Perlembagaan tidak jamin hak Orang Asal Semenanjung

Dari Harakah Ahli Parlimen Gombak, Mohamed Azmin Ali menegaskan, kedudukan Orang Asal di Semenanjung Malaysia tidak akan terjamin pada masa akan datang sekiranya hak mereka tidak dimasukkan dalam tafsiran Perkara 153 dan Perkara 160 Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Azmin ketika mengemukakan soalan tambahan dalam sesi soal jawab lisan di Dewan Rakyat hari ini berkata, tiada langsung peruntukan dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan yang menjamin kepentingan Orang Asal di Semenanjung walhal mereka merupakan kaum pribumi yang telah lama menetap di negara ini. Menurutnya, Fasal (2) Perkara 160 hanya menafsirkan Orang Asli adalah Orang Asli Semenanjung Tanah Melayu manakala dalam artikel 153 Perlembagaan Persekutuan, ianya hanya merangkumi Melayu dan Bumiputera Sabah dan Sarawak sahaja. “Perdebatan yang berlaku pada hari ini ialah pengiktirafan Orang Asli sebagai Bumiputera berdasarkan takrifan Orang Asli yang termaktub dalam Fasal (2) Perkara 160 Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan juga keperluan memaktubkan secara jelas kedudukan istimewa Orang Asli sebagai Bumiputera dalam artikel 153,” kata beliau yang juga Naib Presiden PKR. Sehubungan itu, Azmin meminta kerajaan menyatakan pendirian sama ada bersedia untuk memasukkan hak Orang Asli di Semenanjung ke dalam Perlembagaan. “Adakah kerajaan bersedia untuk mengambil satu tindakan yang berani dan bertanggungjawab untuk menjamin kedudukan Orang Asli dan sekiranya tidak apakah alasan yang akan diberikan oleh kementerian? “Kalau orang Turki yang duduk di Sembrong boleh dijamin oleh Perlembagaan dan diterima oleh Umno sebagai pemimpin tertinggi, kalau orang Jawa di Bagan Datuk boleh dijamin oleh Perlembagaan, kalau orang lanun di Semporna boleh termaktub dalam Perlembagaan, mengapa Orang Asli ini tidak dijamin dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan?” soalnya disambut gelak tawa beberapa ahli Parlimen. Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak di perhimpunan agung Umno minggu lepas ada menyebut tiga bangsa itu dengan merujuk kepada tiga naib presiden iaitu Datuk Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein dan Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal yang mempunyai darah bangsa tersebut. Pada 19 Oktober lalu, Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia menolak usul tergempar mengenai pengiktirafan kedudukan peribumi Orang Asli sebagai Bumiputera yang dibawa oleh Ahli Parlimen Telok Kemang, Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas. Timbalan Menteri Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah, Datuk Hasan Malek (BN-Kuala Pilah) dalam jawapannya bagaimanapun mendakwa Azmin cuba mempolitikkan isu tersebut. Sebelum itu, Azmin dalam soalan asalnya meminta menteri menyatakan jumlah peruntukan bajet yang disalurkan kepada Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA) sepanjang dua tahun lalu. Beliau juga meminta menteri menyenaraikan kesemua program yang telah dijalankan oleh JHEOA berserta pecahan bajet yang digunakan sepanjang dua tahun lepas.

