UMNO racist behaviour due to 'inexperience', Hindraf's cries for help due to 'racism'

Malaysiakini reported yesterday that Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department attributed the demolition of a 100-year-old temple in Shah Alam on the eve of Deepavali last month to the stupidity, lack of sensitivity, and 'inexperience' of Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

I recall that when UMNO delegates to the 2006 UMNO general assembly made racist comments, including one Perlis delegate egging Hishamuddin Tun Hussein on to use his keris, the excuse provided by the UMNO top leaders was again ‘inexperience’.

Yet when Hindraf was alleged to have used the words 'minor genocide in Kampong Medan', UMNO Ministers wanted to have the police (meaning UMNO) charge the Hindraf leaders for incitement.

Malaysiakini tells us that twenty Hindraf protesters face fresh charges.

They would additionally be charged under Section 440 of the Penal Code for allegedly causing mischief while taking part in an unlawful assembly or riot. The penalty is up to five years’ jail and a fine.

And the PM expressed his anger at Hindraf, but where was that anger in 2006 against his own seditious UMNO racists?

But shamefully even PAS and ABIM (a Youth NGO strongly associated with PAS) condemned Hindraf for extremism. Yet PAS and ABIM, especially the latter were deafening in their silence when UMNO delegates to the party’s general assembly went racially feral in 2006.

I find PAS' criticisms of Hindraf misplaced and ethnocentric, in the same way as I had found Anwar Ibrahim’s concerns over Hindraf’s condemnation of Article 153 of the Constitution - please see Anwar Ibrahim, Article 153 & Hindraf and Is Anwar Ibrahim backtracking on his policy on NEP?

Visitor kittykat46 attempted to defend AI by stating: “If you followed the news over the last year (and not just picked out one particular sentence from Anwar's response), the party has been right up there condemning the wanton destruction of Hindu temples , and calling for social justice for all in Malaysia.”

But, kittykat, when push came to shove, when it came to the crunch regarding Hindraf's intention to attack Article 153, that ‘one particular sentence from Anwar's response’ was enough to show where his true concerns lie.

Yes, you can take PAS and ABIM and ... to the Islamic trough but you sure can’t make them drink Islam’s supra-nationalistic water, no, not when the trough at the Ketuanan Melayu provides sweeter drinks.

Some so-called activists have been just as bad to label Hindraf's march as one laden with chauvinism, ignoring the root causes motivating Hindraf's campaign

Malaysiakini reported that Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Salang Anak Gandum scoffed at Hindraf’s allegation, that its 'Ethnic cleansing' claim is laughable.

He asked: "The whole world will not believe it. If the accusation related to ethnic cleansing is true, why would people from other countries come here?"

"Only Hindraf, which represents a few people, says that ethnic cleansing is taking place in Malaysia. Many people of the same race (Indian) do not think so.”

Then why make such a fuss over laughable stuff? Why use a sledge hammer to crush an Indian kacang putih?

Indeed, why not attribute Hindraf’s melodramatic assertion to ‘inexperience’? Afterall their claims are less outrageous than that of UMNO delegates’ racist diatribe with promises of violence against other Malaysians.

As I said, the Hindraf rally has torn to shreds those masks of hypocrisy. It's also the story of racism at its most Malaysian.'

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