Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Google Alert - hindraf

Google News Alert for: hindraf

Karpal Appeals To PM For Hindraf Leaders' Release
Bernama - Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia
... Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar to revoke the detention order on the five Hindraf leaders detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). ...
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Suhakam: Uthaya wasn't denied treatment
Malaysia Kini - Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia
Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P Uthayakumar has not been denied proper medical treatment, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has ...
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Google Alert - Malaysia Indian Minority

Google News Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority

iFast, Deutsche Bank tie up for MF distribution
NDTV.com - New Delhi,India
Deutsche Bank's Asset Management division, through Deutsche Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd, Singapore, would pick up a minority stake in the venture, ...
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Google Blogs Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority

Formal complaint letter to UN
By naga~(naga~)
RE: SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AFFECTING THE ETHNIC INDIAN MINORITY COMMUNITY IN MALAYSIA. 50 YEARS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND THE ETHNIC COMMUNITY REMAINS A PERMANENTLY COLONIZED COMMUNITY. APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON ...
A Malaysian Indian's view - http://sactyr.blogspot.com/

Google Web Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority

Malaysian Indian Minorities' Human Rights: Google Alert - Malaysia ...
Malaysian Indian Minority Is Experiencing Oppressi. ... Google Blogs Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority. GOPIO WRITES TO THE NEW MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT ...


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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Google Alert - hindraf

Google News Alert for: hindraf

Hindraf seeks UN help to address Indian issues
Malaysia Kini - Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia
The request was made by Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy in a letter written to the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights which is based in ...
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Google Alert - Malaysia Indian Minority

Google News Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority

American Electric Technologies Powers Leading Indian Drilling ...
Primenewswire (press release) - Los Angeles,CA,USA
Aban Offshore also operates rigs in China, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Bangladesh and West Africa. "We are extremely pleased that AETI was awarded these ...
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Malaysia shuts down Tamil newspaper
The Associated Press -
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The Malaysian government has shut down a newspaper catering to ethnic minority Indians — a move the daily's news editor ...
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Google Blogs Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority

The reply upon the article "UMNO akan tetap relevan"
By acabeire
u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever Malaysia is a country built of the principles of democracy, liberty and justice. Democracy, especially, stipulates that the majority shall have the power to impose its will on the minority. ...
Religion, Politics, & Medicine - http://someideas.wordpress.com

Fundamentalism Comes Under Public Health Scrutiny
By Lilu(Lilu)
Das said Hindu fundamentalists are spreading fear that higher birth rates in the minority Muslim community threaten Hindus and that women's fertility must be strictly controlled as a matter of cultural survival. ...
For Women - http://best-women.blogspot.com/

For Everyone to Read and to Remember (found on Internet)
By Israel Kremen(Israel Kremen)
As long as the Muslim population remains around 1% of any given country they will be regarded as a peace-loving minority and not as a threat to anyone. In fact, they may be featured in articles and films, stereotyped for their colorful ...
Culture Site - http://culturesite.livejournal.com/

You have my support
By Juney-ling(Juney-ling)
Even documentaries portray growing countries ie India and China as careless, greedy, earth-burning giants that couldn't care less for the environment. They go on to depict many European and Western countries as those that "cared for the ...
LingLi - http://meiling-li-juney.blogspot.com/

Google Web Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority

mi1: Malaysian Minority Indian MINNAL FM RADIO - Abused ...
Malaysian Minority Indian MINNAL FM RADIO - Abused & Discriminated by Barisan Nasional government. RADIO TAMIL MINNAL FM DI-DISKRIMINASIKAN OLEH KERAJAAN ...


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Monday, April 21, 2008

Google Alert - hindraf

Google News Alert for: hindraf

Letter to PM: Release Hindraf 5
Malaysia Kini - Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia
The institute expressed concern that the detention of the Hindraf 5 – on grounds that they had undermined national security and public order - "may be ...
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Sunday, April 20, 2008

Google Alert - Malaysia Indian Minority

Google News Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority

Which Indians?
Malaysia Star - Malaysia
As Malaysia's Indian society moves away from traditionalist mores that still hold sway in parts of India, we can expect a further blurring of communal lines ...
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Battle to 'save great British curry'
BBC News - UK
"Normally, I would get people in from China or Malaysia. "But the rules make that very difficult, and people from this country don't want to do that kind of ...
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Beware of the bulls
InfoChange - Pune,Maharashtra,India
Foreigners as much as a minority of wealthy Indians and NRIs themselves are acquiring property around the country at a breathless pace, making investment in ...
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Google Blogs Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority

Radio Minnal FM
By aarvidi
... was some news about the DJ's of Minnal, just after Hindraf, and I did make some comments. The link is here. Who are the Minnal DJ's with THR now? http://malaysianindian1.blogspot.com/2008/04/malaysian-minority-indian-minnal-fm.html.
Aarvidi's Weblog - http://aarvidi.wordpress.com

Google Web Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority

Doi-Moi: Malaysian Indian minority problems
Subject:Ground Reality of Malaysian Indian minority problems. Incarceration of the Five Hindraf leaders under the draconian Law Internal Security Act. ...

