The five detained leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) detention have denied that there is a split in their ranks.

Malaysiakini reported yesterday that Hindraf secretary T Vasantha Kumar had lodged a police report against legal adviser P Uthayakumar over supposed allegations of misuse of funds. However, the latter’s lawyer N Surendran had urged caution over placing too much faith in such information.

The two, along with V Ganabatirau, M Manoharan and R Kenghadharan, are being held under the Internal Security Act (ISA) at the Kamunting camp in Perak.

Their joint denial was issued when they met today with their lawyers - M Kula Segaran, Karpal Singh, A Sivanesan, S Ponnumugam, M Manogran, T Kumar and Ram Karpal Singh.

In a statement signed by Kula Segaran, the five said: “We are not disunited, we will continue our fight (for betterment of the Indian Malaysian community) and will fast (from Jan 21-28).” (more…)

A police report has been lodged against Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) legal adviser P Uthayakumar by the movement’s secretary T Vasanthakumar over allegations of misuse of funds.

Both Uthayakumar and Vasanthakumar are presently being detained under the Internal Security Act along with three other Hindraf legal advisers at the Kamunting detention centre in Perak.

It is learnt that in the police report which was lodged at the detention centre on Thursday, Vasanthakumar has accused Uthayakumar of allegedly misusing money collected from the public for Hindraf activities.

Uthayakumar’s lawyer N Surendran however when contacted said that the police report and accusation thrown against his client should not be taken seriously.

“Vasanthakumar had lodged the police report under detention and given the circumstances, his accusations cannot be taken seriously as it has no credentials or credibility,” he said in a phone conversation.

Explaining, Surendran said that “Vasanthakumar could have been manipulated by the authorities to lodge the police report after being subjected to severe stress.” (more…)

PRESS STATEMENT

RE : HINDRAF THANKS ITS SUPPORTERS FOR THE FINANCIAL AID FOR ISA DETAINEES.
HINDRAF SUSPENDS COLLECTION OF FUNDS FOR ISA DETAINEES AFTER 30 DAYS.
A NEW LEGAL TEAM AND WORKING COMMITTEE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON.

It has been a month since 5 leaders of HINDRAF were arrested under the Internal Security Act. HINDRAF wishes to thank all its well wishers and supporters who had kindly made contributions for the support of the 5 arrested leaders.

It has come to our attention that HINDRAF’S name has been misused by individuals and large sums of funds were collected in the name of HINDRAF by unauthorized persons and these funds were never channeled to HINDRAF.

In these circumstances we immediately urge all supporters and well wishers of HINDRAF to immediately suspend collection of funds from members of the public either privately or publicly pending further instructions.

We would announce in due course of how to channel funds for the benefit of the ISA detainees.

In the interim we urge all well wishers and supporters to continue to offer prayers nationwide for the immediate release of the ISA detainees.

We are aware that the Police have been intimidating organizers of these prayers but we urge you to bear with the intimidations until we formally submit a complaint to the Human Rights Commission.

P. Waytha Moorthy

Currently in London
CHAIRMAN
HINDRAF.

malaysiakini | Jan 11, 08 12:15pm
An angry PPP president M Kayveas today said that he was going to sue MIC president S Samy Vellu for defaming his party at the recently ended meeting of the Indian diaspora in New Delhi.

He said that Samy Vellu had tarnished PPP’s reputation at a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday without verifying his facts.

“He had told the press conference that a PPP member was there at the international conference to dispute whatever he (Samy Vellu) was saying on the conditions of the Indian community in Malaysia,” Kayveas told Malaysiakini today.

“He went on to suggest that PPP was acting to the detriment of the Barisan Nasional by doing so, and that he would seek action against us,” added the deputy minister in the prime minister’s department.

However Kayveas stressed that PPP had no representatives at the Indian diaspora conference.

“We were not part of his (Samy Vellu’s entourage). He did not invite us. We have never represented the Indian community in any conferences either locally or internationally.

“The Nadarajah he is talking about is not one of our members,” added Kayveas.

Samy Vellu’s press conference

On Wednesday, in an interview to the media in New Delhi, Samy Vellu lashed out at several Malaysians who disputed him when it comes to representing the situation of the Indian community in Malaysia. (more…)

MIC Johor deputy chief and Tenggaroh state assemblyperson S Krishnasamy was gunned down by unidentified assailants at the MIC Johor headquarters this afternoon.

