My Response To The HINDRAF Campaign

I know I promised to come up with a response to Resolving The Malaysian-Indian Issues much earlier.

But I had to ponder deeply on how a Christian Malaysian of South Asian origin, whose ancestors settled in Malaya over six generations ago should respond to issues pertaining to a faction of Hindu Malaysians who have finally voiced their dissatisfaction.

Frankly, I have never experienced much government-institutionalised discrimination. I am reasonably well-educated, wealthy (though I hasten to add, not of TAK-ish proportions), have been places and seen things.

By proxy, HINDRAF marginalises me. But it's not about the group or its leader Uthayakumar, though his leadership has obviously inspired thousands to brave the FRU and its neighbourhood-friendly water-cannons and tear-gas.

He has a following that Samy Vellu can only dream of. That's scary.

Because no one has ever spoken up for the Malaysians of South Asian origin (I deliberately refuse to say 'Indian'. You'll understand why in just a bit). And they sorely needed their cause championed.

Because, like Nate says, "When you’re small, you become a punching bag." And yes, I can appreciate that that was why he walked on that day.

HINDRAF's brand of racist rhetoric is no worse than that of the violence-propagating Kerismudin or the benignly stupid Jamaluddin Jarjis or even the mufti of Perak, Harussani Zakaria.

While those guys may have been ridiculed by the blogosphere, they did not provoke the outrage of the public like HINDRAF did. Why the double standard? Why the calls by Malaysians to send their fellow Malaysians back to India?

Why are the Hindus considered to have gone overboard for their walk and their memo when the Muslims have threatened to start riots and go on killing rampages simply because their rights were questioned?

Why didn't anyone call for the ISA to be used on Kerismuddin for his subtle call to violence when so many want Uthayakumar put away for a long time?

It's racism, and it didn't even start from HINDRAF.

Perhaps no one better sums it up than Farish Noor, who (being in Berlin) is so far in terms of location from Malaysia, yet understands the situation better than anyone else living here.

In The Other Malaysia, he freely admits that:

While the leaders and supporters of Hindraf may have resorted to the politics of race and religious-based communitarianism to further a specific goal in mind, we should not really be surprised if they had done so. This is Malaysia, remember: the same multi-culti country that has been run and governed by the same tired and worn-out coalition of ideologically bankrupt right-wing communitarian race and religious-based parties for half a century. Those fellow Malaysians who marched on Sunday are the children of a nation-building project that has failed utterly and miserably, and they merely reflect the racialised mindset of so many Malaysian politicians today who are no better.

So while we may disagree with the tone and tenor of Hindraf’s communitarian political-speak, let us not miss the wood for the trees. Hindraf did not invent racialised communitarian politics in Malaysia, it was the component of the Barisan Nasional parties that did, and continue to do so.

Hindraf did not begin a new trend of race and religious-based political association and collectivism in Malaysia: it was the older race and religious-based parties and movements like UMNO, PAS and ABIM that did, and continue to do so.

Hindraf did not invent the language of racial and religious identification in Malaysia, for these terms were already hoisted on them and the minority communities of Malaysia by the state, the mainstream media and the conservative reactionary forces in this country long ago. It was the politicians, political analysts, media commentators and communitarian activists who referred, for instance, to the Hindu temples of Malaysia as ‘Indian temples’; and who continue to refer to Malaysians of South Asian origin as ‘Indians’ or the ‘Indian community’.

For the information of all and sundry, those temples that were bulldozed were not ‘Indian temples’ but Malaysian temples, built on Malaysian soil, frequented by Malaysians, paid for by Malaysians and they were part of the Malaysian landscape. There are no ‘Indian Temples’ in Malaysia- Indian temples exist in India and if you don’t believe me then fly to India and check them out yourself. Likewise the only ‘Indians’ in Malaysia are the tourists, expats and workers who come from India and happen to be Indian nationals bearing Indian passports. Those Hindus who marched in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on Sunday happen to be Malaysians like you.

And because I too am Malaysian, I will champion the cause of the downtrodden and those who have been kicked around for too long.

Not because the blog-lords or their commenters approve, but because it is only the right thing to do.

