Lip service won’t do, Anwar - K Pragalath

“The man Pakatan Rakyat wants to install as prime minister only talks and makes empty promises. He should fulfill his election pledges. He’s the Selangor economic advisor and should learn how to deliver instead of embarking on a road show.” - N. Gobalakrishnan

by K Pragalath at Free Malaysia Today

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Former PKR strongman N Gobalakrishnan said that the party is doomed to failure because its leader Anwar Ibrahim was only good at paying lip service and not delivering on his promises.

“The man Pakatan Rakyat wants to install as prime minister only talks and makes empty promises. He should fulfill his election pledges.

“He’s the Selangor economic advisor and should learn how to deliver instead of embarking on a road show,” said Gobalakrishnan as he continued his barrage of criticism against the opposition leader and former boss.

Comparing Anwar to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, the now independent MP for Padang Serai, said Anwar does not go down on the ground to listen to the people problems and resolve issues affecting them.

Gobalakrishnan said this is why party members and representatives are dissappointed and have left the left the party as they were made to feel like orphans.

“Why are only PKR leaders leaving the party unlike in PAS and DAP?” he asked.

“I’ll tell you why,” he said in a quick reply to his self-imposed question, “It is because the party does not listen its grassroots leaders.

“They are ignored and made to feel like orphans who have been abandoned. PKR has become a laughing stock in the country’s political landscape.”

Unlike the PKR leadership, Gobalakrishnan said PAS’ Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat had always emphasised on its state assemblypersons and MPs to take interest in the welfare its party members.

Based on his own experience, the 51-year-old first-term parliamentarian said that funds for his Padang Serai constituency were channelled to PAS.

“Anwar didn’t dare ask PAS for funds on my behalf, but he openly criticise Barisan Nasional for not disbursing it to opposition MPs ,” explained Gobalakrishnan.

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

Gobalakrishnan leaves the poison behind - KTemoc

Gobala wasn’t the first to exit PKR with animosity; he won’t be the last. So, will you anwaristas again blame those who leave, or will you open your eyes wide and recognize the Anwar-Azmin poison? It's time PKR members wake up from their mesmerized hypnotized hallucinations, and stop imagining your icon and his blue-eye boy are infallible.

by KTemoc at KTemoc Konsiders

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So the virtually impossible has happened - Gobalakrishnan, once PKR’s chief bodek-er of Anwar, has resigned from PKR in disgust. Who would have ever predicted this prior to the recent party polls - a poll which had led many party stalwarts as well as notable and neutral socio-political observers to question the integrity of its process.

Silence from the party leaders, or their caught-with-pants-down inability to reply the challenges by the complainants have invited the inevitable destructive implosion.

And instead of pressuring the party leaders to be fully accountable, predictably, the moronic PKR fanatics lambasted Gobala as a snake, frog, UMNO-MIC mole, running dog and with various animal appellations. Will they do likewise to other complainants like Chegubard, Jonson Chong, Mustaffa Kamil as they did to Zaid Ibrahim, Gobala, Nallakaruppan, etc?

As I mentioned in my previous post The Poison within PKR - Part III:

Gobala might have hailed from MIC, supposedly a stigma that anwaristas have been hurling at him since he spoke out against Anwar Ibrahim. That’s the infantile stupidity of anwaristas. They seem to have forgotten that their very own icon and his blue-eye boy hailed from UMNO, and as another example, Chua Jui Meng was from MCA, etc.

Dismissing Anwar’s critics by pointing to their original political affiliations (Gobala from MIC, Zaid Ibrahim from UMNO, etc) while ignoring those of Anwar and Azmin (and Chua JM) is childish, double-standard, not objective, self deceiving, and can even eventually lead/escalate to accusing-stereotyping people like Gobala of being a “typical Indian”. Bet you that label has already been voiced within some groups in PKR.

and also

And haven’t party seniority and living the party's ‘trials & tribulations’ been the Azmin Ali camp’s arguments on why Azmin was far more deserving than Zaid Ibrahim of the post of party deputy president?

