Indians Should Just Leave Gerakan

http://malaysiakini.com/letters/91692

Sivaperumal, P Velaendan and K Praba | Oct 21, 08 4:00pm

Our dear Gerkan leaders,
First of all we would like to congratulate everyone including Dr Koh Tsu Koon as Gerakan president, Deputy President Chang Ko Youn, Vice-Presidents Mah Siew Keong, Dr S. Vijayaratnam and Huan Cheng Guan and fellow Gerakan central committee members.
We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr Teng Hock Nan who is now the president of the 'Chinese-controlled' Penang Gerakan.
Hence, we would clearly like to put down here that we, together with other fellow members, are totally disappointed with the way Gerakan has treated its Indian members in Penang.

Tan Sri Dr Koh and Dr Teng, we would like you to recall the meeting held among Indian leaders at our party headquarters in Penang after the 12th general election. At that particular meeting, both of you promised to give Indians more opportunities at the top level of the party.
Lately, even during the national delegates conference, you asked members to vote for all races but you failed to act. It has been proven that the top leadership of Gerakan has failed to look into making Gerakan multiracial. Being multiracial is just a political gimmick.

We would also like to touch on the press statement by Huan Cheng Guan that more chances in Gerakan should be given to Indians and the failure to appoint A Mohan to a top party post in Penang shows that the current state leadership is biased.
For your information, Mohan has been a Gerakan member for 20 years while we have been Gerakan's men for the past 28 years. Till now, Gerakan has failed to appoint any long-serving Indian to the party’s top leadership. What a shame.
We would also like to take to task the party administration and membership bureau for failing to recruit or rather failing to accept and register new Indian members. In 2005, we submitted 60 over forms for a new branch in Penang and another 300 plus forms for another branch.

But during the last branch level AGM when we checked, to my shock all of the names were missing. Indians who wanted to join Gerakan in 2005 were disappointed with the way Gerakan handled their membership applications and with the attitude of party’s top leaders.

Friends of ours who had good representation and good ground work records intended to contest for branch youth chairpersons’ posts and later at he division and state level but could not do so. This shows that Gerakan is indirectly killing the political career of capable individuals.

Everyone is thinking that our boys are Gerakan members, but it's a shame that we are actually not due to the carelessness and bad intentions of the party’s top leadership. If all these allegations of ours are not true and if the top leadership is sincere, the newly elected Penang Gerakan chairperson would have appointed Indians to top posts.

He instead gave a sarcastic statement that Indians will be appointed as certain bureau chairpersons. We are more capable than being just bureau chairperons. We are dare to say that if all membership of Indians are accepted, there will be more top Indian leaders in Gerakan today.
Whenever there is a new proposed Gerakan branch with many Indian members, the branch takes time to get approved. We’re saying this from our very own experience for we would have had our own branch since 2005 if all my submitted member applications were accepted.

Gerakan should accept the challenge by Huan Cheng Guan to recruit more non-Chinese into the national Gerakan committee as secretary-general, assistant secretary-general, treasurer and assistant treasurer and also to the central committee and central working committee.

But we bet the top Gerakan leadership including the 'de facto president' will not do this. To all my fellow Indian members, we have been saying we love Gerakan and we are Satu Hati but if the leadership now fails to make changes, we should walk out. It doesn't mean we have to jump to another party, but walking out will be a big slap for Gerakan.

It will prove to 26 million Malaysians that Gerakan has failed to prove themselves as a multiracial party. We've got offers to join some other component party from BN but our love for Gerakan is true and I hope Gerakan leaders will open their eyes once for all and make the changes.

With the young blood that has been given the mandate to lead the party’s top leadership, I hope these leaders will make the changes. Certain former and current leaders are trying to control and select their cronies for the top leadership and we have to put an end to this.

If Gerakan is not willing to appoint Indians to top posts in Penang and at the national level, then it is a clear indication that for the next general election, no state or parliament seat will be given to us.

Saudara/saudari its time for us to wake up and make a stand on this. Satu Hati.

'Racist' Teacher Deserves Sterner Lesson

The MIC Youth education bureau is irked by how a teacher who hurled stinging racial remarks at her students had been let off the hook. The 35-year-old teacher had since been transferred to a smart school located closer to her house, but the bureau argued that this was not a form of punishment at all.

