BN Election Hindraf Damage Control; Nazri U turns Allows BN MPs to speak accordance to Conscience? But Zam continues his hard-line against HINDRAF

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This “no action & no reprimand” from BN for MIC MP K. Devamany is a ”saving face “ way out - so as not to aggravate the bad situation. It is rather shocking why is Nazri having a Change of Heart and taking a soft stance now when on the fly he had “condemned” him earlier and asked him "to get out of MIC". It is clear now he is under orders to do some Election Damage Control. He was even seen holding his hands and patting him then declared:

Tongue in cheek?

“There is no suspension, nothing. This will go to show that you know the Barisan National, we allow you as MP to speak accordance to your conscience at the same time to maintain decorum and to ensure unity for Barisan National in the Parliament”
and patting him some more

Even Malaysiakini reported ( Nazri: Temple demolition 'stupid, insensitive') him chiding the MB of Selangor Mohd Toyo for the destruction of the Sri Maha Mariamman temple by Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) officers in Kampung Rimba Jaya.

“It was stupid of the officials not to be considerate (and) to look into sensitive matters like this. I believe it could have been done in a better way if (the state government) had just waited a few more days. Let the Hindus celebrate their Deepavali,”

he said

Can the Coalition MPs speak their minds and conscience? Will the MCA or for he matter Gerakan & other component parties dared to open their “big mouths” now that Nazri has given the green light. It is unlikely. It was an election stunt when the UMNO realized that it would cost them dearly in terms of the marginal seats where Samy Vellu’s supporters are still needed.

But on the same breath, the info Minsiter Zainuddin is still taking a hard-line stand and continues on the warpath against the Hindraf leaders.

And the education Minister has soften his stand when he said “"hose who feel for the Indians here, I don't blame them” otherwise it would not be in line with UMNO avowed stand for the Palestine cause

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Monday December 3, 2007; MYT 4:13:26 PM

Devamany let off the hook; By FLORENCE A. SAMY

KUALA LUMPUR: Cameron Highlands MP K. Devamany who landed in hot water over his controversial statements in Parliament recently has been let off the hook without any suspension or warning. Devamany had a 20-minute meeting with Chief Whip and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Monday morning to explain himself. Devamany had spoken up in Parliament last month seemingly sympathising with the Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) rally.
The MIC backbencher told Najib Monday that he regretted his statement but when pushed further by reporters he declined to say whether he was sorry over what he said. "He was very nice to me. I told him I regret the statement. "He advised me on what happened. I truly believe that unity, peace and stability is paramount in the country and cannot be compromised. "Najib has expressed concern over the plight of the Indian community which will be addressed by the Government and MIC through the Barisan Nasional spirit," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby Monday. Devamany thanked Najib for meeting him and explained to the Chief Whip concerns on the ground of the Indian community.

ABOVE: Nazri Change of Heart? Election Damage Control? Even Holding Hands! What he said on TV Only

“There is no suspension, nothing. This will go to show that you know, the Barisan National, we allow you as MP to speak accordance to your conscience at the same time to maintain decorum and to ensure unity for Barisan National in the Parliament”

Also at the press conference was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Deputy Chief Whip Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (ABOVE) who confirmed that no suspension or warning had been given to Devamany.
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No conditions must be attached if PM meets Hindraf, says Nazri
Husna Yusop; theSUN

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 3, 2007): If there is going to be any meeting between the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, it must be done without any conditions and in a mutually-agreed manner, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said. Otherwise, he said, Hindraf would be seen to be giving an ultimatum to the government, and the government will not bow to this. While stressing that he was only giving his personal opinion, he also said that should the prime minister agree to meet the group, it must be with the presence of the MIC. "Otherwise, we may be interpreted as having lost confidence in the MIC in handling Indian issues.

These are just my thoughts. The PM will have the last say. "But, in my opinion, any meeting should not leave out the MIC because it has always been our partner for the last 50 years with regards to matters relating to the Indians," he said in Parliament lobby today , after the opening of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Caucus for Good Governance. Yesterday, Hindraf called for a dialogue with Abdullah to discuss the social and economic problems faced by the Indians. This was following an illegal rally staged by Hindraf in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25, to voice concerns on the issues faced by the community. At least 94 people have been charged for allegedly being involved in the illegal assembly. Asked why the government did not allow peaceful demonstrations, Mohamed Nazri said there were historical reasons for this, citing the May 13, 1969, incident when demonstrations led to racial riots.