Pekan Orang Asli: Najib sold us out

Sunday, 10 October 2010 10:32 Philip Ho E-mail Print PDF Kuala Lumpur, Oct 9 - Tok Batin Mohamad Udin Pakpek of Kampung Permatang Keledang in Pekan, Pahang has questioned Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's inaction against FELDA and FELCRA's constant encroachment into Orang Asli ancestral land in Pekan. OrangAsli101010a "It is his hometown. He is the Prime Minister now. He is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pekan. Why didn't he protect us?" Mohamad Udin said during the Impact of Orang Asli Land Policies public forum, conducted by Bar Council of Malaysia earlier yesterday evening. The Bar Council had organized a public forum regarding the impact of the proposed amendments to the current Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 by Jabatan Hal-Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA) which gives the federal government absolute rights in land ownership and land usage. "They (FELDA and FELCRA) quietly shifted the border of our land several times, claiming that the land belonged to the Malay reserve. "I was an ex-officer at JHEOA before they sacked me in 1983 for protecting the rights of Orang Asli. They are supposed to help the Orang Asli but all they have done is destroy the Orang Asli's livelihood. When I opposed them, they sacked me. "Ever since I joined the Network of Orang Asli Villages (NOAV) and worked closely with Tijah, I have received several warnings from certain parties to stop doing that. I already have one foot in the grave, so I'm not afraid of their threats. I will continue to fight for our rights," said a defiant Mohamad Udin. Mohamad Udin is one of some twenty Tok Batins (village heads) present today at the forum with about 192 Orang Asli from 7 different states - Selangor, Perak, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Kelantan and Johor who also turned up to make their voices heard. Tok Batin Perat Dolah from Kampung Banting, Kuala Langat, Selangor also slammed JHEOA for disregarding the prime minister's directive and their own mandate to protect the Orang Asli. "PM asked them to protect us but they have oppressed us instead. They are not even here. What are their priorities," said Perat adding that JHEOA had totally snubbed the public forum. Klik4Malaysia (K4M) had earlier reported that an Orang Asli by the name of Panjang Tangkak had been arrested four times by the authorities for allegedly selling state-owned palm-oil produce. Panjang, who is from Kampung Mikang, located in Rompin, Pahang, told K4M that the government suddenly came and took away all 12 acres of his land without informing him or giving him any form of compensation. Sokyen from NOAV who hails from Gombak also chided certain Tok Batin who feared the JHEOA and authorities while urging the Orang Asli in Selangor to unite. "You have fought tigers and elephants to protect your people and your land. Why are you afraid of them (JHEOA)? The tigers can swallow you whole and yet you fight it but why do you cower in front of the authorities?" he asked. Sokyen also formally requested assistance from the Selangor government to allocate 10 acres of land for the Orang Asli to use as the Peninsular's central meeting point. "Selangor is situated somewhere in the middle so I think that this is the best place for all the 18 tribes to gather for meetings and discussions or even hold an event," he explained. ElizabethWong101010Selangor state representative Elizabeth Wong (pic left), who is also the state's Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Environment Committee Chairperson said that she would definitely take up the Orang Asli request in the upcoming EXCO meeting. She then told the Orang Asli that the Selangor state government would do whatever possible to protect over 15,000 Orang Asli who are currently residing in the state. "After two and a half years in power, we have yet to give away any land belonging to the Orang Asli to private corporations and developers. The existing cases that we are working on are due to the former government's (Barisan Nasional) actions," said Wong. Wong then explained that due to the former state government's aggressiveness in giving out land to private corporations and developers, up to 70% of the land in Selangor was now owned by the private sector. She reiterated that the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government's stand was protecting the seventy Orang Asli villages in the state, together with their customary land. Wong also asked the Orang Asli to be patient as the state government was facing various hurdles as both JHEOA and also the National Land Council have refused to assist the state government in gazetting the Orang Asli customary land. "We are now drawing our own map with a handheld GPS and have almost completed mapping out the Sepang area. We have also set a target to complete gazetting 30% of the customary land in Selangor by end of the year," she added.ColinNicholas101010 Dr Colin Nicholas (pic right), a Coordinator from the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) urged the Orang Asli to be more aware of their predicament. "They are taking away all your lands and then giving you back a small piece of it. On top of that, they want to control what you do with that small piece of land that was 'given' to you. It doesn't have to be this way. Look at the Adong Kuwau case and the Sagong Tasi case. The government had to pay compensation. You have your rights. This is why they want to amend the Act, to take away all your rights," Dr Colin explained. He then reminded Orang Asli that although they can challenge the federal government in court, or lobby and protest the proposed amendments or even draft a new law that will protect their rights, the best option for the Orang Asli was to protect themselves by changing the federal government. Meanwhile, Bar Council Committee Member on Orang Asli Rights, Augustine Anthony, condemned the original Act, calling it unconstitutional while labeling the proposed amendments an even greater violation of the Orang Asli rights. AugustineAnthony101010"There are 19 sections in the Act. If they are amending all of it, they might as well throw it into the dustbin," he said while questioning the logic behind the full revamp. He then highlighted several clauses where the Rural and Regional Development Minister holds absolute power in determining the identity of an Orang Asli and also the appointment of the Tok Batin. "Since when do we need a Minister to tell us who we are? The Orang Asli knows who they are so why should they need a Minister to prove their identity? "And since when do Ministers appoint village heads? Why can't the Orang Asli choose their own leaders?" said Augustine. "It would seem like democracy applies to all except for the Orang Asli. The Bar Council wants the federal government to repeal the Act and pass a new legislation that will really protect the interests of the Orang Asli," he said in conclusion. Augustine was one of the four panel members involved in the forum, representing the Bar Council while he was joined by Wong who represented the Selangor state government and also Dr Colin who represented COAC. Although the Bar Council had invited the minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Seri Mohamad Shafie Apdal to represent the federal government, he was unable to attend.

