Pak Lah, Samy Vellu & Deepavali issue

Malam tadi, saya berkesempatan menziarahi seorang kawan lama di tempat kerja saya, yang kini menjawat jawatan Timbalan Ketua Pemuda MIC Bahagian Kluang.

Atas Misi Perpaduan Kemanusiaan Pemuda PAS, saya menziarahi beliau untuk bertanya khabar dan berbincang tentang politik semasa.

Saya melihat bahawa beliau adalah seorang anak muda yang sangat mengambil berat tentang masa depan kaum India terutamanya masa depan generasi muda India.

Sikap pemimpin yang bukan mengambil kesempatan sebagai ahli politik turut saya hormati.

Sebagai pemimpin muda, saya kira bahawa kita perlu bersedia untuk menjalinkan perhubungan dengan mana-mana pemimpin politik tanpa mengira kaum dan agama kerana masa depan negara adalah terletak pada sejauh mana kita mampu meyakinkan rakyat bahawa kita mampu menjadi parti pemerintah pada masa akan datang.

Hubungan antara kaum mesti dieratkan agar kita tidak kekok bila berhadapan dengan mereka nanti.

Peluang berkerja sebelum ini dan tinggal di kawasan perumahan yang terdiri daripada pelbagai kaum dapat membantu saya menyelami dan menyedari hakikat kehidupan dalam sebuah negara berbilang bangsa.

Matlamat untuk memerintah negara berlandaskan Islam bukanlah satu perkara yang sukar sebenarnya andaikata kita mampu menyampaikan mesej ini kepada mereka secara konsisten, bukan hanya menunggu ketika hampir pilihanraya.

Usaha yang telah dilakukan oleh Lajnah Perpaduan Nasional (LPN) PAS telah mula menampakkan hasil. Paling utama adalah kemampuan pendokong PAS di semua peringkat untuk merealisasikannya.

Belajarlah untuk mendekati mereka yang bukan sekaum dan seagama dengan kita. Jangan biarkan kaum bukan melayu terus terpedaya dengan propaganda UMNO yang menanamkan bahawa PAS parti ekstem, ganas dan radikal.

Kawan saya, Timbalan Ketua Pemuda MIC Kluang itu amat gembira dengan kehadiran saya pada hari penganut agama hindu merayakan Deepavali. Mudah-mudahan pendekatan seperti ini mampu memperbetulkan persepsi buruk terhadap PAS.

----------------------------------------------------

AGM on Deepavali: 'PM only free this week' - Malaysiakini
Ng Ling Fong & Beh Lih Yi

Nov 8, 07 1:46pm

The reason the Umno annual general assembly this year clashes with the Deepavali celebration is because of Prime Minister and Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's “tight schedule”.

“It happened (that) the PM’s schedule is very tight, (he's) only free this week,” explained party secretary-general Radzi Sheikh Ahmad today.

Radzi was asked by journalists why the Umno meeting clashes with Deepavali - a gazetted public holiday - which is observed by Hindus today.

The Prime Minister’s Office has earlier sought the cooperation of the mainstream newspapers, the majority of which are observing a public holiday today, to publish Abdullah’s speech tomorrow.

Abdullah delivered his fourth Umno presidential address at the opening of the party assembly yesterday.

The five-day assembly began on Monday evening with a two-day meet held simultaneously by its Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings, followed by the main body’s three-day meet which kicked off yesterday.

MIC leaders upset?

It is believed that the clash in dates was one of few reasons why MIC president Samy Vellu had earlier directed his party to cancel all Deepavali celebrations.

The ban, which was also to be a mark of protest against the recent demolition of a 100-year-old temple in Shah Alam, was however retracted by Samy Vellu hours later.

According to some political observers, the fact that Umno was holding its AGM during Deepavali was a “slap in the face” for MIC.

Singapore's Straits Times has reported on Tuesday that Abdullah expressed his deep disappointment over the MIC protest during a close-door briefing with party delegates early this week.

Some Umno leaders had shouted "Sack him!" (Samy Vellu) during the briefing before Abdullah called for "calm".

----------------------------------
MIC retracts ban on Deepavali events
Nov 5, 07 8:32pm

In less than three hours today, MIC made a complete U-turn in its decision to ban all Deepavali events by the party’s elected representatives.

The ban was supposed to be as a mark of protest against the demolition of a 100-year-old temple in Shah Alam last week.

Citing an overwhelming requests by the members of the community for the ban to be overturned, MIC president S Samy Vellu said elected representatives of the party can now continue to hold open houses on Deepavali which falls on Nov 8.

“Our previous statement which mentioned the ban is now withdrawn due to request from many Hindus to have open houses,” said Samy Vellu in a subsequent statement later at about 7pm.

