CoFfEE witH PUNithAN

The MIC Youth lodged a police report against Malaysian Pribumi Perkasa Organisation president Datuk Ibrahim Ali Thursday over his statement in Utusan Malaysia which it claimed defamed party president Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu.

The report was made by MIC Youth Social and Welfare Bureau chief S. Subramaaniam at the Sentul district police headquarters here.

Subramaniam said the report was to enable the police to investigate Ibrahim for making an irresponsible statement and also Utusan Malaysia which he claimed constantly published statements with religious and racial slant which could jeopardise the peace in the country and fan racial sentiments, if left unchecked.

He said the statement was untrue and the MIC Youth wanted Ibrahim to apologise to Samy Vellu.

Utusan Melaysia today reported that Samy Vellu was trying to be a champion of the race by describing the historical facts published in the newspaper recently as seditious.

I deplore the racial slur made by the writer of a local Malay daily where he had indirectly referred to the Chinese and the Indians of Malaysia as “kaum pendatang” (immigrants). It is most disgusting, despicable and shocking. I suspect the writer is not part of the newspaper, but has been using it (the newspaper) to promote his own agenda.

The writer must and should be charged in Court under the Sedition Act. His comments are most unbecoming, especially with our Prime Minister promoting the ‘One Malaysia’ concept. The MIC wants the Government to take immediate action against the writer for creating ill-feelings among the Malaysian community, especially the Chinese and Indians. Even our Deputy Prime Minister has said that racially slanted statements were unacceptable and it is against the ‘One Malaysia’ concept.

The Malaysian Indian community especially, will not accept such remarks and we demand that the writer withdraw his comments immediately and publicly apologise to all Malaysians. He has hurt our feelings and tarnished the good name of the Government. We cannot allow this sort of action to continue.

This despicable act on the part of the writer proves the urgency for the Malaysian Indian community to unite to speak with one voice. Let us set aside our differences and put our minds together. Let us mobilize our strength and move ahead. We must join forces with other peace loving Malaysians from different races and make the ‘One Malaysia’ concept a reality. I believe that the Prime Minister is sincere and genuine in his attempt to unite all Malaysians. But, the comments by this writer had dented that noble effort. The MIC is all for the ‘One Malaysia’ concept.

The time has come for us to stand up and redeem our pride. Let us start now, or forever we will suffer.

DATO’ SERI S.SAMY VELLU
MIC President

MIC vice president Datuk S. Sothinathan, 49, said Saturday he would contest the deputy president’s post in party polls in September.

He will face incumbent Datuk G. Palanivel, 58, and former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam, 65, who was deputy president for 25 years until he was ousted in 2006.

The former Natural Resources and Environment deputy minister and two term-vice president who had also served as political secretary to party president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu previously, said he had informed his boss of his decision to contest the post.

"I told him that it was time for us to rejuvenate the party and focus on regaining support from the Indian massess, particularly the young.

"I told him that I needed his support to reunite the Indians in MIC," he told reporters here.

Asked if Samy endorsed his candidacy, Sothinathan, who was party secretary general from 2000-2006, said he was told to think about it.

"He told me to think about it carefully. But he did not discourage me...I am sure I will get his blessings.

"I have reached a stage where I need to make a bold decision. I have been in the MIC from the day I graduated from Universiti Malaya. I have served the party for 25 years and I have no intention of doing anything else although there have been offers," said Sothinathan, who obtained a first class honours degree in Economics from UM and is a qualified lawyer.

Sothinathan, a two term Teluk Kemang MP said he was also confident of victory despite being up against Palanivel and Subramaniam.

Asked if he was breaking ranks with Samy Vellu, who had apparently endorsed Palanivel as his choice of deputy, Sothinathan said the party president was not as the party president would always remain his mentor.

"As far as I know, Samy Vellu has not publicly endorsed anyone. I have spoken to several party leaders, non-governmental organisations, friends and individuals and they have all given me their support.

"The last general election has taught us a lot. I have been thinking about this for the past 15 months. We need to rebuild the party...we must do it now.

"I have been hearing a lot about the split in the party...I can't see this anymore," he said.

Asked if he would form a team with those vying for the vice-presidency, Sothinathan, who served as Health Ministryt parliamentary secretray from 2000-20004, said he would not.

Samy Vellu after winning the presidential election uncontested in March, this year, had declared that this would be his last term and whoever picked as deputy president at the party election in September would takeover the leadership of the 630,000-member party after his retirement from active politics.

Sixty Tamil schools will be rebuilt, many with new buildings, under the second phase of the Government’s redevelopment programme, MIC president Datuk Seri S. samy Vellu said.