Orang Asli gear up for gov't compensation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsH9y2oijLw

Himpunan Orang Asal Pahang

Dimaklumkan satu Himpunan/Konvensyen Orang Asal Pahang anjuran Biro Orang Asal Parti Keadilan Rakyat Negeri Pahang adakan diadakan seperti berikut:

Tarikh : 7 Ogos 2010 (Sabtu) Tempat : Sek. agama Al Mukmin, Jalan Temerloh-Mentakab (belakang Pasaraya Cowboy) Masa : 8.30 pagi- 10 Malam Ini merupakan yang pertama diadakan bagi Zon Tengah dimana ia akan disusuli oleh Zon Barat dan Zon Timur pada peringkat seterusnya. Beberapa kertas kerja akan diadakan pada hari tersebut. Ia akan dirasmikan oleh President KEADILAN, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. DIJEMPUT SEMUA HADIR

Akta Orang Asli dipinda tanpa perbincangan?

Salhan K Ahmad & Gavaskar Brian Raj Jul 2, 10 10:23am

Siri jelajah untuk menerangkan Dasar Pemberimilikan Tanah kepada Orang Asli telahpun berakhir dan pindaan Akta Orang Asli (Akta 134) dijangka akan dibentangkan pada sesi parlimen yang sedang berlangsung. Namun, draf pindaan berkenaan setakat ini masih belum dibekalkan kepada masyarakat Orang Asli untuk dinilai, kata seorang pemimpin Persatuan Siswazah Orang Asli (PSOA), Bob Manolan. Beliau memberi contoh, satu program penerangan yang dilakukan Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA) di Kuantan pada 6 Mac lalu, yang dihadiri sehingga 80 orang tok batin dan anggota jawatankuasa kemajuan kampung Orang Asli di negeri itu. "Penerangan itu lebih kepada satu input yang diberikan oleh JHEOA, di mana mereka akan ceritakan kebaikannya sahaja -- kenapa mereka perlu pinda Akta Orang Asli dan kepentingannya kepada Orang Asli. "Tetapi pada akhirnya, bila batin minta satu draf cadangan itu, mereka pun tak ada. Pihak JHEOA tiada draf itu. Cuma mereka kata, 'kita akan pinda, beri tanah kepada isi rumah dua hingga enam ekar.' " Tapi yang lain-lain tidak disebut. Tanah mana yang hendak diberi, adakah tanah yang kita duduk sekarang atau tanah yang baru. Yang saya tahu, program jelajah sudah berakhir, dan sepatutnya draf cadangan sudah siap." katanya yang juga pengerusi biro Orang Asal PKR Pahang. Menurut Bob, draf tersebut sepatutnya diserahkan kepada NGO Orang Asli untuk dikaji bagi membolehkan mereka membuat rujukan dengan majlis peguam, khususnya berkaitan pindaan Akta 134. Tambahnya, pemimpin PSOA juga sebelum ini diumumkan akan menyertai majlis rundingan dengan JHEOA untuk mendapatkan input daripada masyarakat Orang Asli dalam memperbaiki Dasar Pemberimilikan Tanah berkenaan. Perkara itu diumumkan oleh Menteri Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal selepas beliau menerima bantahan daripada sekumpulan 2,000 Orang Asli yang berdemonstrasi di Putrajaya. Ia diumumkan selepas beliau menemui anggota PSOA ketika Konvensyen Tanah dan Akta Orang Asli 2010, anjuran persatuan itu, juga pada 6 Mac lalu. Turut dijemput pada majlis rundingan berkenaan ialah NGO yang mewakili Orang Asli, termasuk Persatuan Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia (POASM), Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia (JKOASM) serta golongan cendekiawan daripada masyarakat tersebut. "Tapi saya sudah semak dengan presiden POASM, beliau juga belum lagi hadiri apa-apa perbincangan. Memang jawatankuasa itu telah ditubuhkan tapi belum dipanggil untuk buat perbincangan," kata Bob. Kebimbangan utama yang ditimbulkan oleh masyarakat Orang Asli berhubung pindaan akta tersebut ialah keluasan tanah yang diusahakan dan didiami oleh mereka sekarang. "Dari cadangan (dasar tersebut), tanah yang telah diusahakan sekarang akan dibahagi bahagikan lagi. Ia akan dipecah kepada hanya (seluas) dua hingga enam ekar (untuk setiap ketua isi rumah). Cadangan itu bagaimanapun tidak mengambil kira kawasan tanah adat dan tanah rayau, menurut seorang anggota POASM, Yusri Ahon. Jel as Yusri, tanah adat merupakan kawasan pertanian yang diusahakan secara nomad oleh Orang Asli, manakala kawasan tanah rayau merupakan kawasan untuk memburu dan mengutip hasil hutan. Katanya lagi, kawasan berkenaan sepatutnya kekal menjadi milik Orang Asli memandangkan mereka bukan saja telah menjalankan aktiviti mereka di situ sejak sekian lama, malah turut mengebumikan saudara-mara mereka di kawasan berkenaan. Sekiranya kawasan tanah ini tidak diambil kira, beliau menganggarkan antara 50 hingga 80 peratus kawasan Orang Asli yang akan 'hilang,' katanya lagi yang juga merupakan seorang pemimpin akar umbi PKR di Jerantut, Pahang.

