The right to assemble peacefully and make representations when injustice is seen should have been upheld even if it means possible incarceration.

On Hindraf 31: AG drops attempted murder charge

OD: I am happy that the AG has dropped the murder charges against the ‘Hindraf 31’ but if it is true that according to the AG, most of the 31 people had ‘submitted affidavits saying they did not support Hindraf and many vowed not to take part in future illegal assemblies,’ then I say that people power lost a moral battle in court yesterday.

The lead defence counsel, GK Ganesan, was also quoted as saying that, “I wrote to the AG to state that my clients are sincerely remorseful and deeply regret the event. All they want to do is to go back to work and be reconciled with their families.”

I am sorry but all these plea bargainings and ‘remorse’ is a slap in the face of the five Hindraf leaders who have chosen to go to jail rather than give up what they believe in. They are being held under the most oppressive law we have in this country and the people for whom they are standing up for say they are sorry and want no further part in their struggle?

The attempted murder charge would not have stood even in a Malaysian court, of that there is no doubt. The right to assemble peacefully and make representations when injustice is seen should have been upheld even if it means possible incarceration.

I know that many of these people are sole breadwinners and even students but the community could have rallied and come to their families’ aid. How will these 31 people and their lead counsel face the five Hindraf leaders two years down the road?

On ISA crackdown: 5 Hindraf leaders detained

Concerned Indian: Amidst the ISA detention of five Hindraf lawyers and the furore of arrests by the draconian police, can someone tell me what has happened to the South Asian Labour Fund?

Someone told me that during the British rule, a South Indian Labour Fund was set up primarily as a pension cum repatriation plan for the indentured Indians who, having completed their stint in Malaya, now wished to go back. Upon independence, the British released this fund to the locals and it was indeed administered for the benefit of these labourers.

I found this website on the Internet.

This explains how the fund was dissolved but what has happened to it now? What was the original amount given by the British? What is its value when it was dissolved in 1999? What happened to all the property?

The value of it, 1958 to 1999, must be equivalent to trillions today. Who had decided to give it up? Were the opinions of the Indians sought? Or was S Samy Vellu only consulted? It looks like the government had taken over the fund. Where is the money now and who benefitted when it was dissolved?

Indians must look into this issue seriously and investigate where the money went to. What form of action can we take to retrieve the money that is rightfully ours? Are we not living in a democratic country where nobody can take what is ours?

Editor’s note: The South Indian Labour Fund had been dissolved in 1999 and the money was used to build a skills training centre. the Arumugam Pillai Institute in Nibong Tebal, Penang.

Lover Of All Races: The Anwar Ibrahim persecution debacle witnessed the emergence of Mahazalim 1. Now we see the emergence of Mahazalim 2 in the Bersih and Hindraf saga. The use of the outdated draconian law to defeat peaceful Malaysian justice fighters clearly indicates that the Umno-led BN has lost the ring battle with the Hindraf leaders. This is another sign that Umno-BN is on the decline.

The Indians are not the least intimidated. This will further increase their resolve to double their efforts in the peaceful, Gandhi-style passive resistance struggle to emancipate Indian Malaysians who are subtly oppressed by the Umno-led BN government. Hindraf loves Malaysia but not the Umno-led government.

The Indians are not going to be confused by the government’s media propaganda that Malaysia and the Umno-led government system are one and the same. They are out to save Malaysia from the tyranny of Umno and make Malaysia a land where justice and fairness is firmly established.

We will not be surprised if the Hindraf International Network is created to mobilise the global Indian fraternity on a campaign to demonise the Umno government, expose its tyranny and lay bare its corruption and discrimination. We love Malaysia, the Malays, the Chinese and the others but not the Umno-led corrupted government. Let there be absolutely no confusion or misgivings in this matter.

Reborn Malaysian Indian: The aftermath of the Bersih-Hindraf peaceful rallies has witnessed the awakening of Indian Malaysians from the fetters of Umno-BN’s yoke of oppressive politics. Doped by the propaganda of the Umno-BN media, Indians in Malaysia have been rather docile and servile over the past 50 years, a culture so akin to the exploitive feudalistic system of super capitalism used by the British colonial masters.

For decades, the Indians have accepted what was going on, but dissatisfaction slowly rose and exploded at the Bersih and Hindraf rallies. As we see it, the irreversible change process has been set in motion for the Indians. No amount of fear tactics, propaganda and intimidation is going to reverse this process. Umno-MIC old ways of thinking that Indians will be blindly loyal to the present government has gone obsolete.

With a powerful opposition developed by Anwar Ibrahim, the Indians have realised that only by challenging the establishment , they can get their rights and dues. With Anwar's multiethnic approach, Indians have found a platform to give their support. For the first time, thousands of Indians have bravely come forward to attend Anwar's political ceramah. This is the signal that indicates the Indians are coming of age, maturing and fast realising their rights.

MIC, the stooge of Umno, noted for its "super ampuism" leader is fast losing its ground. The wrath of the Indians have taken its toll, a discarded MIC is in shambles now. Indians are saying their prayers , demanding their rights and God-willing secure their well-being through the ballot.

On Haidar to head royal panel on Lingam tape

Adcin: I refer to the setting up of the royal commission to probe the Lingam tape scandal. After all the huffing and puffing, what should now be obvious to all is that the tape is authentic or rather, that it was impossible to prove its falsity. There is at least a case to answer.

The setting up of the royal commission was therefore more or less forced on our government. It was not due to pressure from the opposition or the public but the concern about the country's standing and how we are perceived in the international community. After all, we want to play with the big boys and Malaysia is supposed to be a model moderate, developing and democratic nation.

The international community would not be interested in whether the tape is authentic or not. Rather, it would be interested if there is any truth in the allegations that our judiciary is tainted with the selective elevating of judges and that cases can be “fixed”. It looks like we don't need to set up a royal commission for that now, do we?

Didn't Pak Lah recently parachute an Umno lawyer without any previous sitting to be the second highest judge in the land, without batting an eyelid? QED (Quod erat demonstrandum) or as they say in school, “Quite easily done. Case closed!”

The commission, with all its intents and purposes, is now a waste of time and taxpayers’ money. Persisting with it will only make us a joke for as long as it goes on. To say that Pak Lah has lost the plot is being very, very kind to the man.

Send your Vox Populi comments to [email protected] .