"There is no point talking about rule of law when many lives have been sacrificed," he said. He added that in multi-racial Malaysia, some of the issues raised by certain groups may be interpreted as challenges to other groups. He also said the government was responsible for ensuring the country remained peaceful and stable. "If we do know a demonstration can lead to something which may be explosive and violent, [but we still allow it], if anything happens later, the buck stops at the government. People will ask, ‘Why did you allow it when you know it was bound to happen?’ "I have respect for human rights but I am prepared to withdraw the human rights of three or four people in order to protect the human rights of the majority," he said, adding that the Nov 25 demonstration was instigated by a few people and that the majority of the Indians were happy with the government.

Asked to comment on Hindraf legal adviser P. Uthayakumar’s remark that Hindraf had resorted to the rally because it had exhausted all avenues to overcome the community’s problems, Mohamed Nazri said it was not a valid claim. "Whatever you do, you cannot have it your way all the time," he said. He advised Hindraf supporters to work with the government or register the group as a political party to face the ruling government in the general election. On Hindraf’s request for a special committee and hotline at the Prime Minister’s Office to respond to issues concerning the Indian community, Mohamed Nazri said: "This is a government which listens but it must be done in a proper way." Asked to comment on Hindraf’s complaint about the demolition of temples, he said he agreed it was insensitive of the officials in Selangor to tear down the temples on the eve of Deepavali. "I agree that was stupid of the officials not to be considerate in sensitive matters like this. It could have been done in a better way if we had just waited a few more days and let the Hindus celebrate Deepavali.

"[But] I do not think the Mentri Besar [Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo] has a personal vendetta against the Hindus. I think, we put it to experience, which he probably lacks. I agree that matters touching on religious issues should be handled more cautiously and not be done in a wanton way according to one’s whims and fancies," he said. He added that the public must understand that the relocation of temples or surau on government land was common in the process of development.

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December 03, 2007 20:20 PM
Hindraf Unqualified To Meet With PM, Says Zainuddin

LANGKAWI, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- The group calling itself the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) is unqualified to meet with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to discuss the problems of the Indian community because the organisation is not recognised by anyone, Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said today. "It would be unbefitting a prime minister to meet with a discredited organisation which had stooped to the level of street thugs and violated the laws of the country," he told reporters after a visit to the media centre at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) 2007 exhibition, here. He also said that it would be inappropriate for the prime minister to meet with a group which had sparked off chaos and resorted to violence to threaten the government. Zainuddin said any effort to meet with the country's leaders to express any dissatisfaction should have been made before Hindraf acted to organise the illegal rally and not after. Thousands of Hindraf sympathisers joined an illegal rally on Nov 25 in Kuala Lumpur to support what they claimed was the handing over of a petition to the British High Commission asking Queen Elizabeth II to appoint a Queen's counsel to represent the Indian community in a class action suit against the British government for bringing Indians as indentured labourers to then Malaya in the 1800s and exploiting them. Hindraf is seeking a four trillion pound sterling (RM27.7 trillion) compensation through the suit filed in London claiming that the British were to blame for the alleged marginalisation of the Indians in Malaysia. Zainuddin said Malaysia had representatives and leaders from various communities, and the government recognised the MIC as the political party championing the cause of the Indian community in the country.

He said the Indian community, via the MIC since the era of Tun V.T. ambanthan, had collaborated to gain independence for the country and that the community should accord respect for the MIC as well as Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu who was its current leader. Zainuddin said the Indians had achieved much progress compared with the time before independence when they came to the country as plantation workers, adding that many of them were now professionals -- including even those who supported Hindraf. "We also regret the action of certain quarters who have taken advantage of the situation to allege that the president of India and the chief minister of Tamil Nadu supported the Hindraf action," he said. A Hindraf leader, P.Uthayakumar, had told Bernama yesterday that the organisation wanted to have a meeting with the prime minister to raise the problems confronting the Indian community in the country. Last Friday, Abdullah described as harsh a claim by Hindraf that the government was involved in ethnic cleansing of Indians in the country.
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December 03, 2007 22:21 PM
Street Demos Premeditated, Says Hishammuddin

