited areas and not the false notion of the Malay special privileges and the sapu bersih/habis concept that has paralysed non-Malays and stymied the country for 53 years.

3. Commitment to amend the federal constitution to incorporate a truly impartial and independent Constitutional Court and its composition of judges takes into account seniority, experience and appointment to be open and transparent, and consist of members of all races equally.

4. Protection of freedom of religion as enshrined under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. All conflicts of religious status of persons etc should be adjudicated in the civil courts.

(i) The original intention of amendments to Article 121 (1) of the Federal Court should be strictly adhered to i.e. that the role of Muslim syariah courts are to strictly adjudicate upon matrimonial and property matters involving Muslims only as per the debates and adoption of the new article 121 1 (A) in the Parliament Hansard in 1988.

(ii) All places of worships belonging to non-Muslims are to be equally recognized as places of worships (many do not realize that non-Muslim places of worships do not have a status) and land titles issued and permanently gazetted. Provisions be made under Federal funding for the establishment of new places of worships for all religious groups in a fair and orderly manner in new townships and the government to provide for its maintenance as per granted to Muslim places of worships. Land titles granted to all places of worships, which had existed before Merdeka and the rights of these Religious groups be respected.

(iii) All persons are allowed to choose a religion of his/her choice without state interference.

5. Pakatan commits to taking over responsibility of education fully i.e. to provide land and funding equally for all schools including vernacular schools and upgrade and maintain all vernacular schools and schools belonging to minority groups, equally without discrimination. The responsibility of education of all classes of citizens would be shouldered by the government and the distinction of fully aided and non-fully aided schools should be abolished.

6. Commit to revamp and clean up the police force and civil service, [ridding them of] their current corrupted particularly the top ranking officers.

7. Return the status quo of the monarchy prior to the amendments of 1981.

8. Commit to providing welfare and housing assistance of quality to all Malaysian poor equally under the welfare and housing ministry programs without any segregation/discrimination on grounds of race and religion.

9. Commit to the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the racist agenda of the Biro Tata Negara (BTN), which has trained almost 80% of its civil servants to implement racist policies in Malaysia.

10. A royal commission and a truth and reconciliation commission to inquire into the abuse of power and corruption of Umno regime over the past 53 years since independence.

11. Give the Borneo states their promised autonomy as per the 1963 Malaysia agreement and hold a commission of inquiry to investigate the issuance of citizenships to more than 1.5 million Muslims from around the region of the Philippines and Indonesia which intended to dilute the Christian population in Sabah of their political power. Return 50% of its wealth in natural resources back to the Borneo states for them to administer.

12. Revamp and draw concrete plans to implement new economic programmes to benefit all Malaysians irrespective of race and religion, and announce these proposed plans before the next GE.

13) Pass a Race Relations Act to make racial segregation/discrimination a crime in line with international standards.

14. Adopt and ratify all international human rights treaties and bring Malaysia on par with modern democratic society in the United Nations.

15. Revamp the Human Rights Commission to give it the power to initiate and recommend prosecutions independently of the Attorney-General, and these recommendations are to be adhered by the AG. (Commit to amend the federal constitution to make the necessary changes). The appointment of members of the commission to be made open and transparent and its composition to be of people with integrity and credible human rights record and contributions.

16) To make an immediate commitment to resolve (not just look into) the plight of the marginalized society that is plaguing the country which includes;

 

• The estimated 350,000 stateless Malaysian-born Indians
• Provide equal economic, social and educational opportunities for all marginalized communities and declare openly programmes and workable budgets to bring them on par with other communities and place them in the mainstream economic agenda

17. Fully implement recommendations of the royal commission to enhance the operation and management of the Royal Malaysian Police (IPCMC) established by the Agong on Feb 4, 2004. To form an independent RCI to investigate the extra-judicial killings committed by the police.

18. To reduce annual defence budgets and mega projects and commit to allocate a minimum of RM5 billion per annum to uplift Malaysia's marginalized society and further RM5 billion of national wealth to help spur economic activity amongst the poor and marginalized.

19. Abolish the ISA and Sedition Act and all repressive laws and provisions in the Police Act, Printing and Publication Act.

20. Commit to liberalize licenses/ permits for publications and allow free airtime equally to all political parties during General Elections campaign period.

The above are the true democratic changes that we in Hindraf/HRP dream to see. Would Pakatan share our dreams for a better Malaysia?

PKR-DAP-PAS axis insulting our intelligence

It is an insult to one's intelligence to float the idea and notion that "Hey, must vote us in because Umno is evil and we will bring about changes"!

What changes are you talking about Pakatan?! We do not wish to be fooled into voting for change only to find ourselves being oppressed by the new forces of change.

The PKR-DAP-PAS axis is suspect. They can't see eye to eye in a real sense but somehow seem to have tasted limited power and aspire to take full control of the country through a loosely knit coalition based on some amorphous notion of democratic change.

PAS strongly advocates an Islamic state and ideology and will never accept the international standards of democracy and humanity. DAP on the other hand advocates socialist democratic principles, but once tasted limited power in Penang, have shown they are no more socialist than Umno and are equally capable of betraying the trust placed on them when within a year of coming to power they demolished the Kg Buah Pala and committed gross violations of human rights of the poor of Kg Buah Pala.