The blind double-standard hypocrites they are, their argument of ‘no to parachutist’ in the Azmin versus Zaid Ibrahim election tussle obviously doesn’t apply to the Gobala vs Surendran case.

Such double standard hypocrisy and Machiavellian manipulation to marginalize those members posing a threat to Azmin Ali have been the deadly ingredients which brew the poison with PKR.

Just double-standard fanatics, blind to their own follies, without the ability to think independently.

I believe it has been Anwar’s blind devotion for and non-negotiable support of Azmin Ali that have fermented the poison within PKR which will eventually kill the party off like Roundup does for lallangs.

Yes, perhaps Gobala may not be an intellectual, as some snobs in PKR suggested and thus better out of the party, but how many intellectuals does PKR have? Is Azmin Ali an intellectual? wakakaka! In reality he is nothing more than a pretty boy, a relative lightweight in the intellect department. His only strength in PKR is that Anwar Ibrahim backs him up 101% - nothing else.

Gobala was a loyal PKR member and an erstwhile staunch supporter of Anwar Ibrahim. The reason for him leaving PKR with such anger is no different to that of Nallakaruppan, where Anwar and the party had done him grave injustices. For Gobala, they were a mix, namely, the questionable party polling process and the refusal or inability of the party leaders to answer the challenges of the complainants, the deliberate snubbing of him in favour of Surendran (showing PKR's double standard where Surendran is okay as a parachutist but not so for Zaid Ibrahim), the outrageous 45-page show-cause letter with a demand to respond within an unreasonable 7 days, etc. Any reasonable man would have been driven off by such rot.

Gobala wasn’t the first to exit PKR with animosity; he won’t be the last. So, will you anwaristas again blame those who leave, or will you open your eyes wide and recognize the Anwar-Azmin poison? It's time PKR members wake up from their mesmerized hypnotized hallucinations, and stop imagining your icon and his blue-eye boy are infallible.



KTEMOC

Belajar Mengaji - Mat Saman Kati

Dua hari selepas berjumpa Appu, Tok Sami Kuil Sri Muneswarar, aku memulakan pengajian Bahasa Nabi Sulaiman. I’ve no idea. Macam bahasa Sanskrit ka, bahasa Urdu ka, atau Hebrew. Tapi kalau betul-betul dapat belajar bahasa binatang, aku mungkin jadi lebih terror dari Ayah Pin. Sekurang-kurangnya, aku boleh cerita kat orang, aku diutuskan oleh Tuhan untuk menyelamatkan binatang. Kalau setakat untuk menyelamatkan rakyat Malaysia, tak payah pun tak apa. Anwar dah ada.

Sampai di rumah Appu pukul 4 petang, Appu sudah sedia menunggu aku dengan uniform kuilnya. Tak ada beza dengan orang pakai ihram. Lepas tu dia bakar setanggi. Baunya macam bau Jalang Kedah. Kemudian dia bawa satu rehal besar.

“Lu pergi basuh muka, basuh tangan dan basuh kaki dulu.” kata Appu.

Alamak!!! macam nak ambil air sembahyang pulak! “Nak baca kitab pun kena basuh kaki tangan semua ka?” aku tanya.

“Lu mau baca Quran tak payah ambil air sembahyang ka?” dia tanya balik.

Aku pergi ambil air sembahyang tak cukup syarat. Memang tak sah sebab tak baca niat dan kemudian duduk depan rehal besar. Appu datang membawa satu kitab lama. Tebal macam Yellow Pages, lebar boleh buat bungkus nasi lemak.

“Ini kitab aaa, saya dapat masa saya pi India. Banyak susah mau cari.” kata Appu.

“Lu pun pi universiti kat India ka?” aku tanya.

