MIC in Ops 'Claw Back'

Malaysiakini reported that some Indian NGOs called upon the government to Form Non-Muslim Affairs Dept.

I disagree on principle (to be discussed at the concluding part of this post - so please read on).

The title 'Indian NGOs' is such a generalized term so let’s see who has come out with this ….. (adjective to be filled in after you've completed reading the post) … idea

The coalition of 13 Indian NGOs suggested the formation of the Department after it met PM AAB on Friday in a session. Unfortunately but predictably the meeting excluded the main players who raised the H-storm about the continuing marginalisation of Indian Malaysians, as well as the series of brutal destruction of Indian temples that provided an alarming picture of a seeming deliberate, incremental and oppressive erasure of Indian religion-culture (perhaps this was the 'genoicide' that Hindraf meant?).

If not for Hindraf, would this meeting have eventuate? So, Datuk, how BIG are your ears really?

Typical of such people to come into play only after the hard yards had been done at considerable sacrifice by the main players, indeed including the readiness to be detained under the draconian ISA.

I have met a few too many such clever people in my career – Johnnies-and-Ginny’s-come-lately who in the first place would be conspicuously noticeable by their kia chenghu* silence and/or absence, but who would subsequently step into shoes far too large for them after the main battle had terminated.

* scared of the government

Malaysian Indian Youth Council (MIYC) president Rajaretnam seemed to be their spokesman. He explained to the press that the NGOs decided to get together (yea, but only after Hindraf had raised the plight of the Indians in dramatic fashion and at great sacrifice) to formulate a strategic action plan to tackle the problems faced by the Indian community (hahaha, where were these people for the last few decades?). They intend to submit the plan to our dear PM.

Here’s the obligatory and expected ampuan tuan ku – he said the NGOs were grateful that the premier had engaged them in a discussion. Yes, to save the MIC’s hide!

Now, this is the part where the NGOs showed their true colour - Rajaretnam said that the strategic action plan will be submitted to the PM via the official channel, MIC president S Samy Vellu.

He whimpered: "We are willing to receive feedback from all quarters in order to work as a team on this issue. But they must agree to go through the proper channel.”

‘Proper channel’ and ‘MIC president S Samy Vellu’???

Hey, I thought they were NGOs? And since when has there been an 'Indian Department' that constitutes an official channel for Indians to submit their problems to?

And what happens if those Indians refuse to process their 'feedback' through Samy Vellu? Will their 'feedback' then be cast aside?

Maybe this nonsense explains why the Indian Malaysians have been right royally screwed for the last five decades of independence.

But the more important point which these so-called NGOs have missed completely, hardly surprising, is that government ministries and departments, other than those for Islamic matters, should not be religion related, and should serve the general public irrespective of the public member’s religious affiliation.

While the Constitution states that Islam is the official religion of secular Malaysia, it is only appropriate that there should be a department or departments (even ministry) for Islamic affairs.

But that’s that! Why the hell do we need a Non-Muslim Affairs Department that’s more suited to Islamic nations like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran?

But of course those NGOs said words to please the Big Ears of our dear pseudo-Sultan and more likely, to salvage the terribly battered image of the MIC which is currently and completely at sea with the unexpected H-force of unhappy Indian Malaysians. The MIC knows it has been blasted by Hindraf into irrelevance - this is its Ops Claw Back.