Akhirnya...RM6.5 juta untuk Sagong Tasi, rakan

Akhirnya...RM6.5 juta untuk Sagong Tasi, rakan

Hafiz Yatim, Malaysiakini.com Mei 26, 10 11:28am

Selepas 15 tahun, tujuh orang daripada suku Temuan memperoleh pampasan RM6.5 juta daripada kerajaan persekutuan untuk tanah adat yang diambil bagi membina sebuah lebuh raya ke Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) di Sepang. Dalam kes bersejarah ini, Mahkamah Persekutuan hari ini mencatatkan satu penyelesaian antara mereka dan kerajaan persekutuan yang mengiktiraf hak Orang Asli terhadap tanah adatnya di Bukit Tampoi, Dengkil. Sebanyak 38 ekar tanah adat itu telah diambil oleh kerajaan pusat bagi membina sebuah lebuh raya ke KLIA tanpa sebarang pampasan. Mahkamah itu membenarkan penyelesaian tersebut dicatatkan hari ini setelah kerajaan pusat dan kerajaan Selangor bersetuju membayar papasan tersebut kepada Sagong Tasi. Sagong, 78, dan enam yang lain (dua daripada mereka telah meninggal dunia) daripada suku Temuan memfailkan saman terhadap kerajaan persekutuan, kerajaan Selangor dan Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM) dan kontraktor United Engineers Malaysia Bhd (UEM) ke mahkamah mengenai perkara itu. Kebuntuan hanya selesai apabila pada 22 April tahun lalu, kerajaan Selangor yang dipimpin Pakatan Rakyat menarik dari daripada mencabar kes Sagong. Bagaimanapun kerajaan persekutuan dan pihak lain berjaya mendapatkan perintah penangguhan. Pada 12 April 2002, hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Shah Alam, Mohd Noor Ahmad mengarahkan kedua-dua kerajaan persekutuan dan negeri, MHA dan UEM membayar pampasan kepada Sagong Tasi dan enam yang lain akibat kehilangan tanah mereka itu.

