Press Release
November 27, 2007
Following is a statement by the Malaysia Hindu
Sangam President, Datuk A. Vaithilingam:
The HINDRAF Rally this Sunday is a wake up
call for all Malaysians. It is clear that there are tens of thousands of disaffected
Indians in Malaysia who feel the Government is not protecting their best interests.
The socioeconomic disadvantages of Indians have become more pronounced in
recent years, with the increased urbanization of once rural areas and the
move to cities by many children of former rubber tappers and farmers. With
their diminished educational opportunities, their reduced skill sets and without
the strong private sector and public sector support of the other races, these
Indians are an urban underclass.
Added to this is the anger felt by almost
all non Muslims at the Government's and the Court's inaction to infringements
of religious freedom by the Islamic authorities. Almost all the victims of
recent incidents which have been widely publicized over the past few years
have been Hindus, fueling anger amongst the community. For example:-
* Moorthy Maniam's widow Kaliammal was not
allowed to cremate her husband as a Hindu, despite this being his professed
religion, because of the Court binding their hands and deferring to the Syariah
court.
* A similar fate befell Chandran Dharma Dass's
family about a year later in Perak, when his body was buried according to
Islamic rites at about 4 a.m. amidst heavy police presence with his family
barred from even praying for his soul and despite the fact that his family
maintained that he was a Hindu.
* Shamala and Subashini are pitted in unnecessary
legal entanglements because the Courts are not treating their rights to bring
up their children in their own religion as equal to that of their estranged
husbands who converted to Islam.
* The straw that broke the camel's back was
the most recent in a spate of insensitive and arguably unconstitutional and
unlawful demolitions of Hindu temples. The destruction of the Sri Maha Mariamman
Temple, Kampung Karuppiah, Shah Alam despite assurances by the Dato' Bandar
that devotees would be able to celebrate Deepavali (just a few days away from
the demolition date) before having to move. The unprecedented pictures of
local authority enforcement officers throwing stones at devotees and at the
temple caused an uproar amongst the Indian community.
The Malaysia Hindu Sangam therefore urges
the Government to take immediate, urgent and effective measures to improve
the socioeconomic conditions of the Indians in Malaysia, as part of overall
measures to ensure our nation's resources are distributed and shared equitably
amongst all Malaysians. The Government must also act urgently to make the
necessary legislative reforms so that the freedom of religion of all Malaysians
are protected, and not just those professing Islam. We call on the Courts
to start acting in their role as the guardians of the fundamental liberties
of minorities against oppression by the majority. Most importantly, the Malaysia
Hindu Sangam asks the authorities to take heed and listen to the grouses of
these demonstrators. Please do not let this festering wound become even worse!