LocationLohan.com > Malaysian Indian sues UK govt for USD$4 trillion
Dec 4, 2007 ... The suit is demanding one million pounds as compensation for every minority Indian in Malaysia for the "pain, suffering, humiliation, ...


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Friday, April 18, 2008

Google Alert - Malaysia Indian Minority

Google News Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority

CPJ appeals for Malaysian newspaper renewal
CPJ Press Freedom Online - New York,NY,USA
We call on you to reconsider your decision, to allow the newspaper to continue to serve the Indian minority community in Malaysia, and to review the ...
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100-year-old Hindu temple in Malaysia razed
Hindustan Times - India
Help was sought from the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), the premier political party representing the Indian community in Malaysia, and the Johor state ...
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11 Indians hurt in Malaysia mishap
Hindustan Times - India
... minority Indians for its critical coverage of social and political issues. Press Trust of India Two persons were killed and 11 Indian nationals injured, ...
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Google Blogs Alert for: Malaysia Indian Minority

GOPIO WRITES TO THE NEW MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT
By Mr A.N. Onymous(Mr A.N. Onymous)
However, MIC as a partner of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), has not been able to get fair share for the minority Indian community as their role as coalition partner either has been rendered ineffective or considered irrelevant." ...
Malaysian Indian Minorities'... - http://malaysianminorities.blogspot.com/

100-year-old Hindu temple in Malaysia razed - Hindustan Times
By kushal
Hindustan Times - 18 hours ago The Malaysian Govt shuts down a newspaper catering to ethnic minority Indians for its critical coverage of social and political issues. Malaysia to renew visas of temple priests from India Hindu ...
Indian Officer - http://www.indianofficer.com/forums

Kepala bapak kau Reformasi, Pak Lah!
By fathi aris omar(fathi aris omar)
No reason was given though it is clear that it is a political decision as the daily has been critical of the leadership of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC). The paper also gave wide ranging coverage to the rally organised by the ...
patah balek - http://patahbalek.blogspot.com/

MEMORENDUM TO THE ROYAL THAI GOVERNMENT,MEMORENDUM TO HAND OVER ...
By merhrom
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingyas Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM), All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF) and Democratic Federation of Burma (DFB) Malaysia, the following signatories are extremely concerned about the plight or the ...
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingyas Human... - http://merhrom.wordpress.com

RACIAL HARMONY THREATENED: SYED HAMID - Malaysiakini
By jatt(jatt)
Ethnic Indians, a minority in the Malay Muslim-dominated country, disagreed with the decision. Government's revenge? In the capital's Indian-dominated Brickfields neighbourhood, many were critical of the government's sudden action. ...
Malaysian Gate Blog - Daily News Update - http://malaysiangate.blogspot.com/


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GANDHI'S BUST UNVEILED IN ROME

GANDHI'S BUST UNVEILED IN ROME

Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of non-violence, has become an icon in Italy and found a prized place next to epic poet Virgil, overlooking the picturesque Bay of Naples.

A majestic bronze bust of Gandhi, the creation of Indian sculptor Gautam Pal, was unveiled by India's ambassador to Italy Rajiv Dogra and Mayor of Naples Rosa Iervolino Russo.

The bust was installed in Parco Virgiliano, named after Virgil, the poet who sang "of armies and of men" in his epic Aenid, which is located in the heart of Naples.

The installation of Gandhi's statue on the top of Posillipo hill consecrated to national icon Virgil underlines the popularity of Gandhi and his enduring message of non-violence and passive resistance in Italy that has seen a flowering of educational institutions named after him.

"Gandhiji's ideas and message are universal. Mahatma's actions and his teachings are an antidote to the brutality of violence. It's heartening to see that the life of Mahatma Gandhi is followed with admiration in Italy," said Dogra, who also penned a novel "Almost an Ambassador", which is based on his long innings as an Indian diplomat in different parts of the world.