MCPX

"This is an issue which touches on racial sentiments. It does not involve an individual but refers to a large number of Indian students. "The teacher’s apology to the students and parents involved is not the best solution and does not diminish the gravity of her action," he said.

"Transferring (to another school) is not a form of punishment or harsh (enough) punishment for a teacher who crossed the boundaries," he added.

Police reports lodged
Earlier this month, two students from SMK Telok Panglima Garang in Hulu Langat filed police reports against the history teacher.

They revealed that the teacher had called Indian students 'keling pariah', 'Negro' and 'black monkeys', amongst other derogatory names.

In the reports, the Form Four and Form Five students said the teacher also told students during class that 'Indians came from dogs', Indians are 'children of prostitutes' and the community is 'stupid'. She also supposedly stated that the community's youths 'do not have testicles', 'always menstruate' and indulge in 'thuggery and theft'. He said the teacher had tarnished the dignity and professionalism of her profession and therefore was not qualified to be an educator. He also quoted Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong as saying during an interview that if the teacher was found guilty, stern action such as even dismissal would be taken.

"Transferring (her) to another school is not a stern action as promised," said Saravanan.

The education bureau chief also stated that the teacher must open apologise to all quarters through the media. He also noted that other teachers might do the same thing in order to get transfers to another school. The statement also revealed that the points raised by the bureau were endorsed by the parents and residents in the area.

Minister must explain
In a related development, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang described the incident as the latest episode to mar the 51^st Merdeka celebrations in less than three weeks time. The Ipoh Timur MP said it highlighted the many failures in nation-building despite the government budgeting tens of millions of ringgit for this occasion.

"Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein should explain to Parliament, the nation and the voters of Permatang Pauh why the Education Ministry is condoning the unforgivable misbehaviour of a history teacher who repeatedly made racist, derogatory and even unprintable slurs against Indian students and the Indian community in class.

"By giving the delinquent teacher a "better deal" for her disgraceful misbehaviour, the Education Ministry is sending out a wrong and completely unacceptable message to all teachers as well as making a total mockery the legitimate protests of the parents and the Coalition of Malaysians Indian NGOs who had protested against the teacher's misconduct," he said in a statement.

The opposition politician also asked if Hishammuddin was unfit to demand that teachers should be exemplary model Malaysians to the new generation of students rising above race and religion when he himself has failed so miserably on this score with his three "keris-wielding" episodes.

A letter was sent to the Minister, Deputy, The School HM and PIBG Chairman. Please refer below or Letters folder.


Source : Malaysiakini
http://malaysiakini.com/news/87628

Olympic Fireworks Faked For TV

LONDON, Aug 12 — The global television audience of more than three billion people watched in amazement as a series of giant footprints outlined in fireworks proceeded through the night sky from Tiananmen Square to the Bird's Nest stadium — except they were watching a computer animation. Even the giant television screens within the stadium itself broadcast the fake images. Stunned viewers thought they were watching the string of fireworks filmed from above by a helicopter. But in reality they were watching a 3D graphics sequence that took almost a year to produce.It even included a “camera shake” to mimic the effect of filming from a helicopter. The dupe was revealed by China's Beijing Times. Speaking to the paper, the man responsible for the animation said he was pleased with the result.

"Seeing how it worked out, it was still a bit too bright compared to the actual fireworks," Gao Xiaolong told the newspaper. "But most of the audience thought it was filmed live — so that was mission accomplished.' The designers even added some haziness to simulate the polluted Beijing skyline. Broadcasters around the world had no choice but to show the footage because it all came from one feed provided by Beijing Olympic Broadcasting — the organisation responsible for filming the games.

The ceremony has also been strongly criticised by architect Ai Weiwei, who helped design the Bird's Nest stadium. Writing on his blog, Ai described the ceremony as "a recycling of the rubbish of fake classical culture tradition; a sacrilegious visual garbage dump and an insult to the spirit of liberty; low-class sound play that's just noise pollution". He was directly critical of China's ruling communist party, characterising the ceremony as "a showcase of the reincarnation of the Marxist imperialism; the ultimate paragon of an all embracing culture of fascist totalitarianism; an encyclopaedia that encompasses total defeat in intellectual spirit." Ai helped design the stadium alongside Swiss architect firm Herzog and de Meuron. But since then, he has become an outspoken blogger against the Olympics and the Chinese regime. Unusually, he has not been censored by the authorities. The organisers said that the footprint fireworks were there for real, but thought it unsafe to try to film them — so they recreated them instead.