When contacted, his staff confirmed that Krishnasamy, 58, died shortly after the 2pm incident. The politician was shot twice at close range.

Unconfirmed reports claimed that the three-term assemblyperson was shot after two men approached him near a lift in the party headquarters, where Krishnasamy was supposed to attend a meeting.

Krishnasamy, a contractor, leaves behind widow Sornavalli and four children.

He was also elected as a member of MIC’s powerful central working committee in 2000, 2003 and 2006.

Krishnasamy is the second MIC politician to have been shot dead in recent years. In 2000, then Kedah state assemblyperson for Lunas Dr Joe Fernandez was shot dead in Bukit Mertajam by unidentified men.

Contacted later, Kahang (Johor) state assemblyperson S Ramis described Krishnasamy’s death as a great loss to the party.

“He was a bold and daring man who worked hard for his constituents and the Indian community. This is a big loss. He was one of the potential leaders to lead the state MIC,” he said.

If you have made a donation to the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) movement, the police may be knocking on your door soon.

The Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) has sent letters to individuals summoning them to give statements at the Bukit Aman police headquarters over a possible offence of funding a terrorist organisation.

The letter stated that the police are investigating this offence under Section 130N of the Penal Code - the funding of terrorist activities.

If found guilty, the person can be punished with death (if the terrorist act results in death), imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years but not exceeding 30 years and a fine.

“The police believe that you can provide a statement about funds given to Hindraf Enterprise,” read the letter signed by investigating officer ASP Rozeni Ismail.

A donor who received the letter and was quizzed by the police recently said references were made to a RHB bank account registered under the name ‘Hindraf Enterprise’. (more…)

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: waytha moorthy
Date: Jan 9, 2008 9:24 AM
Subject: RE: HINDRAF’S STRUGGLE CONTINUES WITH ROSES
To:

Dear HINDRAF Supporters,

You may all have heard about the “War of Roses” declared by HINDRAF
yesterday. Now the Government would understand that I have not accepted
defeat and HINDRAF’S struggle would continue.

We would continue to peacefully fight for the release our 5 Leaders and
demand that the Government meet our 18 demands submitted to the Prime
Minister in July 2007.

I promise you that 16th Feb 2007 would be an eye opener to the Government
that Indians will never give up their struggle. We have remained silent for
far too long. The Government finds it difficult to digest the fact that
Indians have found strength to voice out their grievances.

So please send the message to all your friends by whatever means possible.
We do not have the support of the media so we have to be independent and
find our own way to spread the news. SMS are powerful tool at this time and
age.

If you have friends overseas I suggest you ask them to organize one at their
respective embassies and consulate offices as well. Never mind if it falls
on Saturday. They can write to the embassy/consulate office to accept on a
Saturday. They will oblige. After all the Roses are meant for the PM How
can they disrespect the PM?

Thank you.

Waytha Moorthy

Chairman

HINDRAF

*waytha@*

8.1.08

NEW DELHI: A Malaysian minister denied on Tuesday that his government had suspended the recruitment of workers from India and Bangladesh.

“I just spoke to my prime minister … There is no truth in the statement released by Reuters … It’s not true means everything is status quo,” Works Minister S. Samy Vellu, the only ethnic Indian member of the cabinet, told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in New Delhi.

“Indian workers are already there. When it is needed, they are welcome.”

Earlier, a Malaysian Home Ministry official had said that the cabinet had decided about two weeks ago to freeze the intake of workers from India and Bangladesh.

Other ministry officials had then confirmed the ban but gave no reason. About an hour before his denial, Vellu had said the country had enough foreign workers.

“The government decided it is enough and we don’t want to recruit any more because we have enough workers,” he told Reuters at the conference.

“Is it wrong?” the minister’s press secretary later said those comments should be “disregarded”, saying they were made before the minister had adequate information.

Relations between India and Malaysia have been hurt by recent allegations of discrimination against the ethnic Indian community in this Southeast Asian country.

Ethnic Indians staged a mass anti-government protest in November, alleging that the authorities had sidelined the community under an affirmative action policy that favours the majority ethnic Malays.

Some Indian politicians, including Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, voiced concern for the ethnic Indians. Around 7 percent of Malaysia’s 26 million people are ethnic Indians, whose forefathers were brought over as labourers by British colonial rulers.

JD says:”Sam,please dont make a fool of yourself in a foreign country like India where the newspapers will report accurately what you have said.Denials and edited version of you shooting your gap before you have all the facts can only be done with the government controlled media of Malaysia”.