"It is symbolic of close relations between two ancient civilizations like Italy and India that two of the greatest figures of history - Virgil and Mahatma Gandhi - should come to be associated together in this manner in a glorious site overlooking the bay of Naples," he said.

Russo, the first woman mayor of Naples, was jubilant to see Gandhi's statue in Parco Virgiliano, a favourite with young Italians and tourists.

"Mahatma Gandhi's message remains relevant universally today. The words and actions of Gandhi continue to provide inspiration and comfort to all people," she said in front of an eclectic audience that included parliamentarians, business magnates, scholars, journalists and influential figures of the art world.

Gandhi has become a cult of sorts in Italy with more and more Italians discovering new truth in his writings. A slew of poetry competitions, functions and discussions have been held over the last two years, said an official of the Indian embassy in Rome.

The bust of Gandhi was commissioned and gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

MINISTER VOWS TO TACKLE INDIANS' PROBLEMS

MINISTER VOWS TO TACKLE INDIANS' PROBLEMS
According to press report, the new Malaysian Minister Dr. S. Subramanian has vowed to use his Human Resource Development (HRD) portfolio to tackle the problems of the country's 2.5 million Indian community. Minister Subramanian said that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's decision to allot the HRD ministry to him was aimed at helping the Malaysian Indians, many of who have been protesting in recent weeks. The Indian community has alleged bias in the Malay-dominated country and complained about unemployment as well as lack of skills training opportunities for youths.

Badawi, Subramanian said, had explained that the HRD portfolio was given to the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) party as the ministry could resolve many problems affecting the Indian community, the Sun newspaper said. "I feel that this is a good opportunity and I am confident that these issues can be resolved," he said. MIC has represented the Indian interests in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) since independence in 1957. Subramanian, who is also the MIC secretary general, admitted to being elected under "very difficult circumstances".

Subramanian said: "The recruitment of Indians to the government sector has already been raised with the government and the prime minister has stated that the government as a whole will increase the intake of non-Malays in the civil service workforce to reflect the racial composition of the country. I see it happening already."

GOPIO WRITES TO THE NEW MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT

GOPIO WRITES TO THE NEW MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT

In the letter to Minister Subramanian, GOPIO President Inder Singh said, "although your own party did not achieve the margin of seats you may have expected in the recent election, your elevation to the highly respectable and responsible ministry provides you a unique opportunity to woo back 2.5 million Malaysians of Indian Origin, the majority of whom have lost faith in the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) party."

"As you very well know, Malaysians of Indian Origin and their ancestors have been contributing to the economic growth and prosperity of Malaysia. But they are deprived of fair and equal treatment in educational resources and job opportunities. As a result, a significant number of them work as plantation and/or urban underpaid laborers, and hence majority of them are poor and continue to face undue social and economic hardships."
"Your party, Malaysian Indian Congress, has been an integral part of your country's ruling coalition and at one time represented the interests and aspirations of Malaysians of Indian Origin. However, MIC as a partner of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), has not been able to get fair share for the minority Indian community as their role as coalition partner either has been rendered ineffective or considered irrelevant."

"The Malaysians of Indian Origin are your country's third largest ethnic group and the majority of them are considered to be at the bottom of the social and political ladder. A significant majority of Malaysian Indians continue to be economically marginalized and are generally seen as providers of cheap labor in plantations and construction sites. Thus they occupy the bottom rung of the Malaysian modern society, primarily due to lack of educational and economic opportunities."

"The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) urges you to use your human resource development (HRD) portfolio to provide needed equity, skills training and equal employment opportunities to the Malaysian Indian community."

FORMER MINISTER VELLU SEEKS HIGHER QUOTA FOR MALYSIAN INDIANS

FORMER MINISTER VELLU SEEKS HIGHER QUOTA FOR MALYSIAN INDIANS

The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) that is part of the ruling front Barisan Nasional has sought an eight percent share for ethnic Indians in Malaysia's civil services, commensurate with the population. Voicing the demand, MIC chief and former minister S. Samy Vellu said the number of Indians hired as civil servants fluctuated between 3.5 percent and less than five percent every year.

"It is only fair if we have about eight percent representation in the civil service as that should be sufficient to look into the problems plaguing the Indian community," he told party colleagues at MIC meeting. He said a MIC delegation would soon meet Senator Amirsham A. Aziz, minister in the prime minister's department, to discuss employment and economic issues and opportunities affecting the community. These include the formation of an investment-based foundation such as Permodalan Nasional Bhd and a special fund to increase the equity ownership of the Indian community to three percent.