Worse, now they are bending backwards just to please PAS for the sake of Malay-Muslim voters with Lim Guan Eng claiming to take a leaf from a caliph and DAP MP's wayang kulit of selendang-clad visits to suraus. We have never seen even the mandore parties MCA or Gerakan doing that but we see that aplenty with the Lim dynasty hell-bent to grasp power at all costs.

PKR on the other hand is filled with Umno, MCA and MIC rejects and formed not to champion a political cause but more as a vehicle for Anwar Ibrahim to become the next Prime Minister. Any new comer who aspires for a change and reforms are termed as 'chameleons' and branded as planted to destroy from within.

So how can a purely human rights movement like Hindraf and HRP trust the suspect alliance of the PKR-DAP-PAS axis?

I believe, we are not the only ones in doubt. I have personally spoken to many NGOs and friends in the human rights circle and they are in agreement. Pakatan is not genuine in bringing about change that they often speak of. Why should genuine grassroots movement like us take their words as gospel truth when they dare not even spell out in the open their change and reform agenda?

I dare the top leadership of PR come in the open to say that I'm wrong and they are committed to the above changes which I believe many peace and democracy thirst Malaysians would love to see.

Would they? No, I don't think so. They are just not ready for the true change. We have to take this country out of its slumber and rebuild Malaysia into a progressive and democratic country. To do this there must be genuine political will for democracy, good governance and human rights.

Pakatan still on 'mandore' system

But what kosong politicians would like to champion and portray is 'human rights' from TOP to bottom. For us in Hindraf/HRP, we are committed to the fundamental principles of human rights of individuals and not the human rights of the privileged.

So wake up PR and stop demonising all who speak the truth, and say what is right and just.

Up till the Kg Buah Pala saga, Hindraf was a gem of a movement because it delivered the 80% Indian votes free of charge to PR. The moment we stood our ground on the KBP issue and the subsequent inaction and inefficiencies of the state governments under Pakatan rule, we fell into the list of an "extremist" and "fanatical" movement.

Have you guys forgotten that this was the very same label Umno pinned on us on a daily basis in their media post Nov 25? And yet the grassroots were with us because they recognize we are their true voice.

I had the opportunity to speak to Anwar Ibrahim as early as January 2009 on the inefficiencies of the respective Pakatan state governments and had requested for an urgent meeting to look into ways on how we could complement each other and help the Pakatan states overcome their so called teething problems in solving the main issues affecting the Indians.

Unfortunately he never got around fulfilling his promises, perhaps because of our stand on the KBP issue for which we do not regret. It surprised me when labels of us as a "racist outfit" were painted by him when he clearly understood the issues and pertinent questions, which I had raised during the many telephone conversations I had with him in 2009.

The political structure of Malaysia is so used to 'mandore' politics that I feel the Pakatan leadership -- as much as Barisan -- does not want to disrupt that set-up as they would be more comfortable with weak Indian leaders who are either not well-educated, non-professionals or the elite Indians who are aware they do not command the grassroots support, and hence need to cling on to Pakatan leadership on the ticket of being 'multi-racial' leaders.

We in Hindraf/HRP are committed to not only break loose from the shackles of Umno hegemony but also the mandore system which has been used by both divided of politicians to rule and control the grassroots Indians.

It appears it is in the interest of both Umno and Pakatan to stop us from breaking this mandore system as it is easier to deal with the mandores in their respective parties than dealing with a strong movement which is committed towards the cause of human rights and stands its grounds on principle rather than accept some bread crumbs contracts and funds thrown at them. For taking the principled stand, we are termed racist and extremists.

Pakatan demonizes their critics

Today it is Zaid Ibrahim who is slaughtered for saying and wanting to take the right direction. He is demonized and branded a 'racist' and 'chameleon' sent by Umno to break the party from within.

Last year it was Sabah's Jeffrey Kitingan. It is rumoured that Anwar did not want a Christian Sabah leader and Jeffrey was targeted as a traitor for his Borneo autonomy demand. Is Pakatan going to demonise each and every movement and individual who are not in tandem with their vague and uncommitted politics?

We in Hindraf/HRP are in no hurry. We are prepared to wait another 53 years if it means ultimately getting a true democratic country. After all the blacks in America fought a 'war' more than 200 years to be recognized as equal citizens. The Indians fought another 250 years to gain independence. It took centuries for the French to rid of the monarch.

All those people endured torture and contempt.

We in Hindraf/HRP have just started crawling but we will never be cowed nor bought with the mercy or offer of privileges of the powerful.

Yes, we are a minority community and may not have the numbers to bring about changes we want. But believe me, in time to come, Malaysia would eventually realize the true form of democracy and we and our great grandchildren will wait and will continue the struggle until then.

We are in no hurry. We may or may not achieve our goals in this lifetime but we have definitely sowed the seeds for a true democracy in Malaysia.

P. Waythamoorthy is Hindraf chairman and living in exile in the UK under political asylum.