“Tarak. Aurobindo Ashrama, Pondicherry.” kata Appu. Sebelum buka kitab, Appu mengajak aku membaca mantra. Dia bagi buku mantra untuk aku baca. Masa kecik-kecik dulu, aku pernah belajar jampi mentera dengan Tok Bomoh. Tapi bila dah besar, ustaz-ustaz kata itu semua syirik, jadi aku lupakan. Sekarang aku belajar mantra dari Tok Sami Hindu pulak. apa hukumnya? Kalau la tanya kat Hasan Ali, dah tentu dia kata sesat. Mungkin kalau tanya kat Harussanasini, dia mungkin kata harus.

Ada beberapa mantra yang dia suruh baca. Mula-mula dia suruh baca mantra untuk Dewa Dattareya:

Om Guru Datta Namo Namaha ll
Om Hareem Parambraham Parmaatmane Hari Harbrahyendraya Dattatroyaye swaha ll

Dattaatreya Hare Krishna unmataananda daayaka, digambara, mune,
baala, pishaaca, jnaana saagara ll

Om namo Bhagavate Dattaatreyaaya
smarana maatra samtushtaaya ll

Mula-mula aku baca macam Alif, Ba, Ta... bila dah hafal liriknya, Appu ajar aku dengan tajwid sekali. Teringat masa kecik dulu, bila tahlil ada gear satu, gear dua, gear tiga. Bila masuk gear empat, dah boleh kira high. Tengah syok ratib... tiba-tiba Tok Imam tekan brek. Lega!!!!

Bila aku lewat belasan tahun, ada cara nak high jugak. Mula-mula slow, lepas tu naik sikit. Last-last geleng kepala kiri kanan. Sapa yang biasa pekena batang betik dengan air kelapa, diiringi dengan lagu Stairway to Heaven, dah kira khatam.

Sekarang, aku high lagi dengan mantra Dattatreya. Tapi high kali ini bukan saja-saja nak syok. Aku nak belajar tentang ilmu binatang. Omar Khayyam pun kena high dulu baru boleh tulis puisi. Budak Melayu sekarang, dah high pi merempit. Cari mati.

Bila aku dah boleh membaca dengan lancar, Appu bagi kat aku seutas tasbih. Fuiyo!! Aku ingatkan orang Islam saja pakai tasbih!!! Cuma bezanya, tasbih depa ada 108 biji. Dan aku kena baca mantra sebanyak 108 kali setiap hari, tapi tak perlu la baca sekaligus.

Lepas tu, Appu suruh aku buka kitab. Fulamak. aku tak tau sama ada tulisan tu tulisan Urdu atau Sanskrit. Macam mana aku nak baca?

“Ini kitab Veda. Dalam ini kitab, dia ada empat buku. Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sam Veda dan Atharva Veda. Lu sudah habis belajar ini Veda punya kitab, baru boleh masuk Pazu Veda.” Appu bagi tau aku.

“Aiyoooyoooo… ini macam satu tahun pun tak boleh habis punya!!!” aku kata.

“Don’t worry macha. Itu pasai saya kena ajar lu baca mantra. Bila sudah high, ini kitab lu boleh habis baca dalam dua minggu.” Appu balas balik. “Ada dua lagi mantra lu kena belajar”

Aku minta rest sekejap. Tak boleh tahan kalau tak pekena rokok.

Sambil pekena rokok, aku berfikir… betul ka apa yang aku buat? Tak salah ka dari segi syarak? Apakah aku akan dianggap murtad? Apakah aku akan dianggap sesat? Macam mana kalau ladang kambing aku nanti penuh tengan tempayan dan payung?

Kat mana aku nak lari kalau Pegawai Ugama datang nak tangkap aku? Aku bukan boleh naik ke langit macam Ayah Pin! Tak kan nak lari berlindung kat Kedutaan India kot?

Tapi… mungkin selepas khatam belajar Pazu Veda, aku boleh panggil tebuan, lebah dan kerengga untuk bantu aku!! Yahoooo.. aku buang puntung rokok. Semangat untuk belajar Pazu Veda semakin tinggi.