"Our community used to control 1.5 percent of equity and now it's down to only 1.2 percent," said Vellu, adding that the government had not provided enough opportunities for Indians to grow. He also criticised government-linked companies (GLCs) and agencies handling loans for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for not providing business opportunities to the Indian community, especially in the petroleum and automotive industries.

"We are very unhappy over the fact that Indian applicants who applied for SME loans are either rejected or ignored," said Vellu, who lost in his ninth bid at re-election last month. Vellu said these were among the things the government failed to address and had resulted in the Indian community rejecting the BN coalition in the recent general election.

"We could not answer the questions raised by the opposition parties during the elections and right now, our government is in a situation where it has to work very hard for the next four years to regain public confidence."

The National Education Blueprint 2006-2010 prepared by the education ministry in a report said that the government had spent 923 million ringgit ($419 million approx) for promotion of schools in Tamil language in 2007. That "billions were spent" on education for Tamils was "contrary to popular belief" about the government's contribution towards promotion of Tamil education, the newspaper said quoting the report.

Over two million of the 2.5 million ethnic Indians in Malaysia are Tamil Hindus, who settled during the British era.

GIVE 100 PER CENT TO WHERE YOU LIVE - DR. KALAM TO NRIs AND PIOs

GIVE 100 PER CENT TO WHERE YOU LIVE - DR. KALAM TO NRIs AND PIOs


"We should give 100 per cent to where we live and work, while we commit to give back our knowledge and experience to our motherland also," Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former president of India and well known scientist told nearly a thousand Non Resident Indians (NRIs), who had gathered from across the United States to listen to him at the Hindu Temple Community Hall in Flushing, New York. The reception was organized by over 35 Indian American Organizations including GOPIO-New York, NFIA and FIA-New York, and students from more than 10 universities in the New York tri-state area, in a rare unity of purpose, indicative of Kalam's standing and wide appeal among people of all faiths, ideologies, and political affiliations.

Dr. Kalam was visiting the United States to share with NRIs his vision for India in the year 2020, and encouraged everyone to dream big, to achieve with integrity and to ignite the minds of youth of this world. Traveling along with Dr. Kalam was Mrs. Indira Rajan, Chair Person and Managing Director of Minerva Education Trust, Perumbavoor, Cochin. She is an educationist and promoter of Dr. Kalam's vision 2020 in her school systems in Kerala.

Dr. Kalam shared with the audience, mostly comprising of community leaders and students from ten Universities and 18 colleges, that since his presidential term got over last year, he has interacted with over one million people and youth to formulate his vision for India. His eloquent presentation was peppered with quotes from Plato to Tamil poet and visionary Thiruvalluvar.

Dr. Kalam listed key elements of his vision that include: a nation where the rural and urban divide is reduced to a thin line, where poverty has been eradicated, illiteracy removed and crimes against women and children are absent and none in society feels alienated, where the governance is responsive and transparent, a nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, peaceful, and happy and continues with a sustainable growth path.

To transform India into a developed nation, Kalam said he has identified five areas of the country's core competence for integrated action: Agriculture and food processing, reliable and quality electric power, surface transport and infrastructure for all parts of the country, education and healthcare, information and communication technology and Self-reliance in critical technologies.

The major mission, he said, is development of infrastructure for bringing rural prosperity through Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA), through creation of connectivity, namely, physical, electronic, and Knowledge, leading to economic connectivity.

He said it is possible to achieve the vision for India, "only if we adopt and practice the value system in a society which is derived out of our civilization heritage". He also emphasized righteousness in the heart and the "confidence that we can (achieve)". Kalam added: "We constitute one sixth of the global population and the transformation that we do to one sixth of the world will benefit the other population also." During a Q&A session that followed, he eloquently answered questions from some 20 students from area colleges and universities, pertinent to them.

While introducing India's 11th president Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam to the audience, George Abraham, Co-Chairperson of the event and General Secretary of the Indian National Overseas Congress, said, while the role of the president of India has never been so demanding or challenging. In 2002, in the form of Dr. Kalam, India finally got a president who Completely changed the way people used to look at the first citizen of India. His dynamism gave the much needed face-lift to the 'president-of-India' brand that gave a new meaning to the highest office."

Describing Dr. Kalam as a spiritualized scientist, Abraham called him a KARMAYOGI. "He dreams of a 21st century India that has economic prosperity, National security and the rightful place in the world. He is a visionary leader, calling for a national movement to transform India into a developed country with speed and making it militarily and economically self-reliant," he added.

