Date:01/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/01/stories/2007120155811400.htm

Front Page

Malaysia plans to resolve ethnic Indian issue

P.S. Suryanarayana

MIC asked to
set up a “special
committee”
Hotline to receive complaints

SINGAPORE: A Malaysian Minister on Friday announced steps to form a panel for making “new proposals” that could help resolve the “marginalisation” of the ethnic Indian minority. In a related context, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) said Malaysia, a founder-member, was competent to sort out the issue.

These “new proposals” are to be framed in the overall context of the impact of current policies that centre on affirmative actions in favour of the Malay majority.

Samy Vellu, Works Minister and president of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), said in Kuala Lumpur that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had now asked the party to set up a “special committee” to submit a comprehensive report on the demands of the community. This report would be a sequel to the MIC’s report, submitted to Mr. Badawi in June, under the title “New mechanism for the Indian community.”

The MIC is a constituent of the multi-racial coalition government headed by the United Malays National Organisation.

The MIC will also set up a hotline to receive complaints ranging from those concerning Tamil schools to issues relating to temples, according to Mr. Samy Vellu.

The latest protest, organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), was sparked by complaints in these domains. In a letter addressed to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, this umbrella group of non-governmental organisations sought his intervention in this regard. The unauthenticated copy of this letter, now doing the rounds in cyberspace, begins with a narration of an “armed attack” on a temple on November 15.

Malaysian authorities have said they will investigate the authenticity of this document, which contains an appeal to the United Kingdom to move a resolution in the United Nations to condemn the alleged “ethnic cleansing” in Malaysia. A reference was also made, in this letter, to an alleged act of “mini-genocide” against Malaysian Indians.

There is also an appeal to the U.K. to refer Malaysia to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

Asked whether the ASEAN was concerned about the turn of events in Malaysia, the Association’s Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong told The Hindu: “These are issues which our national governments [in member-states] can handle. Let Malaysian authorities handle this. They are capable.”

Internal Security Act

In a related development, Mr. Badawi said he did not rule out the possibility of invoking the strict Internal Security Act (ISA) against HINDRAF leaders like P. Uthayakumar, P. Waytha Moorty, and V. Ganapati Rao.

Mr. Badawi said: “The ISA is a preventive measure that can protect the country from serious disturbances of the peace. The ISA is still there and, when appropriate, will definitely be used.”