Bila kembali mengadap kitab, Appu membawa kepada aku sebuah lagi buku. “Saya ajar macam mana mau baca ini kitab. Ini buku, lu boleh baca terjemahannya.” Appu bagi kat aku terjemahan Veda dalam bahasa Inggeris. Aku tengok, buku tersebut di tulis oleh Sir William Jones. Sir William Jones merupakan seorang hakim dan pengasas Asiatic Society of Bengal. Buku tersebut dicetak pada tahun 1927.

Depan aku dah ada tiga buku. Veda, Mantra dan terjemahan Veda. “Kamasutra tarak ka, macha?” aku tanya Appu. Saja nak melawak.

“Ada!!!” kata Appu.

Wow!!!

Dei MSK… apa sudah jadi? - Mat Saman Kati

Setiap kali nak buat ceramah PKR, setiap kali itulah aku jual seekor untuk derma nak cari modal ceramah. Tak mengapa... perjuangan. Bila nak pilihanraya, lingkup habis semua kena jual nak tampung kempen pilihanraya. Tak mengapa... perjuangan. Tapi sekarang semua dah lingkup. PKR tak memerlukan lagi penternak kambing macam aku. Depa dah kaya. Kontrak juta-juta. Nak cari sponsor untuk bertanding, boleh cari Gapurna. Aku menjadi liabiliti kepada parti kerana tidak dapat lagi “berkorban”.

oleh Mat Saman Kati di ureka.asia

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Kalau dikira dari tarikh terakhir aku menulis, dah lebih 50 hari aku tak menulis. Kalau perempuan beranak, dah habis pantang. Kalau semasa 44 hari dalam pantang, setiap hari makan manjakani dan kacip fatimah, sekarang dah kembali macam malam pertama. Cuma bezanya, sekarang sang bapa terpaksa berebut tetek dengan anak kecil.

Kalau tanam sayur, dah dua kali dapat hasil. Kalau bela kambing, dah dapat anak. Kalau bela lembu dah dah dapat susu. Cuma sapa yang duduk dalam PKR masih tertunggu-tunggu hasil penyiasatan penyelewengan Pemilihan 2010.

Aku bukan jenis orang yang wala’ macam Mustaffa Kamil Ayub, yang sanggup terima apa saja yang Anwar cakap. Aku juga bukan jenis macam Mat Nor Manuty yang sanggup terima jawatan melalui pintu belakang. Cukup la sampai di sini. Dari dulu pun aku dah cakap... kalau PKR pun jadi macam Umno... aku tak kan ikut. Full stop.

Mungkin sudah takdir aku jadi penternak kambing. Dan aku seronok menternak kambing sebab kambing tak pandai menipu. Kambing tak pernah berjanji apa-apa kat aku. Cukup usia, dia mendatangkan hasil kepada aku. Malah dia rela dirinya dikorbankan asalkan aku senang. Bukan meminta aku berkorban asalkan dia senang.

Dua minggu sebelum Hari Natal bulan lepas, aku pergi ke Kuil Sri Muneswarar Kuala Kangsar. Bukan nak sembahyang, tapi menghadiri perkahwinan anak kawan aku, Ramesh dan Prema.

Bila aku pakai kurta, ramai yang tak dapat membezakan sama ada aku Melayu atau India. Memang betul kata Wan Larut, kalau aku masuk KIMMA pun orang percaya. Sebabnya, kena berjemur tengah panas, menebas kebun yang dah jadi hutan. Masa mula-mula aku bela kambing dulu, kandang kambing aku jadi tumpuan. Setiap kali nak buat ceramah PKR, setiap kali itulah aku jual seekor untuk derma nak cari modal ceramah. Tak mengapa... perjuangan.

Bila nak pilihanraya, lingkup habis semua kena jual nak tampung kempen pilihanraya. Tak mengapa... perjuangan.

Tapi sekarang semua dah lingkup. PKR tak memerlukan lagi penternak kambing macam aku. Depa dah kaya. Kontrak juta-juta. Nak cari sponsor untuk bertanding, boleh cari Gapurna. Aku menjadi liabiliti kepada parti kerana tidak dapat lagi “berkorban”. Ptuih!!

