Author: Baradan Kuppusamy
Publication: Asia Times Online
Date: February 6, 2008
URL: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JB06Ae02.html
A new political force - right wing Hindu activism
- has strongly emerged in multi-ethnic Malaysia, adding volatility in an election
year to the country's already religiously charged political arena dominated
by the majority Malay Muslims. Across the country, ethnic Indians, who make
up about 8% of the country's 26 million people, are mobilizing to protest
against alleged socio-economic neglect and discrimination in employment, education
and business at the hands of the ethnic Malay majority.
It represents an increasingly vocal ethnic
awakening with which opposition political parties are angling to join forces.
Last November 25, ethnic Indians took to the streets en masse to protest against
alleged discrimination, a protest that resulted in a government crackdown
and the indefinite detention of five the Hindu Rights Action Force's, or Hindraf's,
top leaders.
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has acknowledged
that the group's grievances as highlighted by the Hindraf may dent election
prospects for his government's ruling National Front. "Yes, I think votes
will be affected somewhat," he was recently quoted saying by the Sunday
Star newspaper.
The ferment is now visible in the country's
hundreds of Hindu temples where working-class Tamils, mostly youths and young
married couples, gather to avoid police harassment and speak out against discriminatory
pro-Malay policies. "We have been left out of 20 years of progress and
development," said Munusamy Marimuthu, 28, a supervisor in a small rubber
factory.
On the weekend, Marimuthu joined some 800
working class Tamils to pray to Lord Muruga, the sentinel god of the Tamils,
at a Hindu temple in Kuala Selangor, a town set amid oil palm plantations
about 70 kilometers east of the capital. They also broke coconuts, a religious
act usually associated with seeking divine intervention to resolve woes faced
by the Hindu religion's devotees.
"Our politicians have betrayed us - only
our energy and our god can protect us now," said Marimuthu, a descendant
of 19th century Tamil indentured laborers. He says his views echo that of
the majority of Tamils in the country now caught up in the so-called "Makkal
Shakthi" (People Power) movement.
The youths were led in their protest prayers
by a saffron-clad priest from South India chanting in Sanskrit, the ancient
language of Hinduism, which few of the congregation could understand. Nevertheless,
camaraderie was high. "For the first time we are united and under the
banner of our religion," said protester Arumugam Chedi, 39, a laborer.
"Our religion is under threat, but now we are united and can show our
anger."
Protesters released five pigeons in honor
of the five incarcerated Hindraf leaders. The five are being held without
trial at a political detention camp in Northern Perak state on charges of
"developing links" with Sri Lanka's militant Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam. They have all denied the charges.
Also at the center of the Makkal Sakthi protest
were allegations that Abdullah has failed to take firm action to "right
the wrongs" faced by the country's ethnic Tamils and for the harsh treatment
meted out to the Hindraf leaders. In a new twist, protesters have also taken
aim at the Malaysian Indian Congress, which is a partner in Abdullah's National
Front coalition government and led by longtime president Samy Vellu.
On January 23, Hindus expressed their anger
and frustration with Samy Vellu and the MIC by boycotting the Thaipusam festival,
the biggest event on the calendar for Malaysian Hindus which is held annually
at the Batu Caves temple complex outside of Kuala Lumpur.
Typically, about 1.5 million devotees and
spectators throng the caves for the festival. But this year only about 300,000
Hindus showed up, and most people stayed away in support of the boycott and
as a symbolic rebuke to Samy Vellu, who traditionally opens the celebration
with an early morning speech. Phone text messages were used by Indian groups
to convince Hindus to eschew the event.
"Indian anger is focused on Samy Vellu
who is seen as betraying the community by not speaking up for its needs in
the government," said parliamentary opposition leader Lim Kit Siang.
"He should resign because Indians have rejected his inept leadership,"
said Lim.
Lim, who leads the Democratic Action Party
(DAP), has demanded that two of the detained Hindraf leaders, M Manoharan
and B Ganabathi Rao, be allowed to contest the elections, which are widely
expected to be held in March. Both men are DAP members.
With Abdullah's popularity among Indians plunging
and Samy Vellu's leadership discredited, Indian voter support for the government
is at an all-time low. The opposition Chinese-majority DAP and opposition
icon Anwar Ibrahim's National Justice Party are expected to be the big winners
from the protest movement.
"We expect the majority of Indians to
vote for the opposition this time," said Murugesan Kulasegaran, the only
ethnic Tamil opposition lawmaker in Parliament. "They can be kingmakers
in at least 30 parliamentary constituencies. Their voice will be heard this
time," he said.
However, the rise of political Hinduism is
also unleashing other potentially divisive forces in this fragile multi-ethnic
society. As a counteraction to Hindu activism, Malay Muslim support is on
the rise for Abdullah, according to recent opinion polls which show his popularity
rising from 65% a year ago to 80% at present.
Another significant sign is that while Tamils
are flocking to opposition party rallies, Malay Muslims and Chinese are conspicuously
missing. Ethnic Chinese, who first arrived in Malaysia as laborers to work
in tin mines, now represent 25% of the population and are economically the
most vibrant group - controlling by some estimates 60% of the economy.
Observers say the business-minded Chinese,
who historically have favored stability and a strong central government, are
feeling uneasy with the rise of Hinduism as a political force.
"They fear how Muslims would react and
the possible implication for stability and growth," said a senior University
of Malaya lecturer who requested anonymity. "They worry because the multi-ethnic
society is already under stress."
Still, the rise of Hinduism will have an impact
on the voting trends among Malay Muslims, who represent about 60% of total
voters, the lecturer said. "They are more likely to side with the government
seeing it as better able to protect Islam against a Hindu upsurge."
The net effect, however, could be that the
opposition political parties win large chunks of the smaller Indian vote,
but lose a larger portion of the bigger Malay and Chinese votes.