Mr. Lal Motwani, Chairman of the Organizing Committee who is currently the president of the New York chapter of the Global Organization of the People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) and vice president of National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) in his welcome address said that PIOs/NRIs are sanctified by the August presence of Dr. Kalam. Welcoming THE GREAT SON Of INDIA, Motwani said, Indian history is replete with important and dramatic events, which have been profoundly affected by great men including Dr. Kalam. His strategic leadership and his partnership with other nuclear scientists has enabled India to become a major nuclear power to protect and preserve our motherland. As Chairman of TIFAC, he led a team of 500 experts and developed technology Vision 2020, to transform India into a developed Nation, Mr. Motwani added.

According to Dr. Kalam: "The most powerful resource on the earth, above the earth and under the earth is the ignited Young mind. It should be empowered with adequate knowledge and leadership qualities to make the developed India Dream a realty."

Also address the gathering were Indian Consul General Neelam Deo, FIA President Yash Paul Soi, Tamil Sangham of New York President Albert Chelladurai, Rajiv Gowda representing New York Indo-American Political Forum and Mohamed Imran, President, American Federation of Muslims from India.

During his current week-long tour of the country, Dr. Kalam inaugurated the US chapter of Lead India 2020, a movement run under his supervision to transform India as a developed nation, and addressed the Wharton India Economic Forum at Philadelphia and delivered a lecture at the University of Kentucky.

The President released the souvenir containing quoting from Vision 2020 and it was presented to him by Mr. Alex Vilanilam Koshy, Souvenir Committee Chair along with Mr. George Abraham, Co-Chairman and Lal K. Motwani, Chairman and B. Aravindakshan, Co-Chairman. All participating organizations presented a plaque stating thanks to Dr. Kalam's vision and care to India and it was presented to him by Lal K. Motwani, George Abraham and B. Aravindakshan.

Google Alert - hindraf

Google News Alert for: hindraf

September date for trial of Hindraf 66
New Straits Times - Persekutuan,Malaysia
SHAH ALAM: The Attorney-General's Chambers has yet to decide on the representation made by the 66 men charged with participating in an illegal assembly ...
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'Let him visit our ailing daughter': Malaysian leader's wife
Thaindian.com - Bangkok,Bangkok,Thailand
Kuala Lumpur, April 17 (IANS) The wife of a detained Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader has added to the plethora of pleas being made to the ...
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Court fixes Sept 16-26 for Hindraf 69 trial
New Straits Times - Persekutuan,Malaysia
The Sessions Court has set Sept 16-26 to try 69 people charged with participating in an unlawful rally organised by the Hindu Rights Actions Force in Batu ...
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'Samy, we Indians are not goats'
Malaysia Kini - Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia
Perhaps Samy should have made his stand known publicly if he had agreed with the core issues of Hindraf but by taking a distant stand, he deserved to be ...
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Hindraf leader's mother meets PM Badawi
Times of India - India
KUALA LUMPUR: Detained Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P Uthayakumar's mother met Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to plead for ...
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Detained Hindraf leader's mother meets Malaysian PM
Thaindian.com - Bangkok,Bangkok,Thailand
Kuala Lumpur, April 16 (IANS) Detained Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P. Uthayakumar's mother met Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ...
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Sept 15 trial for Hindraf's 66
Malaysia Star - Malaysia
SHAH ALAM: Sixty-six Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) supporters charged with allegedly participating in an illegal assembly at Batu Caves on Nov 25 will ...
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Mum appeals to PM for Uthayakumar's transfer
New Straits Times - Persekutuan,Malaysia
... when she went to the Prime Minister's Department to hand over her letter. She also urged the prime minister to immediately release all five Hindraf leaders.
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Anwar 'ready' to form government
Hindu - Chennai,India
The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), the leader of a few recent campaigns by large sections of the ethnic Indian minority for "equal rights" on a par ...
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Detained ethnic Indian leader's mother seeks son's release
Expressindia.com - New Delhi,India
P Uttayakumar and four other Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) activists were detained in December last year under the country's controversial ISA for ...
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End ban on recruitment of priests from India: Vellu

End ban on recruitment of priests from India: Vellu
14 Apr, 2008, 2006 hrs IST, PTI


KUALA LUMPUR: An ethnic Indian leader in Malaysia has appealed to the government to lift a ban on the recruitment of "urgently needed" priests from India for Hindu temples and Sikh gurdwaras.

Samy Vellu, the President of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), met Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar and urged him to end the ban on the recruitment of priests from India.

Vellu told the minister the temples and gurdwaras in Malaysia "urgently needed" about 500 and 300 priests respectively.

In a statement, Vellu said the government should take into consideration the sensitivities involved as priests were needed to conduct daily prayers.