Dari kandang kambing aku datang, ke kandang kambing aku kembali.

Satu perkara menarik berlaku semasa menghadiri perkahwinan anak kawan aku di Kuil Sri Muneswarar. Semasa menjalankan upacara akad nikah pasangan, aku rasa macam kenal Tok Sami yang menjalankan upacara. Aku tengok dia, dia tengok aku. Aku tak tegur, takut silap orang. Sebab orang yang aku kenal tak mungkin jadi Sami. Orang yang aku kenal dulu sama-sama curi rambutan, terjun sungai, minum todi. Tak mungkin dia jadi Sami.

Selesai upacara perkahwinan, aku pergi makan nasi daun pisang di pekarangan kuil. Tiba-tiba Tok Sami datang dan menepuk bahu aku. “Dei Macha!! lu hidup lagi ka?”

Cilaka Tok Sami ni! Podah pulti! Tersembur perkataan yang biasa kami sebut masa kecik dulu. Orang lain semua tengok aku. Kurang ajar punya Melayu... mencarut kat Tok Sami depa.

"Apa sudah jadi sama lu, macha?" Tok Sami tanya aku.

"Apa sudah jadi sama lu, Appu?" aku tanya dia. Kami sama-sama gelak. Dia peluk aku. Orang lain heran.

“Mari saya punya rumah, macha.” Dia pelawa aku. “Sudah lebih 25 tahun kita tarak jumpa.”

Petang tu aku pi rumah dia, dekat Klinik Uma, di Jalan Dato Sagor. Fuiyo! Rumah banglo! Tapi bila pergi belakang rumah dia, ada kandang kambing. Tak banyak, cuma ada 7 ekor.

“Ini kambing aaa... semua sembahyang punya.” Appu bagi tau aku.

“Ha ha... kambing pun sembahyang!” aku senyum perli. Appu nampak macam terasa.

“Pundek lu! Dulu betul la, kita suka tipu sama orang. Sekarang lain, macha. Kita sudah tua... lagi mau tipu orang bikin apa?” Kata Appu. Aku tak tau, sama ada dia cakap dengan ikhlas atau perli aku.

“Itu hari, masa pilihanraya, saya ada nampak sama lu bikin ceramah. Tapi itu jam lu mana ada nampak sama saya. Lu janji macam-macam... cakap banyak bagus... tapi sudah habis pilihanraya, lu punya muka pun tarak nampak.” Peergh!!

Aku senyum pahit. Tak berani nak cakap lebih-lebih sebab apa yang dia cakap memang betul. Bila pemimpin berjanji, aku tukang sampaikan. Bila pemimpin tak tunai janji atau tipu, aku pun terlibat.

“Apa lu bikin sekarang?” Appu tanya aku.

“Tarak kerja.”

“Pooorrrahh! Kucing duduk rumah pun ada kerja tangkap tikus! Anjing pun ada kerja jaga rumah. Habis... sapa kasi lu makan?” Appu tanya lagi.

“Saya punya perempuan ada kerja. Saya duduk rumah.” aku jawab.

“Cittt... pundek kalde. Lu punya standard lagi teruk dari binatang la, macha!!” Cilaka sungguh Tok Sami ni. Kutuk aku kaw-kaw. Apa punya ugama, asyik kutuk orang saja.

“Ini macam la, macha. Lu pergi repair lu punya kandang, saya kasi lu satu ekor ini kambing. Saya kasi sama lu, itu bagus punya bapak kambing.” Appu offer kat aku.

“Porrrah!! Lu kasi satu ekor mau bikin apa? kasi la sepasang.” aku jawab.

“Ni amma kudhi... saya sudah kasi bagus punya bapak... satu ekor betina pun lu tak boleh cari ka?” Appu mencarut kat aku.

