Waytha: Pakatan betrayed Indians

GEORGE TOWN: Hindraf today hit out at Pakatan Rakyat for betraying Indians after riding on the ‘Makkal Sakti’ (people’s power) wave to score unprecedented electoral success in the 2008 general election.

Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (Hindraf) leader, P Waythamoorthy, said that Pakatan leaders like Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng chanted ‘Makkal Sakti’ everywhere to woo Indian votes in 2008, only to turn their backs on the community.

He blasted Anwar and company for being cold, insensitive and unresponsive to the plight of the marginalised segment of the Indian community for the past five years, culminating in their arrogant rebuff of the movement’s blueprint.

“Pakatan leaders gave Hindraf a run around before dumping the blueprint. On stage they perform a multi racial political stunt. In reality, they look down on Indians. They only want Indian votes, not their problems,” said Waythamoorthy.

He also hit out against Pakatan state governments for alienating the marginalised segment of the community by demolishing their settlements, burial grounds and religious places in Kedah, Penang and Selangor.

He said that the PKR-led Selangor government had demolished many Hindu temples and settlements over the years.

The ruthless demolition of Kampung Buah Pala in Penang, said Waythamoorthy, was the first sign of Pakatan’s intention of using Indians for piggy-back rides to power before dumping them.

Even though the previous BN government started the condominium project plan, he said Lim’s Penang government could have still saved the village by a stroke of a pen by invoking Section 76 of the National Land Code (NLC) and Section 3 of the Land Acquisition Act (LAA).

“But Lim’s government chose not to do, giving lame excuses. He was directly responsible for the village demolition,” said Waythamoorthy.

Waytha gives full backing to Najib, BN

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional and Hindraf today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the uplifting of the Malaysian Indian community.

The event at Vivekananda Tamil School in Brickfields here was attended by the BN chairman and prime minister Najib Tun Razak, Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy, several top MIC leaders and a throng of orange-clad Hindraf supporters.

Speaking during the event, Waythamoorthy urged Indians to return BN its two-thirds majority in the upcoming general election on May 5.

He insisted that their welfare will only be cared for by the ruling coalition BN and not Pakatan Rakyat.

“They (Pakatan) told me there would be a meeting but none of the leaders showed up,” Waythamoorthy told the crowd here.

“Even up until a few days ago, I was begging them. I thought of them as my friends,” he added.

Waythamoorthy acknowledged that there was skepticism over the agreement with BN but hoped Najib would dispel these criticisms by implementing the blueprint for the 1.5 million Indians that stand to benefit from the deal.

“I hope the prime minister will prove them all wrong,” he said.

Hindraf’s blueprint, among others, highlights issues related to displaced Indian plantation workers, the need for tertiary-level education for Indian students, job opportunities in the government sector, financial loans to Indian entrepreneurs, and the establishment of a Minorities Affairs Ministry.