USA: Freedom Of Expression

US defends peaceful protests in Malaysia

WASHINGTON: The United States underscored on Wednesday the rights of Malaysians to hold peaceful protests, after Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's government swiftly suppressed mass rallies and threatened to use a draconian law to detain protesters indefinitely without trial.

We believe citizens of any country should be allowed to peacefully assemble and express their views," a US State Department official said when commenting on the crackdown of unprecedented street protests in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur this month.

One called for electoral reform which drew some 30,000 people, and another by at least 8,000 ethnic Indians last Sunday was aimed at highlighting racial discrimination.

The rallies were the biggest in a decade and took place despite bans ordered by police, who broke up the gatherings with tear gas, water cannons and baton charges.

The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not go beyond his succinct statement, which was the first reaction by Washington on the rare outpouring of anti-government dissent in Malaysia.

The protests led to a veiled threat by Abdullah on Tuesday to use the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA) that allows for detention without trial to stem the dissent.

Rights groups, who have campaigned to have the ISA abolished, cautioned the prime minister against using such laws.

"It is a huge mistake for Prime Minister Abdullah to even consider using this unjust law to crack down on peaceful demonstrators," said T Kumar, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific advocacy director in Washington.

"We strongly urge him not to use it." Amnesty has also called on the US authorities to check whether excessive force was used in quelling the recent demonstrations and to oppose any use of the ISA against peaceful protests, he said.

Abdullah argued that the ISA was "a preventive measure to spare the nation from untoward incidents that can harm the prevailing peace and harmony and create all sorts of adverse things."

"So, I don't know (when to invoke the ISA), but ISA will be there. When it is appropriate to use it, it will be used," he said.

Malaysia is holding more than 100 people under the ISA, about 80 of them alleged Islamic militants. Rights groups have long campaigned for them to be freed or brought to trial.

The legislation allows for two-year detention periods that can be renewed indefinitely. The government maintains that detention without trial is needed as a first line of defence against terrorism.

US intelligence consultancy Stratfor, in a bulletin to clients this week, said the Malaysian demonstrations signaled "instability" ahead of national elections expected early next year.

"The recent demonstrations signal chaos and unpredictability to come before elections are announced, but Badawi's grip on internal security is not going to loosen any time soon," it said.

Barisan Nasional's Bomb

It was not the least bit unexpected.

In fact, a friend and I were discussing it over fries and ice-cream at McDonald's only a week or two ago.

It's a tough world, and in spite of their blatant incompetence, Barisan Nasional does know how to play its cards.

The Works Minister has just announced that the new National Palace a.k.a. Istana Negara will not cost RM1 billion after all. It will just cost about RM600 million or thereabouts.

To read the whole article, go to Twisting and Turning by Raja Petra Kamarudin.

This is the ploy by the BN government.

All this while, the Agong has lived his life in relative obscurity. He performs his functions, the occasional ribbon-cutting, officiating, but mostly akin to what the Royals in the UK do.

He does not involve himself in politics for his dos and don'ts are bound by Constitution. And he certainly does not issue press statements, which can be a difficult situation as people take it upon themselves to misrepresent him.

Due to our sorry state of politics, BERSIH decided that the only party to approach to remedy this situation was the Agong. And that's when the limelight fell on him.

So now the BN goons want to drop a bomb on the head of every other normal citizen who works hard and pay taxes. They innocently drop juicy bits of information about how much expenses the Agong incurs.

Perhaps a mention or two about him being an equestrian, and how much it costs to own a horse and maintain it. A tidbit about the palace being renovated. Maybe a sports car. Heck, maybe even an overseas trip.

BN wants to show us "class". It points out the disparity between our lifestyle and the Agong. Of course, this the right time for the politicians to come down to ground level and portray themselves as the ordinary joe-next-door.

So right now, BN is banking on the citizens balking at the amount of expense an Agong incurs.

We're supposed to panic.

We're supposed to say, "No way, Jose!" And our allegiance and love for the Agong will miraculously melt away and we will be filled with scorn.

Well, not all endings follow the script. Certainly not Barisan Nasional's.

Firstly, this particular Agong has carried himself with honour and elegance. Secondly, unlike BN, the citizens have some measure of regard for the Constitution.

So drop the bomb all you like, BN. It ain't gonna faze us one bit.

Resolving The Malaysian-Indian Issues

I will post my response to this tomorrow.