Ok la. Dari bawah pokok rambutan, Appu menjerit. “Ganesh!!! wai ngge”

Aku ingatkan anak dia yang datang, tapi seekor kambing jantan keluar dari kandang dan datang ke arah kami. Nak katakan Jamnapari, janggut dia pendek macam janggut Anwar. Nak kata Boer, badan dia tak gempal macam Shamsul Iskandar. Nak kata Saanen, badan dia macam Gobala.

Appu berkata sesuatu kepada bapak kambing tersebut. Aku tak faham sebab bukan bahasa Tamil yang selalu aku dengar.

“Dia paham lu punya cakap ka, Appu?” aku tanya dia.

“Only humans talk. Animals communicate.” Appu jawab dalam English slang Ramasamy Estate. Kalau sesiapa yang pernah duduk di Tapah tahun 60-70an, mesti tau Ramasamy Estate di Jalan Pahang. Sekarang sudah jadi kem askar.

“Ini kambing aaa, bukan saja boleh dengar dan faham apa kita cakap, dia juga boleh cakap sama kita.” Appu bagi tau aku.

“Apa bahasa dia pakai?” aku tanya Appu.

“Bahasa Nabi Sulaiman.” jawab Appu.

‘Porraahh... kita orang baca Quran, tarak jumpa pun bahasa Nabi Sulaiman. Lu ugama Hindu boleh percaya Nabi Sulaiman ka?” Aku cakap kat Appu.

“Pundek lu. Lu ada baca Veda? Upanishad? Purana? Brahmana Granth?” Appu tanya aku.

Aku terkebil-kebil. Mana aku ada baca semua tu. Lagi pun kalau aku baca, takut nanti terpesong akidah pulak.

“Saya punya rumah ada satu kitab. Pazu Veda. Lu mau belajar bahasa binatang, lu boleh duduk saya punya rumah. Satu bulan punya kursus, lu boleh khatam.” kata Appu.

Olrait!!! ini sesuatu yang menarik. Aku setuju.

“Tapi, sebelum belajar, lu kena sembahyang dulu.” kata Appu.

Aiyooooo... macam nak belajar Bharata Natyam pulak. Tapi aku tak kisah. Jangan ada pegawai ugama datang hambat aku macam depa hambat Bakaq Penarik Beca dah la. Kalau Bakaq pun depa kata sesat, ini kan pulak aku yang nak belajar Pazu Veda.

bersambung...

PKR & Gobala - Muniandy Vengaiah

More than one month ago, I wrote to express my disgust with the way PKR handled dissent from its own members. Looking at the way it is handling the criticisms from one of its own MPs, YB N. Gobalakrishnan, it seems that in PKR any internal dissent is automatically considered an act of treachery.

Its former deputy president, Dr Syed Husin Ali, has made many accusations about these dissenters. He has labelled them as sampah sarap or rubbish, ‘frogs’ planning to leave the party and posing as heroes in attacking the party leadership merely to extract the highest bid from BN.

I regret very much that Dr Syed Husin has chosen to make those accusations which are baseless, very deplorable and self-defeating.

The effect is to scare members from criticising the party leadership. What is the point of having ‘one member, one vote’ to encourage democratic participation of members when participation in the form of honest and legitimate criticisms are condemned as treacherous by the party?

In defence of Gobala and in reply to those who attacked him for airing openly his grouses, many times in private he had expressed his dissatisfaction to the party leadership, only to find out later that his complaints had fallen on deaf years. And when in frustration he brings everything out in the open, he is accused of being disloyal to the party. What is this, PKR?

Some party leaders like to claim the party has come out of the internal elections stronger than before. Is it really? Why can’t the party be more matured in managing criticisms from its members if it is really stronger than before? To me, the recent party elections have only proven that PKR is unfit to issue any kind of criticism to the Elections Commission about the way that body administers the nation’s elections.

Gobala’s main concerns are over the Sivan Temple in Bukit Gasing and the welfare of the Coalfield Estates workers. As an elected people’s representative, he feels that it is his duty to speak out on those issues. And yet the party chooses to vilify him for speaking out.