The minister told Vellu that the matter had to be brought up at Cabinet level for the decision to be revoked, Star newspaper quoted Tamil Nesan as saying today.

Since losing his parliamentary seat of Sungei Siput in the March 8 general elections, Vellu, who has been the head of MIC for almost three decades has begun to take interest in the uplift of the minority ethnic Indian community with a new gusto.

Analysts said the ethnic Indian community was fed up with Vellu's inability to do much for them in 30 years. He has been urging the government to do more for the uplift of the community, which form 7.8 per cent of the country's population of 27 million.

Anwar ‘ready’ to form government

Anwar ‘ready’ to form government

P.S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE: Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has declared that he and his allies “are ready” to form an alternative government.

His disqualification for elective office ended at the stroke of midnight on Monday. After that, Mr. Anwar told journalists in Kuala Lumpur that the “timing” of his bid to topple Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s coalition government would be decided through “consensus” among the three opposition parties in the People’s Pact.

Mr. Anwar said he would strike only after being sure of “a comfortable majority” in the new House of Representatives, where Mr. Abdullah’s coalition has 140 seats, against 82 held by the People’s Pact.

The Prime Minister, under pressure from within his party to quit for having failed to retain his two-thirds parliamentary majority in the recent snap general election, said on Tuesday he was ready for “a smooth transition,” not a “sudden” transfer of power. It is in the context of his offer to hand over the reins to his deputy Najib Tun Razak that Mr. Anwar is now trying to topple the government, on the ground that a number of ruling MPs are looking outwards for a new Prime Minister.

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), the leader of a few recent campaigns by large sections of the ethnic Indian minority for “equal rights” on a par with the Malay-Muslim majority, is supporting the People’s Pact from outside.

And, with five Hindraf leaders still in detention without charges and any recourse to trial, the mother of one of them, P. Uthayakumar, on Tuesday submitted a petition addressed to the Prime Minister.

Pleading for the unconditional release of all five, she urged proper medical care for her son, now perceived to be seriously ill in detention.

She was escorted to the Prime Minister’s office by Hindraf leader Thanenthiran Ramankutty and activists

11 Indians hurt in Malaysia mishap

11 Indians hurt in Malaysia mishap

Two persons were killed and 11 Indian nationals injured, some of them seriously, when a scaffolding with several slabs of granite and construction materials plunged 15 metres to the ground in the Malaysian capital and hit the workers standing beneath.

The accident took place at the construction site of a swank condominium-cum-boutique hotel complex in downtown Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. One of the dead was a Malaysian national while the other was from Myanmar.

The Indians were all reported to be from Punjab who had come to Malaysia to work as construction site workers.

They were on the ground floor when the scaffolding crashed on them. Four of the injured were reported to be in a serious condition.

One of the injured workers, 22-year-old Rampal Singh whose arm got fractured was quoted by the New Straits Times as saying that he had managed to jump clear just before the slabs hit the ground.

"I am returning to India when I recover," he told the daily.

Another daily identified the injured as Balraj Singh, 21, Pratap Singh and Arjan Singh, 22, Aman Singh 23, Kala Singh and Gurbachan Singh 24, Subash Kumar 26, Gurnam Singh 30, Jamuna Prasad 33, Rampal Singh 37 and Kashmeer Singh 40.

Work has been suspended at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur project site by authorities. Human Resources minister Fong Chan Onn said he would not compromise on safety at construction sites.

The Kuala Lumpur Department of Occupational Safety and Health director Omar Piah said 17 people died at construction sites in the city and at the administrative capital of Putrajaya last year. The incidents happened at 10 construction sites, he was quoted by the media as saying.

One of the accidents that hit media headlines here last year was the death of a management consultant who was killed when a 720 kg concrete mould fell on his far from a 20th floor of a partly completed complex.

100-year-old Hindu temple in Malaysia razed

Kuala Lumpur, December 01, 2006
First Published: 00:00 IST(13/1/2007)
100-year-old Hindu temple in Malaysia razed

A 100-year-old Hindu temple in Malaysia has been demolished following a court order. The deities will move to a new site provided by the authorities.

Contractors appointed by the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) bulldozed the Sri Muthu Mariamman temple Thursday at Skudia in Johor in southern Malaysia after a court order Tuesday seeking vacation of the temple premises, reported the New Straits Times Friday.The temple was situated at the Uniroyal Linden Estate, a rubber plantation that was home to around 1,000 families.UTM, a public university with its main campus in Skudai, had first made claims on the plantation in 1992.

