A case of good government?

On the Sunday of Nov 25, about 30,000 (some say 40,000) Indians converged on the Kuala Lumpur city centre to hold a peaceful demonstration and to hand a petition signed by about 10,000 people to the British High Commissioner in Malaysia. They were denied a police permit to hold the assembly and, in addition, their leaders were arrested. But, they decided to proceed with the demonstration, despite roadblocks all around Kuala Lumpur for a couple of days prior to Nov 25.

The group was led by the Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf) who has initiated a class action suit against the British government for bringing them by the thousands to work in the estates as indentured labourers, exploiting them and leaving them there even after Merdeka (Malaysian Independence) under the British colonial legacy of divide and rule. Hindraf is seeking a compensation of about US$1 trillion -- US$1 million for every Indian in Malaysia. And Hindraf was seeking a petition from the Queen (Queen Elizabeth, reigning monarch of England) for a Queen's Counsel to help them in their case.



The demonstration stayed peaceful for a couple of hours, then the police fired tear gas and chemical-laced water on the demonstrators to disperse them, and a street fight ensued. Since then, the issue has escalated into an open confrontation between Hindraf and the government. The latter has been lashing out with unbridled emotion at Hindraf, calling them names (crooks and thugs), dismissing their claims of ethnic cleansing as "lies, lies, lies and false allegations" and implicating them in terrorist connections!

The government may have its reasons for dealing with people who break the law -- in this case, for not getting a permit to hold a rally, even though the right to assemble is part of Federal law. But, should they have met this simple, heartfelt act of calling attention to their plight (Hindraf's) with the full force of high-handed power?

Consider what the government has done so far:

• They tear-gassed and dispersed the crowd


• They arrested (later released) Hindraf leaders, and arrested many other protesters


• They charged protesters with "attempt to murder" (where on earth did you hear a charge like that against a protester?)


• The prosecution team is led by no less than the Attorney-General himself, Tan Sri Gani Patail, who has linked Hindraf to the terrorist group, LTTE (Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers). We are still waiting for facts to prove his point.


• Every day, the major media carry shrieking headlines denouncing Hindraf and demonising them as "The Enemy"


• Meanwhile, reports here and there say that Hindu temples continue to be demolished, despite official assurances of time extensions

Everyone can see this is an uneven match. A powerful government coming down hard on a small powerless group who can't hit back because they don't have the resources to do so. Up to the day of the protest, all that Hindraf wanted was to be heard but no one wanted to meet and listen to what they had to say.

Hindraf had on previous occasions sought to see the Prime Minister and/or his representatives to present their grievances, but they were never given a hearing. In their exasperation, they protested, getting unexpectred support by the thousands, which alone revealed the extent of marginalization Indians were feeling at the ground. And, for standing up to be heard and counted, they got beaten - by their own government.

Like me, many Indians do not agree with all of Hindraf's claims. But, we, and every true fellow Malaysian agrees that the government over-reacted, coming down too harshly on its own citizens at the bottom of the social heap.

There is, of course, no ethnic cleansing in Malaysia.

But, look at it from Hindraf's point of view:

• Every day, you see or hear that a Hindu temple has been demolished. Despite assurances from politicians and documents to show a stay of execution, temples are summarily demolished. You see the images on video: statues of deities toppled, crumbling down and tossed aside.
• You hear of Hindu wives with Muslim husbands who are bereft because their husbands have died but the authorities take their bodies away and they can't grieve in peace.
• You hear or have a son, brother, relative, colleague or a friend's son, brother .... picked up in a police raid and held under custody because a crime has taken place in the vicinity and they and their friends become prime suspects because they are Indians. Worse still, they don't come home and nobody knows what has happened to them. And, a few die in custody and nobody knows what to do. If they do something about it, they are targetted.
• You bring these issues up year in and year out, but your representation (Malaysian Indian Congress or MIC) is unable to solve these problems.

From this standpoint, would you not think that there is a systematic effort to push your community out of the mainstream? And, if your community is at the bottom of the social heap, would not this mean that you will be unable to live? That this is ethnic cleansing, in emotional terminlogy? And, for the same reasons, would it be hard to assume that this is an "apartheid" government?

If the government had let them demonstrate, everyone would have gone home and had a good night's sleep with the satisfaction of knowing that democracy has worked. But, now, the government is on a collision course with Hindraf, with both sides unlikely to back down.

To me, there seems only one thing to do to diffuse this crisis: Let the government and Hindraf meet and talk. Let the former hear what the latter has to say, and provide workable alternatives. Changing of positions and compromises can only take place where there is respectful constructive engagement.

Let the government take the first step. Show mercy, and meet Hindraf.

I am reminded of the Biblical verse in Matthew 5:7: Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.

Show mercy, and surely, this nation will be blessed.