From SkyNews

Review Fuel Prices Twice A Month

Gerakan has called on the Government to review and adjust domestic fuel prices twice a month instead of once a month as announced earlier. Its acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the prices should be adjusted on the first and fifteenth of the month because world fuel prices fluctuated quickly and substantially. He also said that A more frequent adjustment will enable the benefits of price reduction to be transmitted to and benefited by all consumers.

Bar Council Defends Decision To Hold Weekend Forum

It was supposed to be a Bar Council forum on Sedition Act but the dominant topic was Saturday's rowdy demonstration by a group of Muslim protesters who forced the Conversion to Islam forum to shut down. Panelists and participants agreed on one thing — the decision to hold Saturday's forum was right because it was timely and important to address a very problematic issue. Panelist HR Dipendra said the council should have been more careful in choosing the topic for the forum, in order not to be seen as provocative. "I checked in every blog that protested against the forum and they just talk about conversion to Islam and it ends there," said the lawyer. Although he believed there was no need for the organiser to apologise to anyone as the forum was timely and suitable, it was a question of "packaging the product".

Lecturer Wong Chin Huat saw the issue from a different perspective, arguing that the protest was a reflection of a competition among three Malay-based parties — Pas, Umno and Parti Keadilan Rakyat. He said Some leaders or members of the three parties feel the need to out-Islamise each other. While Lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar who was also one of the speakers said the actions by the protesters should not be interpreted as the view of the majority, as the 300 protesters who were outside protesting do not represent the majority Muslims or Islam.

Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan defended her decision to end Saturday's forum earlier, saying that the safety and security of everyone in the hall was the organiser's responsibility. On Saturday, protesters from various Muslim organisations gathered outside the Bar Council building to oppose a forum to discuss conflict in family law arising from conversion of one party to Islam. The forum which was supposed to end at 1pm abruptly ended a little before 10am. Meanwhile, Sisters in Islam issued a statement to protest the extreme actions by Muslim NGOs and political parties in halting the forum, as well as to condemn the throwing of Molotov cocktail at Ambiga's former house and planting of two kerosene bombs in front of the Bar Council office. They said such violent acts only give a bad image of Muslims and Malaysian society surely does not tolerate these extremist or terrorist actions, the police should not have bowed to the aggressive tactics that forced the abrupt termination of a peaceful and mature dialogue.

According to SIS, many Muslim lawyers and Muslim participants supported the dialogue and did not regard the forum as insulting or challenging Islam. The group also said Dr Naim Mokhtar who is Syarie Prosecutor for Federal Territory's Islamic Affairs Department and former Syariah High Court judge and Dr. Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad the Director of the Syariah Law and Political Science Centre and Senior Fellow of the Institute for Islamic Understanding of Malaysia had agreed to be the panelists for the forum but pulled out at the eleventh hour. The fact was that based on the programme, three of the five panelists were Muslims. SIS was disappointed with political parties that championed human rights and freedom of speech as they had failed to practise what they preach and they have acted against their own manifesto, promised to the people, in the last general election."

Olyimpics

BEIJING, Aug 11 - Malaysia shuttler Wong Choon Hann enter third round of the men's singles Badminton Olympic games in Beijing after defeating Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat 21-19, 21-16 tonight.

Aduan Kepada Menteri Pelajaran Terhadap Guru Sekolah SMK Telok Panglima Garang, Selangor Yang Kurang Ajar.

Kepada,
Menteri Pelajaran YB Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein
Pejabat Menteri Pelajaran,
Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia,
Aras 10, Blok E8,
Kompleks Kerajaan Parcel E,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan
62604 PUTRAJAYA

Pejabat Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran,
Y.B. IR. DR. WEE KA SIONG
Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia,
Aras 9, Blok E8,
Kompleks Kerajaan Parcel E,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan
62604 PUTRAJAYA

Yang Berhormat Dato Seri / Yang Berhormat Dr,

ADUAN TERHADAP GURU SEKOLAH MENENGAH KEBANGSAAN TELOK PAGLIMA GARANG, KUALA LANGAT SELANGOR YANG KURANG AJAR.