His other complaints about the many flaws in the party elections and how the party’s de facto leader seems to favour the current deputy president before, during and after the elections are meant to open up the eyes of the membership to shortcomings within the party. Is it taboo to criticise the de facto leader? If so, is it because he is a ‘God-given’ leader, as claimed by the party president?

Gobala also brought up the question of Mr Surendran’s membership and it took the party a long time to announce that he has always been a member of the Lembah Pantai cabang. Really? Was his name in the electoral roll of members qualified to vote during the party elections?

It is suspected that a party letter had been forged to sack a certain party member and stop him from contesting the deputy president post during the recent elections. I therefore have suspicion that Surendran’s name could have just been inserted into the membership register simply to deny Gobala’s claim. PKR is a party that believes in solving problems expeditiously, it seems.

Many senior members have left the party after being disenchanted with the attitude and stance of the top leadership. Right now, in the way the party handles internal dissent and criticisms, there is a big question mark whether PKR is the Reformasi party that it claims to be.



MUNIANDY VENGAIAH

Wither the Indians in PKR? - Muniandy Vengaiah

At the turn of the last century, our forefathers were kidnapped from India by the British and brought to this land as indentured labourers. They formed the bulk of the tappers in the rubber estates, the coolies in the road and rail building gangs and the menial workers in the local councils. Later they were joined by other immigrants from the sub-continent to serve in the civil, health, education, legal services and the police force. Together with the other communities, they helped build this nation which they, and we now call home. Today, ethnic Indians make-up 7.1% of the total population. A minority but a sizable one.

There is no Indian-dominated parliamentary constituency. However, there are many constituencies where Indians hold the decisive votes. Indians are 6.8% of registered voters but they do not have an effective political representation. MIC have been hijacked by the Samy Vellu mafioso, Gerakan regard Indians as a joke, Indians are second-class members in DAP while IPF, PPP, HRP, Makhal Sakti, etc. are only interested in vying for the Indian quota on the BN gravy train.

Events after the Hindraf-sponsored demonstrations in 2007 raised our political consciousness. We were made aware that we did not have political representation. We discarded MIC, rejected BN and looked to PKR in particular, and PR in general to represent us politically. We registered in droves as PKR members such that 25% of PKR members now are ethnic Indians. Cometh GE12, we threw our support to PKR and PR.

Two and a half years after the tsunami, the political fortunes of the Malaysian Indians have not changed for the better. The Indian underclass is still ignored. The grievances of the Indian community are still summarily dismissed. Even in PR controlled states, Indians fare no better: Hindu temples are demolished in Selangor, Indian squatters are evicted without proper compensation in Penang.

The idea of a multi-racial political party was appealing. We hoped that in such an environment the minority would be given enough space. We prayed that a leader who had suffered injustice would empathize with the injustice we are facing. Alas, our hopes and dreams are dashed.

Events in PKR lately have proven that Indians are still marginalized. No Indian was elected to the MPP in the recent party elections. Token Indian leaders would be appointed to fill the quota: self-serving leaders whose primary interest is to hang-on to Anwar’s coat-tail in the march to Putrajaya.

The future of the Indians in PKR is bleak. A PKR where the incoming deputy president had brazenly called another PKR leader of Indian origin, a pariah.

It is time that we Indians, as a community, re-evaluate our support for PKR. Indian members of PKR should not be taken for granted. We should suspend our membership en-masse until the leadership of PKR make serious amends to earn our support. Being a direct member of BN, by-passing MIC, PPP, Gerakan and the likes, is always a viable alternative. The so-called "Third-Force" could be an option too, but it is an option we should carefully evaluate.



MUNIANDY VENGAIAH

Tell the Truth Even if it Hurts - Do Not Become Cowards By Condoning Injustice - S. Kottapan

To All PKR Leaders and Party Comrades,

We the ordinary members of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) are assembled here today to express our sadness and disappointment towards PKR’s leadership that have continuously defended misconducts by the Central Elections Committee (CEC) and the Party Secretariat in handling the recently concluded PKR elections. Complaints and reports that have been made by party members were entirely ignored by the leadership, thus exposing the real attitude of these leaders; the feelings of ordinary members do not have to be cared or repected, that every member has the ability to think rationally and determine for themselves what is right, and what is wrong.