I’m part Orang Asli and proud of it

I’m part Orang Asli and proud of it

NO HOLDS BARRED

Sunday, 11 April 2010 Super Admin

Hindraf has to wake up. If they do not wish to work with Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat then they will have to go solo. And going solo means it is a dead end road. So Hindraf has to choose its ally. It can’t go to war with the entire world. It has to seek a friend somewhere and get this friend to support its cause.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

My grandmother on my father’s side is Tengku Badariah binti al-Marhum Sultan Ala' eddin Suleiman Shah (3 September 1896 - 11 February 1937), elder sister to HRH Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah ibni al-Marhum Sultan Ala'eddin Suleiman Shah (13 May 1898 - 1 September 1960), the Sixth Sultan of Selangor.

My great grandfather on my father’s side is HRH Sultan Ala' eddin Suleiman Shah ibni al-Marhum Raja Muda Musa, the Fifth Sultan of Selangor (1863 - 3 April 1938). And my great grandmother, the second wife of HRH Sultan Ala' eddin Suleiman Shah, is Hasnah binti Pelong, an Orang Asli.

This means the present Sultan of Selangor and I am both part Orang Asli -- and of course part Bugis. This also makes me the abang (elder) to the present Sultan. And that was why the late Sultan used to address my late father as Abang Din.

I know the Sultan is damned pissed with me. He feels I have not given him and the Perak Sultan the due respect as Sultans. Maybe the Sultan has forgotten that he is adek (younger) to me while I am the abang. His father used to call my father Abang Din. So the Sultan should call me Abang Pete. And I do not need to pay homage to him at the palace, although I used to. He should come to my house for Hari Raya instead. That is the Malay way.

No one can dispute the fact that I have Orang Asli, Bugis, Malay, and of course Welsh blood running through my veins. That makes me more Bumiputera than even Ibrahim Ali and all those activists from Perkasa. I doubt many of them can claim to have Orang Asli blood.

I suppose that is why I am what I am. A combination of Orang Asli, Bugis and Welsh blood is a very potent combination indeed. The Orang Asli, Bugis and Welsh are all very proud of their lineage. Call a Bugis person Malay and you would get a keris in your belly. They are Bugis and proud of it. Call a Welsh an Englishman and he would send you to your Maker. They are Welsh first and British second.

The Welsh Parliament even refuses to conduct its business in the English language. It is conducted in Welsh, the Brythonic branch of the Celtic language spoken only in Wales. In fact, more than 20% of the Welsh people speak Welsh and not English.

Anyway, the point to all this is that if there is one person who should be proud of his bangsa (race) then it should be me. Who can claim to be more Bumiputera than me, a person with Orang Asli blood? But I am prepared to put aside the pride of my bangsa and instead accept that I am Malaysian first and all others second. It appears, however, that many Malaysians would rather fight for their bangsa than for all Malaysians.

I remember once having a conversation with a PKR Indian leader who is also a town councillor for Kelang. He was lamenting about how Pakatan Rakyat reneged on its promises to look after Indian interests and now that it is the Selangor government the Indians are being neglected. There are not enough Indian representatives in the government, he complained. There were two or three other Indians in the group.

I asked him why he is bitching so much and whether he is Indian, to which he replied of course he is.

I told him to then go back to India and not grumble so much about the Selangor State Government.

He was shocked and for a while was speechless and did not know how to react. “How can you make such a racist statement?” he asked me.

I am not being racial, I replied. I had in fact anticipated he would say that. "You yourself said you are Indian. A person from Germany is German. A person from Italy is Italian. A person from France is French. A person from China is Chinese. So if you are Indian then you must be from India. So go back to India if you are not happy in Malaysia."

He then understood where I was coming from and quickly said that he is Malaysian, not Indian, but a Malaysian of Indian roots.

Okay, I replied, if you are Malaysian then why are you grumbling that there are not enough Indian representatives in the Selangor government. Can’t I, Raja Petra Kamarudin, a Malay, be your Indian representative?

“How can?” he said. “What if an Indian were to become the representative of the Malays? Can you accept that?”

“I can and already have,” I replied.

He looked very puzzled. He did not know what I meant. “I don’t understand,” he said.