Semoga Yang Berhormat Dato Seri / Yang Berhormat Dr, sentiasa dikurniakan keberkatan dan hidayah dalam melaksanakan tugas harian di samping beroleh kesejahteraa. Dengan segala hormatnya perkara diatas dan keratan akhbar The Star Online bertarikh 4hb Ogos 2008 adalah dirujuk.

Seperti yang pihak Yang Berhormat Dato Seri / Yang Berhormat Dr sedia maklum, seorang guru dari sekolah yang disebutkan diatas telah bertindak serta berkelakuan seperti orang yang kurang siuman dengan mencerca dan menghina Kaum India. Penggunaan perkataan – perkataan ‘KELING PARIAH, NEGRO, dan MONYET HITAM ’. Guru tersebut juga telah menulis perkataan Keling Pariah di papan hitam bilik darjah. Kami masyarakat India di kawasan ini amat kecewa dan AMAT TIDAK BERPUAS HATI dengan kata kata yang dikeluarkan termasuk seperti :-

i) Orang India datang / lahir dari anjing

ii) Kaum India Bodoh dan kearah gangesterism serta kecurian

ii) Kanak – kanak India adalah anak pelacur

iv) Pemuda India tiada telur

Saya cukup musykil apakah guru tersebut mengalami masalah mental atau sakit jiwa. Tiada seorang pun manusia waras akan berkelakuan sebegitu rupa. Apakah guru tersebut tidak sedar bahawa kita bermaustatin di sebuah Negara majmuk dangan pelbagai kaum, agama dan bangsa. Tidakan guru tersebut dapat memberi perspeksi negative terhadap guru – guru sekolah, Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah, Pejabat Pendidikan Negeri sekaligus seluruh Kementerian Pelajaran termasuk Menteri dan Timbalan Menterinya.

Untuk makluman Yang Berhormat Dato Seri / Yang Berhormat Dr lagi, kami sebagai pemimpin masyarakat tempatan dan juga dari ahli sebuah parti komponen BN terpakasa menjawab kepada masyarakat di peringkat akar umbi. Sudah pasti sesiapa pun yang akan berasa terkilan dengan kata – kata kesat yang telah dikeluarkan oleh seorang guru yang menghadapi masalah mental.

Oleh yang demikian, berasaskan, rungutan dan aduan serta ketidak puasan masyarakat India, satu tindakan drastik perlu diambil terhadap guru tersebut. Kewajaran tindakan bukan harus menjurus atau berdasar kepada kaum India sahaja malahan kepada seluruh warga Negara ini yang hidup aman diantara satu sama lain. Apalah ertinya berbangga dan bermegah dengan usaha mencapai Wawasan 2020 apabila terdapat duri dalam daging di kalangan kita yang ingin menghancurkan keamanan dan kemakmuran Negara. Kursus – kursus, iklan, seminar ‘BUDI BAHASA, BUDAYA KITA’ yang dijalankan oleh Kerajaan perlu diterapkan kepada bukan sahaja gugu – guru baru malahan kepada mereka yang sudah berkhidmat untuk sesuatu masa.

Semoga pihak Yang Berhormat Dato Seri / Yang Berhormat Dr, akan mengambil tindakan yang menjurus kearah mengembalikan kepercayan rakyat terhadap Kementerian Pelajaran dan Kerajaan. Sekian.

Terima Kasih

Yang Benar,
Prabakaran A/L Krishnan PJM & Velaendan A/L Pakiry PJM

s.k

Y. Bhg Huan Cheng Guan
Pengerusi BN Batu Kawan Merangkap Setiausaha Eksekuitif BNBBC


Nordin Bin Saad
Pengetua
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Telok Panglima Garang
Kuala Langat
42500, Selangor Darul Ehsan


Pengerusi PIBG
Y.Bhg Dato’ Hj Sulaiman b Hj Karli
Kuala Langat
42500, Selangor Darul Ehsan

Source : The Star
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/4/nation/20080804174525&sec=nation
http://malaysiakini.com/news/87278