Prior to that, in 1975, Malaysia's education ministry had bought off the plantation land for UTM.Since 1992, there have been various attempts to save the temple. Help was sought from the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), the premier political party representing the Indian community in Malaysia, and the Johor state government.Ethnic Indians, mostly Hindus, comprise around eight percent of Malaysia's total population of around 24 million.

The New Straits Times report quoted temple president A. Subramaniam as saying that his family had been looking after the temple for three generations."Soon after the sale of the plantation land to UTM in 1975, most menfolk lost their jobs and subsequently in 1987 UTM asked us to move out of our quarters," he told the newspaper. "We were lucky to obtain low-cost houses through MIC."

Temple authorities are planning to move the deities to another location provided by the Johor state government.

A UTM lawyer told the dialy on condition of anonymity that the demolition process was carried out smoothly and there were no protests or demonstrations.Meanwhile, Malaysian Hindu Sangam president A. Vaithilingam has condemned the demolition."While it is true the education ministry acquired the land for UTM, the authorities should have been fully aware that the old temple existed there," he said in a statement

Malaysian government shuts down newspaper for ethnic Indians

Malaysian government shuts down newspaper for ethnic Indians

17 Apr 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government has shut down a newspaper catering to ethnic minority Indians, a move the daily's news editor slammed on Thursday as punishment for its critical coverage of social and political issues. The Tamil-language Makkal Osai , or People's Voice, received a letter from the Home Ministry on Wednesday saying its operating license would not be renewed, news editor BR Rajan said.

The letter gave no reason, Rajan said. No edition of Makkal Osai was published on Thursday. "It's very shocking. ... It's mostly because of the issues we covered. We go more on social issues ... That has caused some kind of anger to the ministry," he said. Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the newspaper broke the ministry's guidelines but did not elaborate, according to an aide who declined to be named, citing protocol. Rajan said the daily had given "wide coverage" to opposition rallies and the Indian activists who marshaled some 20,000 ethnic Indians to protest last November against racial discrimination in this Muslim Malay-majority country.

The paper has had repeated run-ins with government authorities. Earlier this year, Makkal Osai received a "small reminder" to tone down its coverage of the Indian protest movement, Rajan said. Last year, the paper was told to suspend publication for a month after printing a picture on its front page of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette, deemed offensive in this multi-religious country where faith is a sensitive issue.

Rajan said Makkal Osai , which employs more than 100 people, would appeal to the ministry to reconsider its decision. "Being journalists, we did our job. We just reported what has happened," Rajan said, adding that the paper would be more careful if its operating license was renewed. The 27-year-old paper competes with another Tamil-language daily linked to the Malaysian Indian Congress, a party in the ruling National Front coalition. Ethnic Indians make up 8 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Called Bengalis, Sikhs walk out of function- 14 Apr 2008

Called Bengalis, Sikhs walk out of function- 14 Apr 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: A group of Malaysian Sikhs walked out from a function when Perak state's chief executive referred to them as Bengalis. Perak's Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin made the gaffe on Sunday when he wished the Tamil community "Puthandu Vazth-uka" or Happy New Year followed by "Happy Vasakhi to the Bengali community". "For generations, Sikhs have bit their lips when mistakenly referred to as Bengalis. Many usually excuse the gaffe by ordinary folk who do not know any better," media reports from the Perak capital Ipoh said. Jamaluddin admitted in an SMS to the New Straits Times newspaper that he had made a mistake in referring to Sikhs as Bengalis. Monday is the first day of the Baisakh month as per the Hindu calendar. It is also the Tamil New Year. For Bengalis across the world too, it is New Year's Day or Poila Baisakh. Sikhs are Punjabis separated from Bengal by more than 1,500 km in India, the newspaper commented
In Malaysia, Sikhs have been mistakenly referred to as Bengalis for decades, it said, offering no explanation as to why this has been happening। Narinder Singh, 38, who came to shake hands with Jamaluddin and congratulate him on heading the state government after the election last month, left shortly after the comment। "Sikhs are the ones who celebrate Vasakhi, not Bengalis. Can't he get that fact right? I am terribly disappointed with him," he said. Harbhajan Singh, 32, said Malaysians, especially political leaders, should know the difference between Bengalis and Sikhs. Dheer Singh, chairperson of the United Perak Sikhs Organisation, a consultative umbrella body representing nine Sikh-based voluntary organisations in the state was also upset. "Today we can learn about anything and everything from the Internet. There are many websites on the Sikh religion and the Sikh people. I feel sad that even though Sikhs have been in this country for close to 150 years, Malaysians still think we are Bengalis." Dheer said while many Malaysians may trivialise such references, the fact remained that the two communities were totally different in terms of religion, culture, and language.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Would HINDRAF's Uthayakumar Die in Kamunting Prison?