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The Hindraf Campaign: A Critique – Dr. Kumar of Parti Sosialis Malaysia

Thousands of Malaysian Indians from all over the country are responding to Hindraf’s campaign. SMS messages are being amplified and sent out by the hundreds, petition forms are being signed, funds have been collected, and there is a massive mobilization to present a memorandum to the British High Commission on Sunday 25th November 2007.


All this highlights the extent to which Malaysian Indians have been neglected and marginalized by the policies of the Barisan Nasional government. It shows the level of frustration and resentment within the community.

Many friends and contacts have been asking what is the Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s stand on the Hindraf Campaign? Why is the PSM not organizing buses to support the program on the 25/11/07? The main points of the PSM stand are outlined below –

1. It is undeniable that Indians in Malaysia face racial discrimination.

- difficulty in getting government jobs;

- lack of special programs for Indian students from poor backgrounds;

- the poor state of many Tamil Primary Schools;

- absence of laws to protect the estate community when they are evicted in the name of development; Ditto for the peneroka bandar;

- insensitive handling of Hindu Temples which are demolished to make way for “development”;

- extremely insensitive handling of cases of Indian individuals caught in “inter-faith” situations for example Moorthy, Subashini, and others;

- the negative profiling of Indian youth by the police and other authorities as “gangsters” and the harsh treatment of these youth when caught by police;

These are just some aspects of the reality of Indians in Malaysia. Indians are made to feel that they are second-class citizens, and after 50 years of Merdeka they are beginning to resent it more and more!


2. Ethnic based mobilization is relatively easy to do. Malaysian society has been tutored in racial politics by the BN parties (as well as by some opposition parties also) for the past 5 decades. The vast majority of Malaysians think in ethnic terms. However ethnic based mobilization of Indians will not be able to overcome the racial discrimination that Indians face. At this point Hindraf is asking for

- Cessation of the Bumiputra policy

- Institution of affirmative policies for Malaysian Indians

- Monetary compensation from the British Government for “leaving us in this mess”!

These are emotive issues, and it is obvious that many Malaysian Indians have responded to them. But is even remotely possible that they can be attained by ethnic based mobilization of the Indians who make up only 7% of the population?

3. We should not forget that apart from racial discrimination, the majority of Indians face economic discrimination because they are workers in a system that favours the businessmen and the capitalists. About 70% of Malaysian Indians are workers. The problem they face as workers include

- low wages. In many factories the basic pay in RM 18 per day, which works out to RM 468 per month.

- There is no job security. Outsourcing, the widespread use of contract workers, and the easy availability of migrant workers all weaken the bargaining position of Malaysian labour.

- Labour laws are being tightened and being made more pro management;

- Low cost adequate housing is difficult to find.

- Prices of goods is rising faster than wages! Petrol, toll and now flour.

- Basic services – health care, education, roads, water - which used to be heavily subsidized are now becoming increasingly expensive;

The problems listed above are also experienced by workers of all races in Malaysia – even the Malays, who are the beneficiaries of the Bumiputra policies. Only about 20% of Malay workers have jobs in government. The remainder have to work in the private sector where they too experience economic discrimination as workers in a capitalist economy. Malays workers are not exempted from the problems of low wages, job insecurity, rising costs of basic services, etc.

4. It appears that that some sections of working class Malays are beginning to question the Bumiputra policy which has benefited the UMNO-putra and their cronies far far more than the average Malay worker. Consider the following -

- the Mat Rempit phenomena. Isn’t this, in part, an expression of the frustration and resentment of ordinary Malay youth who are having difficulties finding and holding jobs because of the low-wage and migrant labour policies of the BN government;

- more than 50% of the 40,000 Bersih demonstration on 10/11/07 was made of Malay youth who were not from PAS or KeAdilan. They turned up because they are fed-up with the government which is only helping a small sector of Malay elite.

- Anwar Ibrahim has been openly calling for the ending of the Bumiputra Policy which he claims only helps the rich UMNO politicians. He wants a new policy – the Agenda Baru - that is based on economic need and not on race. All poor Malaysians should get government help.

- PAS spearheaded the Protes Coalition which opposed the hikes in Petrol and Diesel prices. They are also active in the Coalitions against Health and Water privatization.

