by Paraman Subramaniam
Aug 1, 2012:
HINDRAF Chair Waytha Moorthy returns to Malaysia
Aug 28, 2012:
Letter issued by Hindraf and personally handed to both PM Dato Seri Najib and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, calling upon them to discuss approaches to permanently address the socio-economic problems of the marginalized Indians.
Sept 27, 2012:
Preliminary meeting between Tan Sri Khalid, Tian Chua, Sivarasa and Saifuddin Nasution. Hindraf wanted to check if there was any political will to address the Indian socio-economic problems.
Nov 1, 2012:
Meeting with DS Anwar Ibrahim, Tian Chua, and Sivarasa. Hindraf Leaders presented the Hindraf 5 year Blueprint to address the socio-economic problems of the Indians. Anwar clearly agreed in principle to the plans in the Blueprint and said that he would have to consult with the other Coalition Leaders on the signing of the Blueprint, whether the 3 of them need to sign or just him. He committed to doing that in a week’s time.
Nov 7, 2012:
Datuk Seri Nazri, Minister in PM’s Department issues open invitation on behalf of Government to Hindraf to meet the PM.
Nov 8, 2012:
Hindraf Chair Waytha issues statement: “We are not too enthusiastic with the PM’s invitation as we fear it will be used by BN to gain mileage as the election is near. However, if Najib is sincere in meeting Hindraf, he should first lift the ban on the movement and then we will talk.”
Nov 20, 2012:
Meeting with Sivarasa and Tian Chua. Hindraf Leaders presented Pakatan Leaders with a plan for an electoral strategy which would result in a win-win situation. Pakatan Leaders said that a conference would need to be held with other coalition members on the electoral pact and committed to calling such a conference in early December 2012.
Nov 25, 2012:
Hindraf unveils Blueprint to the Public.
Jan 17, 2013:
Meeting with Dato Mustafa Ali of PAS, Tian Chua of Pakatan, Anthony Loke of DAP. Hindraf presented their proposal for a tie up for the forthcoming elections and attempted to focus the meeting on the Hindraf Blueprint, but obviously after two and a half months several of the members had not read the blueprint. Pakatan Leaders said they still needed time among themselves before they can agree to Hindraf on any matter concerning the Blueprint and the electoral pact.
1) Mr. Ganesan laid out that the process of coming to an agreement between Hindraf and Pakatan on the matter of an electoral pact was taking far too long. The process started at the end of August 2012 and after almost 5 months this was the first time all the Pakatan Leaders were meeting with Hindraf. He stressed that continuing delay to this process will prove to be counter -productive.
2) Mr. Sambulingam outlined the various methods and impact of Barisan Nasional’s wooing of the Indian electorate. He stressed that unless this was checked he warned there could be a significant negative effect to PR in GE13. He added that if there was not to be a partnership, then that needs to be clearly established soon so Hindraf and Pakatan can move on.
2) Mr. Sambulingam outlined the various methods and impact of Barisan Nasional’s wooing of the Indian electorate. He stressed that unless this was checked he warned there could be a significant negative effect to PR in GE13. He added that if there was not to be a partnership, then that needs to be clearly established soon so Hindraf and Pakatan can move on.
Another meeting was to be called after the Pakatan coalition has had the time to discuss among themselves. This was decided to be on the 6th of Feb 2013.
Jan 26, 2013:
BN Government lifts ban on Hindraf.
Feb 6, 2013:
Meeting with Dato Mustafa Ali of PAS, Tian Chua of Pakatan, Anthony Loke of DAP. Pakatan Leaders wanted to focus the meeting on the number of seats they offered to Hindraf assignees to contest in direct fight with BN. Hindraf refocused the meeting on the Blueprint and that if the Blueprint was agreed to, the seats issue was less contentious as this was Hindraf priority. The Pakatan Leaders felt than, that this was outside their mandate and that this would require to be decided by the Manifesto Committee. The ball kept getting kicked around. Another meeting was set with the manifesto committee to discuss. On PR leader’s inquiry, Waytha informed that if the PM asks for a meet, Hindraf will oblige.
Feb 8, 2013:
Meeting with Nurul Izzah of PKR, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad of PAS and Ong Kian Ming of DAP. After delving into the Blueprint it was clear that this group only had the mandate for including elements of the Blueprint into PR manifesto and not to review the Blueprint with the objective of endorsing the Blueprint. Meeting was called off seeing that there was not the right mandate.