GENTING HIGHLANDS, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- Street protests held in Kuala

Lumpur and Kuala Terengganu are not coincidental but planned and masterminded by the Opposition, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said today. He said the Sept 8 demonstration in Batu Buruk in Terengganu and by the Bar Council in Putrajaya and the illegal gatherings organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) and the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) in Kuala Lumpur last month did not happen by coincidence. "If it is true Hindraf wants to fight for the Indian community and the Bar Council for an independent judiciary, they should first free themselves from the opposition parties' hidden agenda," he told reporters after opening the Education Development Master Plan National Convention. Hishammuddin, who is also Umno Youth chief, warned activist groups against raising religious and racial issues. "Those who feel for the Indians here, I don't blame them, but please be assured not to interfere with the administration of our country as we don't interfere in theirs," he said in responding to the concerns showed by the international community on Hindar's allegations of ethnic cleansing being carried out on Indians in Malaysia. On Education Development Master Plan, Hishammuddin said he was satisfied with the progress of implementation.

"I'm generally happy after perusing the reports submitted by the respective divisions," he said. On Ninth Malaysia Plan projects for which the Education Ministry has been allocated RM23 billion, Hishammuddin said 2,560 projects, costing RM2.56 billion, have been completed until Oct 31. He said 3,050 projects, costing RM6.5 billion, are under construction and 3,700 projects, worth RM12.5 billion, are at planning stage

= == = == == =PM doing development at Very high inflated cost!

December 03, 2007 11:58 AM
Nation's Success Key To Countering Baseless Accusations - Abdullah

ABOVE Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Speaking (the same old development stories) and too painful for his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak listen during the monthly assembly.

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- The government's success in developing Malaysia is a key element in efforts to counter baseless accusations levelled by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) aimed at creating chaos in the country, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. The prime minister said that successful development efforts seen in Malaysia would invoke confidence among the people that the government was serious in undertaking initiatives to develop the country for the well-being of the people irrespective of race. "Our success in developing the country will be an important factor as it allows the people to see what's happening around them...it's the most influential factor for the people," he told the monthly assembly for Prime Minister's Department staff here Monday.
In this connection, Abdullah said the public sector should strive to improve the public service delivery system as civil servants played an important role to ensure the successful implementation of development initiatives. Enhanced efficiency will not only improve the integrity of the civil service but also spell success in efforts to develop the country, he said. Hindraf organised an illegal assembly here recently, accusing the Malaysian government of carrying out ethnic cleansing of Indians in the country. Abdullah said no one in their right mind would believe that the government had such a policy. The people value peace and progress enjoyed by the country thus far, he said.

"They're not stupid, and they have not allowed themselves to be hoodwinked for the past 50 years," said Abdullah, adding that many were unhappy with Hindraf's actions. The prime minister said efforts to bring about greater progress to the country would continue despite the fact that the poor made up only 5.7 per cent of the population. The government aims to eradicate hardcore poverty by 2010. Abdullah said Hindraf had gone overboard in making wild accusations and causing chaos to further their narrow political interests. He said that while police were tasked to maintain public order in the country, the government would not allow lies to spread among the people.

According to him, some people were ignorant of what the government was doing for them, prompting them to act based on their emotions. Abdullah stressed that the government would continue efforts to bring further progress to the country and its people regardless of race and religion.

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December 03, 2007 15:30 PM
Don't Interfere In Our Affairs - Syed Hamid

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has every right to handle its own internal issues as it sees fit and other nations should respect the sovereignty of the country, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said Monday. He said that regardless of ethnic origin, Malaysians have been Malaysians for the past 50 years.

Thus, they are subjected to Malaysian laws and legislation, he told reporters today when asked about concerns raised by India regarding the treatment of Malaysian Indians following an illegal rally organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) last month. "This is Malaysia. We'll deal with our problems and issues according to our laws. Other countries should be mindful of our rights," said Syed Hamid. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said that Hindraf was spreading blatant lies with the intention of arousing hatred among multiracial Malaysians.