Anwar is an astute politican, and PAS does have close contact with the Malay community. Their articulation of such issues must mean that in their assessment, ordinary Malays are resentful of government policies that favour the rich.


5. The political choice facing Malaysian Indians is simple. Do we

1. mobilize ourselves as Indians to fight the Bumiputra policy and ask for affirmative action for Indians?

OR

2. Work towards a working class coalition that fights for a better deal for all ordinary Malaysians irrespective of race?

In other words, do we use ethnic based mobilization or class based mobilisation to fight the present state of ethnic discrimination of Indians?


6. Obviously 1000’s of Indians have jumped into the Hindraf bandwagon of ethnic mobilization. But the support of large numbers does not necessarily mean that that campaign is in the long term interest of the Indians in Malaysia. Nor does it mean that it is likely to succeed!

The PSM salutes all those who have thrown off their apathy to stand up for their rights despite the threats being made by the BN government in the media. However, action for action’s sake is never enough. Action must be guided by the correct analysis, and this is where we differ with Hindraf. Though Hindraf leaders have made sacrifices, and have shown courage, we believe that they are inadvertently playing into the hands of the “enemy”. Why?


7. Who are the major beneficiaries of the Bumiputra policy? Surely people like Najib, Hishamuddin, Khairi and other top UMNO leaders must be very uncomfortable with growing perception among the ordinary Malays that the Bumiputra Policy has been abused to make a small group of Malays filthy rich – all in the name of uplifting all Malays. These UMNO leaders are also worried about the coming elections for the people are frustrated with price hikes and corruption. Ethnic mobilization on the part of Hindraf would provide them with the perfect opportunity to

- resurrect the “Ketuanan Melayu” issue. They could use Hindraf’s demands to abolish the NEP as an example of how “lebih” the Indians have become, and of the importance to band together under UMNO for race and country!!

- Use some of the gangster groups associated with UMNO to provoke a racial incident that will come very useful for BN in the election campaign period. The old BN argument that we have to vote BN to avoid another May 13!


8. This does not mean that the PSM is advocating not fighting back when Indians are evicted or when houses and temples are torn down. Not at all. The PSM track record on this is clear – we have gone to stand with the people facing eviction and bullying by developers or the government in many estates and Peneroka Bandar kampungs. But we never have generalized this into an ethnic issue for all the reasons listed above.

This local fight-backs must continue whenever any community is faced with bullying by developers or government. But national level mobilization should be of all ordinary Malaysians (from all races) and not of Indians only!

We hope these brief explanations make sense to you. Do not retire from the struggle! Just reorient it to make it multi-racial and fight for the justice of all the ordinary people of Malaysia!

Making All The Dumb Moves

I have lost count of the number of times I watched this video.



Judging by the way the police handled this event, it is evident the Malaysian government hasn't learned anything at all. This exemplifies the reason why it is so unqualified to lead a nation which is desperate for change.

In my honest opinion, the Malaysian government has played into the protestors hands. They have been taken in - hook, line and sinker.

To begin with, the premise for suing the British government was ludicrous. Firstly, a class action suit almost never wins. Secondly, the notion of demanding the Queen appoint counsel against herself is ridiculous.

Thirdly, there is no way of distributing the money to every Indian in the country, should they by some twist of fate, win their bizarre lawsuit.

Initially, I never took it seriously. It appeared to be some ploy by a bloke with too much time on his hands and too little to do. But men in that situation usually back off when pressure is applied and make a quick disappearing act.

Not this HINDRAF dude.

He was obviously anticipating some form of government intervention in the form of an arrest (which didn't surprise any of us) and so took action to ensure someone else could lead in his absence.

Today's protest made me think. What was the purpose behind this protest? Simply to hand a memorandum to the British government to be imminently (in my opinion) filed under "No Further Action"?

If the government had allowed this group to march unhindered to the British High Commission, it would have been a very disappointing outcome.

There might have been a tiny little column in the International Herald Tribune about our "democratic" ways.

Al-Jazeera would have likely ignored us.

And the Washington Post wouldn't have even bat an eyelid.

But no. They had to kick up a fuss. Do it communist-dictatorship style. Fire tear-gas, spray chemical-laced water from a cannon, make violent arrests, swagger around and shout threats. Make it look like a street battle.