Feb 18, 2013:
Hindraf issues email to Anwar Ibrahim and all PR leaders ‘loosening up’ our conditions for the endorsement, stating that since it was quite obvious that PR were not willing to sign the Blueprint agreement in a ‘legal agreement format’, Hindraf were willing to take a middle position by just asking for a MOU between the Head of the Pakatan Coalition and the Head of Hindraf to get over the current impasse.
Feb 26, 2013:
PR launches their Election Manifesto which mentions all races but Indians.
Mar 11, 2013:
As all efforts with both BN and PR fail, Hindraf Chair begins fast. He states: “The purpose (of the hunger strike) is for them (BN and Pakatan) to acknowledge that the human rights of Indian (Malaysians) have been violated. Both have to sign it (the blueprint). If both do not sign it, they don’t respect human rights.”
Mar, 2nd week, 2013:
Hindraf is made aware that their long standing application for registration (made in 2007) of Hindraf has been approved by the Government dated March 8, 2013.
Mar 22, 2013:
Hindraf receives invitation to meet up with PM.
Mar 25, 2013:
Hindraf leaders meet PM in Putrajaya.
Mar 28, 2013:
PR Election Manifesto Chairman Dr Dzulkefly meets Hindraf Election Strategist Dr Paraman to convey PR terms of agreeing to endorse the Blueprint.
The terms were:
No Empowered Ministry. No mention of budgetary allocations. No Hindraf leadership to the Blueprint. No mention of ‘Indian’ in Blueprint document. No mention of quotas for Indians. Terms such as ‘equitable’ and ‘equal’ to be replaced with ‘needs basis’. No mention of new residential schools to be built for Indians and to remove the request for 10,000 places per year for DEW for skills training program in all Government skills development institutions. Only then will PR Presidential Council consider endorsing the Blueprint.
After hectic negotiations and deep discussions within the leadership, Hindraf took a humble decision to agree to PR’s demands, as it would serve for the greater good of the marginalized Indians. It was evident that PR was basically flexing its muscles to only consider to endorse the Blueprint, with Hindraf clearly out of the picture altogether.
This was conveyed to the PR Election Manifesto Chairman by phone. He insisted that Dap’s Election Strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming (who was also part of the PR’s Election Manifesto Committee) was also informed. However Dr Ong Kian Ming, when contacted, insisted that this was to be given in writing even before any meeting takes place.
Mar 29, 2013:
Hindraf National Advisor issues an email to all PR leaders stating that PR terms as conveyed by the PR Election Manifesto Committee as ‘constructive’ and that Hindraf sees no major divergences that cannot be worked out. Mr. Ganesan requests for the resumption of discussions as soon as possible as Mr. Waytha was already on his 20th day of fast.
Mar 31, 2013:
Dap does an about turn and issues the Gelang Patah Declaration in a clear attempt to nullify the Blueprint. It was a unilateral decision which had no PKR or PAS support to back it up. PR then halts all further negotiations with Hindraf.
Mar 31, 2013:
Mr. Waytha ends 21 day fast after collapsing and needing hospitalization.
April 2, 2013:
Mr. Ganesan’s call for an open debate to Mr. Lim Kit Siang on the Blueprint- Gelang Patah fiasco goes unheeded.
April 5th to 17th, 2013:
BN begins focused discussion with Hindraf regarding the Blueprint and MOU.
April 13, 2013:
Hindraf issues press statement that door is still open to both PR and BN to endorse the Blueprint and will be closed on April 18.
April 13, 14, 15, 2013:
Dr Dzulkefly informs that PR leaders were willing to meet Hindraf leaders but no such meeting ever takes place. On April 15, Hindraf leaders were told to come to PKR HQ for a meeting with Anwar Ibrahim and Husam Musa at 1700 Hrs but on reaching there they were told that Anwar had already ‘left’!
April 17, 2013:
Hindraf and BN reach an agreement on the Blueprint.
April 18, 2013:
PM apologizes to Indian community and historic MOU is signed in front of 1000 Hindraf supporters in KL.
Key issues of MOU:
1. To bring progress to displaced former estate workers
1.1. To raise the income of the former estate workers
1.1. To raise the income of the former estate workers
· Those who qualify for it are all the Indian Malaysians whose family income is lower than RM3000.
· To double their family income by 2020.
· A committee of experts will conduct research and decide on various programmes, policies and allocation of finance.
