See: http://malayindians.blogspot.in/2008/10/waytha-slams-utusan-tv3-and-umno-linked.htmlHuman rights movement -- Malaysian Indians
Hindraf’s Waythamoorthy makes it to Malaysian Cabinet
By Sandhya Jain on May 17, 2013
Ten days after a narrow electoral victory for the ruling UMNO-Barisan Nasional combine, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak redeemed his election pledges and unveiled his ‘transformation agenda’ by appointing Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairman P Waythamoorthy as a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Waythamoorthy was also appointed to the Senate. The Prime Minister also elevated four others as Senators, viz., Maybank President and Chief Executive Officer Abdul Wahid Omar; Transparency International Malaysia President Paul Low Seng Kuan (Ministers, Prime Minister’s Department); Kedah Umno liaison committee chairman Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah (deputy minister, domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism); Penang PPP chairman Dr J Loga Bala Mohan (Deputy Minister, Federal Territories).
This startling development vindicates Waythamoorthy’s decision to renounce his asylum status in Britain and return to Malaysia in August 2012, risking the possibility of arrest on arrival. In a stopover at Delhi en route to Kuala Lumpur last year, the Hindraf leader who was returning after filing a class action suit against the British Government on behalf of the Malaysian Indians who were indentured labour under the Raj, told this writer that he was taking the risk because the 2013 Election was crucial to getting a fair deal for Malaysian Indians as their votes could swing the election in favour of either the ruling BN or the Opposition Pakatan combine. Waythamoorthy was in India when the surprise announcement was made in Kuala Lumpur, and refused to comment on his appointment.
Waythamoorthy had courageously held talks with members of both combines in the run up to the General Elections. Bitter at Pakatan’s refusal to offer a fair deal to Indians, he decided to trust Barisan Nasional’s promise of post-election transformation. On April 18, the two groups signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with six key points aimed at bringing poor Indians into the mainstream of the country’s development. In return, Hindraf promised to help BN garner votes of the Indian community in the election.
With the Indian vote ensuring that BN survived in office, that gamble seems to have paid off. While in exile, Waythamoorthy fought doggedly for the release of the five Hindraf activists detained under the Internal Security Act after staging a staggeringly successful rally in Kuala Lumpur despite a ban, on November 25, 2007. The BN Prime Minister at that time was Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Hindraf was banned after the rally held to protest against BN’s racist policies; its leading activists were arrested on December 13 the same year, and detained under the draconian ISA. Waythamoorthy avoided arrest by going into self-exile in London three days after the rally. This cost the coalition the votes of the Indian community in the elections of 2008.
This time, ahead of the May 5, 2013, General Elections, the Najib regime lifted the ban on the group. Accordingly, when the Opposition Pakatan Rakyat refused to concede even the minimum demands of the now-legal Hindraf, Waythamoorthy tilted the community votes towards the Barisan Nasional.
On April 18, he signed a MoU with the regime to improve the economic position of the Malaysian Indian community and bring them into the mainstream of development; BN signed the movement’s 18-point blueprint. But serious differences broke out within Hindraf ranks, though the Indian community now looks forward to a resolution of its outstanding grievances.
The Cabinet formation was delayed on account of efforts to coax Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malaysian People’s Movement Party (Gerakan) to join the Cabinet. The MCA may join at a later date according to observers, and the Transport Ministry has reportedly been reserved for them. But as of now, the absence of Gerakan and MCA means there are only two Chinese representatives in the cabinet – Senator Paul Low (Minister) and Mary Yap (Deputy Minister).
The Malaysian Indian Congress leader S Vell Paari welcomed Waythamoorthy’s appointment to the federal post saying it proves there are no “permanent enemies” in politics and “the more Indians in government posts, the merrier”. He said the Prime Minister had shrugged aside Waythamoorthy’s previous criticisms of Barisan Nasional in order to prioritise the development of the Indian community.
The MIC has won two Cabinet posts, with Deputy President Dr S Subramaniam (Health) and President G Palanivel (Natural Resources and Environment) respectively. The MIC Vice-President M Saravanan is Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, and its Putera coordinator, P Kamalanathan, has been made Deputy Minister II in the Ministry of Education and Higher Learning, after the two Ministries were merged.
Tunku Abdul Aziz, who founded Transparency International-Malaysian Chapter, has been appointed Ethics Advisor to the Cabinet. He has previously served as Ethics Advisor to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Over 50 per cent of the Cabinet comprises members of the United Malays National Organisation, which dominates the 13-party coalition that has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957.
Photo credit: www.themalaysianinsider.com
http://www.niticentral.com/2013/05/17/hindrafs-waythamoorthy-makes-it-to-malaysian-cabinet-78781.html