Too Little Too Late, PKR - Govan Naliah

My message to Anwar and his Indian cohorts in the party is very simple and straightforward: whatever plan they might come up with, it is way too little, too late, too patronising and pathetic.

by Govan Naliah via e-mail

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I understand that Anwar Ibrahim last week had a meeting with PKR’s Indian leaders, several Indian NGOs and individuals to hatch a plan to bring back the support of Indian voters to Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

I would like to say that I am very unexcited and unimpressed by the news and I believe I am not alone among Indian voters to feel that way.

My message to Anwar and his Indian cohorts in the party is very simple and straightforward: whatever plan they might come up with, it is way too little, too late, too patronising and pathetic.

Only after more than 1,060 days since the tsunami of 2008 that PKR has finally realised that Indian support for it and PR has waned. If the party is wondering why that happened, let me explain.

Indians have now woken up to the fact that they have been made use of. Many of us voted for the opposition in 2008 because of the Hindraf factor and our bitterness towards MIC and Samy Vellu.

Anwar and gang had very cleverly made use of that anti-government sentiment. All kinds of promises were made to help poor and marginalised Indians. And so we placed out trust on the opposition parties. Don’t anyone underestimate the impact of the swing of Indian votes. Our numbers may be small but the modest margin of victory for many opposition candidates tells you that our votes have been invaluable.

But now, more than 1,000 days later, what has PR done to alleviate the plight of many poor Indians? Ilek, nothing, zero. That’s why I say Indians feel that we have been made use of.

It is understandable why people like Gobalakrishnan, Kottapan and Jenapala have left the party. The latter, legitimately nominated to contest for the PKR deputy president post, even had one sacking letter very suddenly and suspiciously appearing out of the blue to put an end to his nomination. Was it because PKR didn’t want an Indian to contest such an important post? I leave that to everyone to decide. Jenapala might not have won but he could have carried the votes of a majority of PKR’s Indian members and made use of that to cut a deal with the other two candidates to make assistance to Indians a higher and more urgent priority in the party’s plans.

Whether you are an MIC supporter or not, you cannot deny that in the Interlok issue it has been quite effective in conveying the concerns and worries of the Indian community. If it becomes even more effective in serving its Indian constituency, I will have no hesitation to give it my support.

To PKR, I say it again: it’s too little too late.



GOVAN NALIAH

PKR, stop taking Indians for granted - Govan Naliah

As a member of PKR, I have to express my bitter disappointment with the way the party leadership has marginalised issues to do with the Indian poor and underclass of this beloved country.

So easily have the party’s top leaders forgotten that about one out four PKR members is an ethnic Indian.

So easily have they forgotten that without Hindraf, there would have been no tsunami of March 2008 which carried many PKR candidates to victory in many parliamentary and state assembly seats.

So easily have they forgotten that in the two and a half years since that electoral tsunami, the party they are leading have done practically nothing to address the plight of the Indian poor in the states that the party and its allies govern.

So easily have they forgotten that Indian poor look at PKR as the best, if not only, alternative to the other existing parties through which real political will can be found for meaningful action to uplift the socio-economic status of the disadvantaged Indian masses.

Alas, that hope has turned into disappointment. PKR is proving itself to be no different from MIC, PPP, IPF and the like. To all of them, the Indians are nothing more than a vote bank. Pursue them for their votes with all sorts of promises but forget about them once the elections are over or worse, treat them and their demands for rights and social justice as nothing more than a nuisance.

Witness yesterday’s demonstration against the party leadership at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya. Yes, it was prompted by anger over the disgraceful way the supposedly democratic party elections were conducted. But look at who formed the overwhelming majority of the protesters. Yes, ethnic Indians! There is a groundswell of dissatisfaction and frustration within the Indian community about the way PKR has been treating the Indians.

Listen to what one Indian protester said about the Indians at the top level of PKR’s leadership: they are not really Indians - convey Indian-related grouses to them and they could not be bothered. Listen to what those protesters said about the party’s electoral fortune: without Hindraf, there would have been no 2008 tsunami.

To Anwar Ibrahim, Azmin Ali, Wan Azizah and the rest of the party leadership – ignore the signs at the party’s peril. The recent party elections have shown PKR to be just another of version of Umno which means Indians will continue to be shunted aside and marginalised. Don’t take Indian voters for granted! MIC without Samy Vellu may just look attractive again. What happened in March 2008 may not come your way again.

Angry PKR Member,

GOVAN NALIAH
PKR Membership No: B050000688