I swear the authorities act worse than our worst hooligans. I'm sure the Mafia get personal training from them.

And so, all the above mentioned news-sites got more than a whiff of our shenanigans. WE EVEN ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF THE WASHINGTON POST, DAMMIT!!! And of course, our front page spot on Al-Jazeera :)

And then, we made the news in Canada, UK, Australia, China, India, Thailand, Italy, Iran, Estonia, South Africa, Bulgaria, Azerbajian, Ireland, Turkey and god-knows-where-else.

Heck, there are over 150 articles dedicated to reporting on HINDRAF's protest! And it sure as hell makes the government, with all its claims of democracy look very bad indeed.

To me, this sorry handling of protests and rallies signifies the incompetence and desperation of the Malaysian government. They are aware that the only reason they can stay in power is by dodgy elections, racial sentiments and a facade of peace.

The infamous "Pantang Dicabar" remark sounds so impotent now.

It's obviously going to take much more than dirty tricks to convince the public of a re-election.

Police Tear-Gas And Spray Chemicals On Protestors

There's much more action down at the frontlines. Al-Jazeera has the news: Ethnic Indians protest in Malaysia

Evidently, this time, the crowd has been generously returning the tear-gas cannisters to the FRU who have launched or fired it at them. :)

"It's really quite phenomenal scenes, given that this is a country that claims to be an open democracy."

- Hamish MacDonald, Al-Jazeera.

I reckon you haven't seen much of those in your career, mate. I've lived here 28 years and this is the first time I'm seeing them.

Oh... and what democracy??



There is nothing complicated about this situation. All the protestors want to do is march peacefully to the British High Commission to deliver their memorandum, after which they will definitely disperse.

I have it on good knowledge that every single road leading into the city is jammed for miles because of roadblocks and FRU units cordoning off the area!

And the only reason why this persists is because the police (as ordered by the ineffectual government) are preventing the protestors from doing what they want and need to do.

In other words, the completely unnecessary traffic jam, destruction and mounting violence stems SOLELY from the government itself and its obvious inability to govern a nation.

I'm fairly certain this protest is going to turn bloody.

Washington Post On HINDRAF Rally

You know you've finally made it big when you catch the attention of the Washington Post.

And finally, we did - with the HINDRAF protest.

No matter who gets thrown behind bars, or injured, the world has seen the Malaysian communist-dictatorship government for what it is - a despicable, selfish, corrupted and evil organisation.


In its report, the Washington Post (courtesy of Reuters) makes some astute observations which were once merely internal knowledge.

Excerpts:

Police had taken the unusual step of securing a court order preventing anyone from attending the rally. Offenders, including journalists, could face more serious penalties than would be the case under laws against illegal assembly.

The Internal Security Ministry has instructed the local press to refrain from reporting about the banned rally.

Malaysia bans public assemblies of more than five people without a police permit. In practice, police deny permits to anti-government protests but often issue them for protests aimed at foreign governments, such as the United States.

Yes. The glaring double-standard shines through. How come there was suddenly complete disregard for safety and public inconvenience such as traffic jams when UMNO Youth protested Condoleeza Rice's presence??

The ethnic Indian group's core complaint, that the current government has done little to better the community's standard of living, has riled the administration, which only two weeks ago cracked down on a protest by about 10,000 people demanding electoral reform.

It certainly riled the administration which set about finding reasons to arrest the leaders of this protest, blocking roads on a grand scale (which caused humongous traffic jams) to punish the citizens who are sympathetic to protests and even condone them.

Oh, and this is democracy, Malaysian style.

Media Gag On HINDRAF Protest

Now why am I not surprised??

These are necessary measures for the Malaysian communist-dictatorship government to survive.


Media gagged over another rally
23 November 2007
Source: Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)

Malaysian's Internal Security Ministry has instructed the local press to refrain from reporting about a banned rally in the capital Kuala Lumpur on 25 November 2007, which is seeking the Queen of England's help in a class-action suit against Her Majesty's government.

At least one newsroom received the order from a ministry official through telephone on 22 November, an industry source who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal told the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), a SEAPA partner based in Kuala Lumpur.

A similar gag order was issued over another rally held on 10 November, which saw thousands of Malaysians in a rare exercise of their right to assembly, to petition Malaysia's Supreme Monarch for free and fair elections.