“For 22 years we had an Indian as our Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Did you ever see me complain? Sure, I opposed Dr Mahathir. But I opposed him because of how he ran this country and not because he is Indian. In all those years that I wrote criticising Dr Mahathir I never once referred to him as Indian. I always addressed him as Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad. I never once raised his race as an issue.”

My Indian friend from PKR had nothing more to say. He said goodbye and walked off.

The Indians are too conscious of the fact that they are Indians. They want to be accorded equal treatment but refuse to also treat others as equals. They keep talking about Indian this and Indian that, never Malaysian this or Malaysian that.

I am actually quite tired of the antics of these Indian racists. There is nothing wrong in furthering the Indian cause. I am all for that and would gladly become a member of Hindraf if they would accept me. But I am not Indian. So Hindraf will not accept me. In England those in Hindraf will be sent to jail for this racial bar. In England Hindraf can’t refuse to accept me as a member just because I am not Indian.

Yes, in England Hindraf would be declared a racist organisation and their leaders would be dragged to court. Maybe I will file legal action against Hindraf in a British court just to prove my point. Hmm… I think I will contact my lawyer tomorrow and see if he can file legal action against Hindraf in a British court. That would teach them not to be too racist.

Doesn’t Hindraf see that it and Perkasa are both the same? They are just on opposite sides of the same coin.

I would love to get involved in Hindraf. I would love to join their cause. But if their cause is about Indians and by Indians only, then I am excluded from the Hindraf cause. Open your doors please, Hindraf. Invite non-Indians like me to support your cause. I am prepared to be the first non-Indian to join the ranks of Hindraf.

But before that can happen you must first not declare all non-Indians as the enemy. You are angry with Barisan Nasional. You are angry with Pakatan Rakyat. You are angry with Malays. You are angry with fellow Indians. You fight amongst yourselves. Which is the real Hindraf? There are five different Hindrafs. Will the real Hindraf please stand up!

The Hulu Selangor by-election on 25 April 2010 will be a good test of Hindraf’s sincerity. You refuse to support Barisan Nasional. You also refuse to support Pakatan Rakyat. Then who do you want as the government?

Okay, if Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat are both equally unsuitable then boycott both. Then form your own third front. And then contest the next general election as the third force. Contest all the 800 or so Parliament and State Assembly seats. Make it a three-corner fight. Let’s see how many seats you can win.

You will need at least 800 Indian candidates. Each candidate will need about RM100,000 to contest the general election. That would come to RM80 million. Even that is not enough. Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat would be spending a combined total of about RM2 billion, Barisan Nasional alone RM1.5 billion.

So how far can RM80 million take you? This is assuming you can raise RM80 million, although RM250 million would be more realistic. How many seats from those 800 can Hindraf win? If Hindraf depends on just Indian votes it will not win a single seat. There are no seats where the Indians make up more than 50% of the voters.

Hindraf will be totally wiped out and will not win a single seat if they depend on just Indian votes. They need Malay and Chinese votes as well. So Hindraf can’t just be about Indians, by Indians. Hindraf also needs the Malays and Chinese to support their cause.

Hindraf has to wake up. If they do not wish to work with Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat then they will have to go solo. And going solo means it is a dead end road. So Hindraf has to choose its ally. It can’t go to war with the entire world. It has to seek a friend somewhere and get this friend to support its cause.

I, for one, am prepared to support Hindraf’s cause. And I will send a message to Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, in the event he is chosen as the Hulu Selangor candidate, to also support Hindraf’s cause. In fact, he must also support the Orang Asli cause because I have Orang Asli blood running through my veins and the Orang Asli are worse off than the Indians.

Let the Hulu Selangor by-election be the day that Hindraf sends ‘their man’ to Parliament. And let this man be a Malaysian, not Malay, although he may be of Malay descent. Let Hindraf tell the 19% Indian voters in Hulu Selangor that they are not voting for a Malay but for a Malaysian who will ensure that their voice is heard in Parliament.

That is the only way forward for Hindraf. If not then Hindraf will flounder and eventually die. Hindraf just can’t make it without Malay and Chinese support. And 80% of the voters in Hulu Selangor are Malays, Chinese and Orang Asli. And if you don’t believe this then try and contest the Hulu Selangor by-election and see what happens to the independent Indian candidate from Hindraf. Maybe hilang deposit.