The first statement said the ban would involve the party’s seven members of parliament - including one full minister, three deputy ministers and three parliamentary secretaries - and all 19 state assembly persons.

Seven of the 19 state representatives are also exco members in various states. It has been customary for all MIC leaders - both at national and state levels - to hold open houses and other events to celebrate the Festival of Lights.

However Samy Vellu’s own open house - an annual event - will not take place as it has been cancelled due to the death of his brother earlier this year.

In the first statement Samy Vellu said that MIC was saddened by the demolition of the temple in Shah Alam.

“The demolition has hurt the feelings of the Indian community in this country,” Samy Vellu, who is also the works minister, had said.

A sensitive issue

Last Tuesday, the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), while tearing down a squatter colony in Kampung Rinba Jaya in Shah Alam, had also demolished the Kuil Sri Maha Mariamman. A violent stand off ensued when Hindu devotees tried to stop the demolition, resulting in 14 devotees being arrested. They were released on Saturday.

A furious Samy Vellu visited the site immediately on the day of the fracas but he was helpless in halting the demolition, which had been completed by then. Following a series of meeting between Samy Vellu, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, an alternate land has since been identified to rebuild the temple.

The local population however is not interested in moving out and yesterday had constructed a temporary structure at the same spot to place the deities, under the watchful eyes of MBSA enforcement officers who did not stop them.

The tearing down of this temple is just the latest in a series of demolition exercise undertaken by the Selangor state government on Hindu temples in the state, causing much frustration and a sense of dejection among the Indian community.

The Umno factor

Other observers also speculated that the temple was not the only factor for the decision to ban Deepavali celebrations.

They said that the fact that Umno was holding its annual general meeting during Deepavali was also a slap in the face for MIC, resulting in Samy Vellu deciding to just cancel any festivity celebrations by the party.

Nevertheless, the reversal of the ban has renewed speculations on the real reason for the sudden about-turn by the party.

It however saves Samy Vellu and party leaders from a potentially embarrassing moment as they would now have no problems in attending a national-level Deepavali open house organised by the Culture, Art and Heritage Ministry on Nov 11 at the KL Sentral parking space in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.

------------------------------------------------

MIC bans Deepavali events in protest
Nov 5, 07 4:09pm

MIC president S Samy Vellu has banned all Deepavali events by the party’s elected representatives as a mark of protest against the demolition of a 100-year-old temple in Shah Alam last week.

The ban would involve the party’s seven members of parliament - including one full minister, three deputy ministers and three parliamentary secretaries - and all 19 state assemblypersons.

Seven of the 19 state representatives are also Exco members in various states. Deepavali falls on Nov 8 and it has been customary for all MIC leaders - both at national and state levels - to hold open houses and other events to celebrate the Festival of Lights.

In a statement which was released to the media today, Samy Vellu said his own open house - an annual event - has also been cancelled.

The death of his younger brother earlier this year is also a reason for the minister in not holding an open house.

“MIC is saddened by the demolition of the temple. The demolition has hurt the feelings of the Indian community in this country,” said Samy Vellu, who is also the works minister.

Samy Vellu however advised all party leaders to celebrate Deepavali moderately in the company of family and friends.

A sensitive issue

Last Tuesday the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), while tearing down a squatter colony in Kampung Rinba Jaya in Shah Alam, had also demolished the Kuil Sri Maha Mariamman. A violent stand off ensued when Hindu devotees tried to stop the demolition, resulting in 14 devotees being arrested.

They were released on Saturday. A furious Samy Vellu visited the site immediately on the day of the fracas but he was helpless in halting the demolition, which had been completed by then.

Following a series of meeting between Samy Vellu, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, an alternate land has since been identified to rebuild the temple.

The local population however is not interested in moving out and yesterday had constructed a temporary structure at the same spot to place the deities, under the watchful eyes of MBSA enforcement officers who did not stop them.

The tearing down of this temple is just the latest in a series of demolition exercise undertaken by the Selangor state government on Hindu temples in the state, causing much frustration and a sense of dejection among the Indian community.

This is also the first time MIC has been so vocal against a demolition of a Hindu temple.

The Umno factor Other observers are also saying that the temple was not the only factor for the decision to ban Deepavali celebrations.

They speculate that the fact that Umno was holding its annual general meeting during Deepavali was also a slap in the face for MIC, resulting in Samy Vellu deciding to just cancel any festivity celebrations by the party.

All eyes will now be on Samy Vellu and his party leaders to see if they would be attending a national-level Deepavali open house organised by the Culture, Art and Heritage Ministry on Nov 11 at the KL Sentral parking space in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.