Isu Hindraf: Komen DS Anwar Ibrahim @ 'The Hindu'

Ref: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200712012067.htm

Repression of Malaysian Hindus unacceptable: Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, on Saturday condemned Kuala Lumpur's crackdown on protests by ethnic Hindu citizens last week describing it as "unacceptable".

Talking to the media at the Islamic Peace Conference here, Ibrahim also defended reactions in India, saying that "every country has a right to express its views diplomatically."

"In this age, you can't say that any repression should not be condemned because its country's internal affair...to say `lay off' does not work...," Ibrahim said while referring to the remarks by Malaysian Minister Nazri Aziz against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi who had raised concerns over the "marginalisation" of ethnic Indians in that country.

"Malaysia supports Palestinians...what if Israelis says `lay off'?" he asked.

Hundreds of Malaysian Hindus -- whose forefathers migrated from India mostly as indentured labourers during the British rule -- attempted to march to British embassy in Kuala Lumpur on November 25, but government did not allow and several of the protestors were arrested.

"I support the rally," Ibrahim said, and conceded further that Malaysian Hindus are "marginalised" and most of them are living in "abject poverty".

Ibrahim, who has been Malaysia's Finance Minister when he was part of the ruling dispensation, blamed the "bhumiputra" (son-of-the-soil) policy -- which favoured the ethnic Malays over other communities -- for the conditions of Hindus in that country and also for the current crisis.

"The affirmative action (such as the bhumiputra policy) should not be race-based, but it should be for all the races," he said.

Pak Lah Kesal

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi tore into the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) yesterday, saying that it is spreading blatant lies with the intention of arousing hatred among multiracial Malaysians and sparking racial clashes.

Singling out Hindraf’s accusation that the Government was carrying out ethnic cleansing of the Indians in Malaysia, the Prime Minister fumed: “I'm really angry, I rarely get angry but this blatant lie cannot be tolerated at all.”

Abdullah even offered to resign if there was proof that the Government was involved in ethnic cleansing.

He said he did not want the people, especially the Indians, to be misled by Hindraf's unfounded claims and allegations, hoping that other races would not show sympathy towards the Indian activist group.

However, despite his anger during the 20-minute press conference where he dealt mostly with the Hindraf issue, Abdullah pledged to look after the interests and the well-being of the Indian community.

“The social problems faced by the Indian community are clear. I have never said no. We support the Indians but there are some quarters instigating them and making them feel unhappy with the Government,” he said.