· The committee of experts will submit its Indian-centred coordinated plans to the government by Oct 31, 2013.
· The government will accept in total the plans, policies and financial allocations as recommended by the committee of experts.
1.2. House ownership programme for former estate workers
· Those Indian Malaysians whose monthly family income is not above RM3000 will qualify.
· This will be done by 2018 in areas where the displaced workers are concentrated. The department or the ministry will provide the necessary finance and allocate 100,000 national standard grade houses.
· To relocate in housing projects which are complete with facilities such as temples, burial grounds, community halls and playgrounds with the view to protecting socio-cultural aspects and preventing the growth of squatter areas in towns.
1.3. Retraining and alternative skills training for former young estate workers.
· The purpose of this programme - which requires great effort - is to bring out the hidden talents of Indian youth and change them into skilled and useful citizens for constructive action.
· Discover the hidden talents of the youths and provide them with the necessary prerequisites to undertake vocational training and have them admitted into the 176 Giat Mara centres and 78 community colleges to obtain proper skills training.
· After the training, based on their capability, they will be employed in the government and government-linked companies.
· To those who wish to start small scale businesses, support will be given through the Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (Tekun) loan scheme.
· For this purpose, RM20 million will be allocated annually.
1.4. To maintain the temples and the burial grounds of the former estate workers
· To protect the temples and the burial grounds that were constructed by our forefathers and which stand as testimony to our history in this country from being destroyed and removed.
· All the temples, small places of worship and burial grounds in the country shall by 2018 be on lands specifically allocated and registered for this purpose.
· A division of an experts committee shall undertake a detailed research on temples, small places of worship and burial grounds and submit its recommendations on their maintenance.
· With the permission of the prime minister and acceptance by the government, a council composed of religious scholars will propose solutions to complicated problems relating to temples and the Hindu religion. This committee shall be accountable to the prime minister and the person to be appointed as the head of the new administration under the prime minister.
2. The problem of Indians without identification documents
· To those without any birth certificates, a solution is to be found through an open, sympathetic and simple plan.
· To find solutions to the problems of people without documents by accepting statutory declarations deposed by people held in high esteem by the society.
· To change red identity cards (ICs) to blue ICs through open and systematic policies.
· To find ways and means to identify those who have legally obtained their citizenship from those who have not.
· The head of the new department under the prime minister shall within three months from the date of his appointment submit his recommendations on the matters mentioned above and obtain the approval of the prime minister.
3. The plans to increase the employment and business opportunities for the Indian Malaysians
· To allocate RM500 million in order to raise the Indian Malaysians’ equity ownership to three percent.
· To confirm that the Indians get 7.5 percent of the amount that the government allocates for small business loan schemes and micro-credit schemes.
· To confirm that the Indians get 7.5 percent of all the business licenses and permits issued by the government.
· To confirm that the Indians get 7.5 percent of all the franchises granted by the government.
· To confirm that the Indians get 7.5 percent of all the contracts offered at national, state and local council levels.
· To confirm that qualified Indians get 7.5 percent of all government jobs.
· To confirm that qualified Indians get 7.5 percent of all government-linked company jobs.
· To confirm that the Indians will get, in the next five years, RM200 million from the Tekun loan scheme.
· To confirm micro-credit loan schemes for Indians in accordance with the recommendation of the expert committee.
4. To develop/increase the opportunities for education from pre-school to university
· To allocate enough funds and necessary measures for the relocation, development and construction of new buildings to make by 2020 all the Tamil schools equal to the national schools.
· To convert all the Tamil schools to fully government-aided schools.
· To set up a special fund to develop the skills of the Tamil school students.
· To confirm that 7.5 percent of places in the government universities and institutions of higher learning are for Indian students.
· To confirm that 10 percent of places in the government polytechnic colleges are for Indian students.
· To confirm that 7.5 percent of places in the present residential schools, matriculation and technical colleges are for Indian students.
· To confirm that 20 percent of the places in the proposed nine residential schools for students of all races are for Indian students.
· To confirm that 7.5 percent of scholarships from the Public Services Department (JPA), other government scholarship schemes and state scholarships are for Indian students.
· A separate RM25 million annual special education assistance scheme for Indian students through the new department that is to begin operations under the prime minister.
Dr Paraman Subramaniam is a general practioner who writes for leisure and believes in bottom-up equality for all.
Waytha: Give me five years
FMT Interview with P. Waythamoorthy Part 1
FMT Interview with P. Waythamoorthy Part 2
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