The schools would be redeveloped under the RM100mil fund allocated by the Government, he said after visiting the partially-burnt Selangor River Tamil school here with Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk S.K. Devamany, on Monday.

Samy Vellu said 72 Tamil schools have already been redeveloped under the first phase.

There are about 525 Tamil schools in the country, with more than 300 schools falling under the partially-aided government schools category.

Samy Vellu said the Public Works Department had recently tendered out the projects for the 62 schools, with work on the schools to commence soon.

On the Selangor River Tamil school, he said RM650,000 has been set aside by the Government to build a new building that would cater for six to seven classrooms.

The three remaining leaders from the banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) who are being detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) will be released soon.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the three were M. Manoharan, P. Uthayakumar and K. Vasantha Kumar.

He added he would sign the documents on Friday.

They are among 13 ISA detainees who are due to be freed, in addition to the 13 who were released in April.

They include six Malaysians, two Indonesians and five Filipinos.

The other three Malaysians are Zulkepli Marzuki, Jeknal Adil and Adzmi Pindatun while the Indonesians are Zainun Rasyhid and Aboud Ghafar Shahril.

The Filipinos as Sufian Salih, Hasim Talib, Abdul Jamal Azahari, Yusof Mohd Salam and Husin Alih.

“They should be released within the next two or three days,” he told reporters on Friday after chairing a post-Cabinet meeting at his ministry.

He added the release of the three Hindraf leaders was not politically motivated.

When he became prime minister in April, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak ordered the release of 13 ISA detainees, including Hindraf leaders V. Ganabatirau and R. Kengadharan.

In an immediate response, MIC Youth said it welcomed the decision to release the 13 detainees, including the Hindraf leaders.

Its coordinator T. Mohan said the youth wing hoped that the detention of the five, which he believes led to the Indians throwing their support behind the Opposition in the March 2008 general election, would be forgotten.

“We sincerely hope that the Indians would return en masse to support MIC, the sole Indian representative in the Barisan Nasional coalition.

“Their continued detention was a stumbling block towards MIC reaching out to the Indians,” he claimed.

He said MIC Youth would “go to the ground to publicise the efforts of the Najib government which has been proactive to the needs of the Indian community.”

Speechless with joy
Vasantha Kumar’s wife was speechless when told that her husband would be released soon.

It took a few minutes for K. Vickneswary to finally realise that her husband would soon be home.

“My family’s 17 months of hell is finally coming to an end,” said the mother of two.

Vickneswary said she would prepare Vasantha Kumar’s favourite dishes to welcome him home.

“He loves my cooking and I haven’t been cooking at all since his detention.

“I am going to go back to preparing food for my family, now that he’s finally being returned to us,” said Vickneswary in KLANG.

She said the timing was also perfect as the school holidays were around the corner.

“Our daughters, who are in Primary One and kindergarten, will have the time to catch up with their father,” she added.

She thanked the new administration for releasing her husband and the others from the ISA.

Uthayakumar’s fiancée S. Indradevi said she was very happy and excited that he would finally be out.

She also thanked the Makkal Sakthi movement which had stood by her and Uthayakumar’s family during their dark days.

Meanwhile, Uthayakumar’s brother and Hindraf chairman Waythamoorthy said he was happy with the release but added that the rest of the ISA detainees must also be released.

“Besides releasing all ISA detainees, the Government must also close down the Kamunting detention centre as well as abolish the ISA.

“This would be indicative that the new prime minister is truly serious about reforming the country,” said Waythamoorthy from London.

Waythamoorthy also added that it was unclear if the Hindraf lawyers were released unconditionally.

MIC YOUTH : PRESS STATEMENT

MIC Youth welcomes the decision of the government to release the 13 ISA detaines including the remaining three banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders.

We want to thank Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak as well as Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein for the decision to release the detainees.

Hishammuddin said that the leaders – M. Maoharan, P. Uthayakumar and K. Vasantha Kumar – were among 13 who would be freed over the next two to three days. He said that the order for their release would be signed today.

In April, Najib who took over as Prime Minister ordered the release of 13 ISA detainees, including Hindraf leaders V. Ganabatirau and R. Kengadharan.

MIC Youth hopes that the said episode of the detention of the five which led to the Indians throwing their support to the opposition in the March 2008 general elections would be forgotten.

We sincerely hope that the Indians would return en masse to support MIC, the sole Indian representative in the Barisan Nasional coalition.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has several times, urged the then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to release of the five from detention.

The MIC Youth would go to the ground to publicise the efforts of the Najib government which has been proactive to the needs of the Indian community.

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Your's Sincerely,

T.Mohan
National Coordinator
M.I.C YOUTH