The press may well be compelled to obey the order again, bound as it is by the licensing conditions stipulated in the 1987 Printing Presses and Publications Act. The government, however, appeared not to have learnt anything from the previous restriction which resulted in the mainstream media showing up poorly in the eyes of the thousands who were at the rally, and compared against the many reports, photographs and videos found in blogs and websites.

HINDRAF Gets International Publicity

The publicity is massive.

You don't even need a PR Officer for this with the Malaysian tin-pot-dictatorship government doing such a splendid job of it.


From the International Herald Tribune to BBC and heaps of other news sites online, as of now, over 50 articles have been dedicated to this protest, which contrary to public opinion is NOT against the British, but the Malaysian tin-pot-dictatorship government.

Heck, this is the news that sells.

Malaysian curiosity has been piqued.

What is the government trying to hide? Why the overwhelming effort to stop this gathering which is supposed to be peaceful.

Ethnic Indians, mainly Hindus, form one of Malaysia's largest minority groups. Activists say more than two-thirds of them live in poverty, partly because they are deprived of opportunities by affirmative action policies that favor the ethnic Malay Muslim majority.

There will undoubtedly be violence. After all, what does one Indian death - or for that matter 100 Indian deaths - matter? No one cares.

But the world will be watching.

Related:
Malaysia Hindu activists arrested - British Broadcasting Corporation

Police Reaction To HINDRAF Rally

One word: INTIMIDATION

The Malaysian tin-pot-dictatorship government is over-reacting as usual.

Motorists of Indian ethnicity are being harrassed by the police at road blockades. There are traffic jams at every entry into the city.

It's a peaceful rally, for the love of God.

The only violence I expect to see is from the jack-booted thugs, more commonly known here as the police.

And of course, the organisers have been duly arrested.

From theSun:

Three arrested over planned Hindraf rally

PETALING JAYA (Nov 23, 2007): Police have arrested three key officials of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) that is planning to go ahead with a mass rally on Sunday outside the British High Commission in Jalan Ampang although police had rejected their application to do so.

They are expected to be charged under the Sedition Act later today.

The three men are:
> Hindraf adviser, lawyer P. Uthayakumar, who was picked up at his office in Bangsar at about 10.30am
> Hindraf chairman, lawyer P. Waythamoorthy (Uthayakumar's brother), who was arrested at the Shah Alam toll plaza about 3pm
> V. Ganapathy Rao, who was arrested when he went to the Selangor police headquarters to see Uthayakumar about 2.45pm

Lawyer N. Surendran went to Selangor IPK in Shah Alam about 2.45pm when Uthayakumar was taken there by a police team. He was accompanied by Ganapathy Rao and Parti Keadilan Rakyat supreme council member S. Manickavasagam.

However, when Surendran came out 20 minutes later, he told reporters that Ganapathy Rao had been arrested as well.

He said he was informed by a police officer with the rank of Assistant Commissioner that the three men would be charged in Klang later today.

Outside the IPK grounds, about 200 people had gathered and when the police car carrying Uthayakumar drove past the gate, shouts rang out and some rapped on the car window. Several empty mineral water bottles were also thrown at the car.

On Monday, a police team had raided Uthayakumar’s law office with a warrant, in search of a publication that he had authored. They found nothing there.

Simultaneously, another team searched Waythamoorthy's office in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, where some 2,500 booklets, pertaining to a suit that Hindraf had taken against the British government, were seized.

Hindraf planned Sunday's gathering to hand a memorandum addressed to the Queen of England to support a class-action suit against Her Majesty’s government for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years. It is seeking RM27.7 trillion in compensation. According to Manickavasagam, the rally will go on despite the arrests.

Yesterday, for the second day running, police security checks at a number of roads into Kuala Lumpur caused traffic congestion.

Earlier today, lawyer M. Manoharan told theSun police had served him, Uthayakumar and several other Hindraf officials a restraining order to stop them from participating in the rally.

Police got the order from the Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court, which also restrains all Hindraf supporters from participating in the gathering, which police said could disrupt public order.

The only disruption I can think of is the police themselves, and their juvenile roadblocks.

Now there is a motive behind this strategy. Read The Malaysian for his brilliant take on why these blockades have been put up.

Sieg Heil!