Would HINDRAF's Uthayakumar Die in Kamunting Prison?By now all and sundry in Malaysia who bother to know what is happening on the political front in the country may already know that Mr Uthayakumar, the lawyer of HINDRAF fame has been denied medicine leading to his diabetic condition worsening to an alarming point, resulting in him being hospitalised outside the prison.

We should also know that he was released from the hospital back to the prison although he is still unwell. Reports are now surfacing that he had suffered a silent heart attack as well - an outcome that is common among diabetic patients.

Many are worried that Lawyer Uthayakumar may die due to this mistreatment. A lot of loud complaints are being made to save him. These seem to be ineffective.

The question is therefore would he die in prison? It will be the height of irony as Mr Uthayakumar had fought against death in custody of many Indians in the past. Is it his turn to die in custody now?

I doubt the UMNO fascists are that stupid. We don't want a HINDRAF martyr do we now?

Indians most employed group in Britain

Indians most employed group in Britain 9 Apr 2008,

LONDON: People of Indian origin, who constitute the largest group in Britain among the ethnic minorities, have the highest number of people employed among all social groups, a latest official publication said. "The proportion of working-age people living in workless households in the UK was highest for the Chinese ethnic group, at 25 per cent, and lowest for the Indian ethnic group, at 10 per cent, while 11 per cent of people in the White ethnic group lived in a workless household," the 2008 edition of Social Trends, a publication released by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday said.

Social Trends provides an up to date and comprehensive description of society in 2007, drawing on statistics from a wide range of government departments and other organisations to show how society is changing, as well as some of the factors which may be driving these trends. According to it, Asians are the largest ethnic group in Britain constituting five per cent of the total population, while blacks make up three per cent of the population.

The study puts the number of Indian in Britain at 12,15,000 and also shows that the UK has become more ethnically diverse in the past few years as its population has grown from 56 million in 1986 to 60 million in 2006. But 90 per cent of the population is still white, compared to 93 per cent in 2001.

'Detained ethnic Indians a threat to Malaysia's security'3

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'Detained ethnic Indians a threat to Malaysia's security'3 Apr 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's AG on Thursday said five detained ethnic Indian activists should not be freed as they are a threat to national security. Abdul Gani Patail told the country's highest court that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had ordered their arrest under the tough Internal Security Act (ISA) following a comprehensive investigation.

"The prime minister... had ordered their arrest (last December) after a thorough police investigation which deemed them as a threat to national security," he said. Gani was responding to arguments by the lawyer of the five, who said on Wednesday that their detention was illegal and demanded their immediate release. "To say that there was no evidence, that the minister acted on his own frolic, was absolutely wrong. I urge the court not to accept that," he said.

The five, including a newly elected state lawmaker, enraged the government in November by mounting a mass rally alleging discrimination against minority ethnic Indians in Malaysia, which is dominated by Muslim Malays. Police used tear gas, water cannon and baton charges to break up the Hindraf street protest, which drew 8,000 people. The five are being held in the Kamunting detention centre in northern Perak state. Gani also read Abdullah's sworn statement in court, which said the five could have started racial riots and linked them to Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Mahathir is the true enemy of Rakyat

Mahathir is the true enemy of Rakyat. He destroyed all key civil society institutions, destroyed social institutions, jailed human right champions, jailed elected representatives of the people especially the opposition members of parliament, allowed fascism to permeate into his political party (UMNO).

In that process he had his own political party de-registered and opened a fake UMNO in which he had total and absolute control to the extent he rule unopposed and unchallenged without internal party elections for years.

On the commercial front he squandered billions on Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, two towns (that's what they are, not cities) that are not functional, effective and useful to the citizens.

When his poor financial management of the country collapsed under the 1997 financial contagion, he conveniently blamed the Jews. In his own country he called the Chinese people "Communists" in one of their own party conference -they kept quiet.

Now he is in a hurry to kill off Badawi politically so as to avoid a situation where Anwar may come to power and unravel Mahathir's sins. If only he can get Najib into power, he may be able to direct a "Operasi Lalang" II which may see Anwar going into ISA detention thus preventing him from being an effective threat to Mahathir.

Who and what can be done about this? Nobody and Nothing. All powers rest in the hands of the future PM who will replace Badawi.

Mahathir is returning to power, only this time via someone else. Anwar is going back to jail. The rakyat will continue to be "occupied" by these rapacious colonist.