Malaysia bans Hindraf; Oppn terms govt's move 'ridiculous'

Jaishree Balasubramanian

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 16 (PTI) Malaysia has banned the non-
governmental rights group 'Hindraf' accusing it of exploiting
racial issues and threatening national security, a move
denounced as "ridiculous" by the opposition and ethnic Indian
bodies which vowed to continue their "struggle" for equal
rights for the community.

Malaysian Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, in a statement
issued last night, declared the Hindu Rights Action Force
(Hindraf) -- whose five leaders are under detention as part of
the draconian Internal Security Act -- an illegal
organisation.

Hindraf came into international focus after it organised a
massive rally on November 25 last year against the alleged
marginalisation of the ethnic Indian community in Malaysia.
More than 20,000 people had attended the rally declared
illegal by the government, taking the Abdullah Badawi
administration by surprise.

The minister said the government move followed the result
of monitoring and investigations by the country's Registrar of
Societies (R.o.S.) since Hindraf was formed.

"As a result of the investigations, the Home Ministry, as
per its authority under sections 3 and 5 of the Societies Act
1966, has declared Hindraf unlawful and detrimental to peace,
public order, security and the moral values of Malaysia," he
said.

Syed Albar accused the Hindraf of exploiting "racial
issues which caused an uprising against the government and
created hatred between them and the Malays."

"I feel that if we don't rein in their activities, they
will continue to jeopardise security and public order, and our
country's sovereignty, as well as upset the harmony among
races," he said.

Hindraf national coordinator, R.S. Thanenthiran said the
ban was unfair as they had not committed any crime or broken
any laws, adding that Syed Hamid could have done this in
retaliation to the police complaints Hindraf supporters lodged
against him.

Hindraf Chairman P.Waythamoorthy, who is in self-exile in
Britain, pledged to continue fighting for the rights of the
ethnic Indian community. "Hindraf will not flinch with these
threats and will continue its struggle."

The administration "enjoys demonising and bullying us on
the pretext of law, public order, national security, when all
we are fighting for is to address the true and real condition
of the downtrodden Malaysian Indians," he said in a statement.

A senior opposition M.P. called the government's decision
to ban Hindraf as "ridiculous" and uncalled for, adding that
he would move an emergency motion asking for an open debate in
Parliament.

"This is against the interest and aspirations of the
Indian community that is seeking a more tolerant and fair
Government," K Kunesegaran of the P.K.R. party said, adding
that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had agreed to hold a
dialogue with Hindraf leaders but "nothing was done".

Coalition of Indian N.G.O.s secretary-general Gunaraj
George said that by banning Hindraf, Syed Hamid had rendered
the Indian community voiceless, but added that it would not
dampen the spirit of its supporters.

"I know that their struggle will go on especially to free
all those detained under the I.S.A. (Internal Security Act),"
Star newspaper quoted him as saying.

Syed Albar said the decision to ban the movement was not
made based on only one or two "misdemeanours" committed by
Hindraf, but covered the entire gamut of activities the group
had been involved in since its organisation.

"Hindraf submitted a registration application ... on
October 16 last year. The application had not been approved,
but it went ahead and organised several public gatherings and
demonstrations without a permit," he said.

He said that Hindraf had also tried to get international
support in their attempts to get the government to bow to
their demands, an action which "tarnished" the country's
image.

"Considering all the facts and evidence we have, I am
satisfied that Hindraf was and is being used in a manner
detrimental to public order and national security," New
Straits Times quoted him as saying.

A large section of the ethnic Indians have supported the
Hindraf as they feel that the Malaysian Indian Congress, a
component of the ruling coalition, had done little to uplift
the community over the past several decades.

Their disenchantment with M.I.C., headed by Samy Velu,
showed in the March 8 general elections when the Indian
component of the ruling Barisan Nasional party fared poorly
winning only three of the nine parliamentary seats it
contested.

The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition did miserably too,
losing one third of parliament seats to opposition which also
got the control of five of the 13 states.