Malaysia bans Hindu Rights Action Force

Jaishree Balasubramanian

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 16 (PTI) The Malaysian Government has
banned the non-governmental Hindu Rights Action Force
(Hindraf), branding it as a threat to national security.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar Wednesday issued a
statement declaring Hindraf, which has been advocating ethnic
Indian rights since late last year for the minority community,
an illegal organisation.

He said the government move followed the result of
monitoring and investigations by the country's Registrar of
Societies (RoS) since Hindraf was formed.

"As a result of the investigations, the Home Ministry, as
per its authority under sections 3 and 5 of the Societies Act
1966, has declared Hindraf unlawful and detrimental to peace,
public order, security and the moral values of Malaysia," he
said in the statement.

Albar accused the Hindraf of exploiting "racial issues
which caused an uprising against the government and created
hatred between them and the Malays. I feel that if we don't
rein in their activities, they will continue to jeopardise
security and public order, our country's sovereignty, as well
as upset the harmony among races."

Hindraf came into international focus after it organised
a massive rally on November 25 last year to protest alleged
marginalisation of the ethnic Indian minority in this country.

More than 20,000 people attended the rally, which was
branded as illegal by the government. The large participation
took the Abdullah Badawi government by shock. A large
section of the ethnic Indians supported the Hindraf as they
felt that the Malaysian Indian Congress, led by Samy Vellu,
had done little to uplift the community over the past several
decades.

Syed Hamid said the decision to ban the movement was not
made based on only one or two misdemeanours committed by
Hindraf, but covered the entire gamut of activities the group
had been involved in since its inception.

"Hindraf submitted a registration application to the
Registrar of Societies on October 16 last year.The application
had not been approved, but it went ahead and organised several
public gatherings and demonstrations without a permit," he
said.

"Considering all the facts and evidence we have, I am
satisfied that Hindraf was and is being used in a manner
detrimental to public order and national security," New
Staraits Times quoted him as saying Thursday.

An opposition MP has called the government's decision to
ban Hindraf as ridiculous and uncalled for, adding that he
would move an emergency motion asking for an open debate in
Parliament Thursday.

"This is against the interest and aspirations of the
Indian community that is seeking a more tolerant and fair
government," M. Kulasegaran said, adding that Prime Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had agreed to hold a dialogue with
Hindraf leaders but "nothing was done".

Hindraf national coordinator, R.S. Thanenthiran said the
ban was unfair as they had not committed any crime or broken
any laws, adding that Syed Hamid could have done this in
retaliation to the police reports Hindraf supporters lodged
against him.

Thanenthiran said Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy, who
is in self-exile in Britain, had instructed coordinators to
wait for a day before making further statements.

Coalition of Indian NGOs secretary-general Gunaraj George
said that by banning Hindraf, Syed Hamid had rendered the
Indian community voiceless, but said it would not dampen the
spirit of its supporters.

"I know that their struggle will go on especially to free
all those detained under the Internal Security Act," Star
newspaper quoted him as saying.