Our sadness and disappointment are compounded when members criticised, complained and expressed dissatisfaction over the party elections which have failed to be conducted in a fair and clean manner, and yet this discontent was brushed aside by the party as something of a nuisance to Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and YB Azmin Ali. To seek justice, fight for the truth, oppose abuses and propose improvements are considered acts of disloyalty and treachery. All members are expected to display undivided loyalty towards the beloved Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and YB Azmin Ali come what may, and not be a bother to Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali.

Is it because we are just ordinary members that we do not deserve to be treated well by leaders who now have positions, wealth and power? Our advice to PKR leaders: respect our dignity as members. Without support from us ordinary members, you would be a nobody in PKR.

By acknowledging the legitimacy of the recent elections and protecting the cases of misconduct that have occured, the PKR leadership have succeeded in proving their cowardice and hypocrisy in striving for truth and justice as they have so often chanted. We would like to ask our PKR leaders: if you are unable to provide justice to your own members, would you be able to provide justice for all Malaysians?

REFORMASI! REFORMASI! REFORMASI!



S. KOTTAPAN

Berkata Benar Biarpun Pahit - Jangan Jadi Dayus Melindungi Ketidakadilan - S. Kottapan

Kepada Pemimpin-Pemimpin PKR dan saudara-saudari sahabat seperjuangan,

Kami anggota-anggota bawahan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) berhimpun pada hari ini untuk melahirkan rasa kecewa dan sedih terhadap pimpinan PKR yang terus-menerus mempertahankan salahlaku Jawatankuasa Pilihan Raya (JPP) dan Sekretariat Ibu Pejabat Parti dalam mengendalikan pemilihan PKR baru-baru ini. Aduan dan laporan yang telah dibuat oleh anggota Parti langsung tidak dilayan oleh pimpinan, sekaligus menyerlahkan sikap sebenar pimpinan; bahawa anggota bawahan ini tidak penting untuk dijaga perasaan mereka apatah lagi untuk dihormati, bahawa setiap anggota juga mempunyai pemikiran rasional untuk menentukan apa yang benar dan apa yang salah.

Kesedihan dan kekecewaan ini semakin dirasai apabila anggota-anggota bertindak mengkritik, membuat aduan atau mempunyai perasaan tidak puas hati terhadap salah laku perjalanan pemilihan PKR yang gagal dikendalikan secara adil dan bersih. Ketidakpuashatian ini akan dianggap oleh Parti sebagai sesuatu yang menyusahkan Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan YB Azmin Ali. Menuntut keadilan, memperjuangkan kebenaran, menentang salahlaku atau mencadangkan penambahbaikan akan dianggap sebagai tindakan derhaka dan khianat. Semua anggota diminta untuk menjadi anggota yang mempunyai kesetiaan tidak berbelah bagi untuk disayangi Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan YB Azmin Ali walau dalam apa jua keadaan asalkan tidak menyusahkan Anwar Ibrahim dan Azmin Ali.

Adakah kerana kami anggota bawahan, kami tidak berhak mendapat layanan baik dari pemimpin atasan yang kini sudah berpangkat besar, semakin berharta, lagi berkuasa? Nasihat kami kepada pemimpin PKR: anggota juga mempunyai maruah diri yang mesti dihormati. Tanpa sokongan dari kami anggota bawahan, anda tidak akan diangkat menjadi pemimpin PKR.

Oleh itu, jika pemimpin Parti mengiktiraf pemilihan PKR sebagai sah dan melindungi salahlaku yang sudah berlaku ini nescaya akan menyerlahkan kedayusan pemimpin dalam memperjuangkan keadilan dan kebenaran yang dilaung-laungkan selama ini. Dengan ini, kami memberi ingatan kepada pimpinan parti: jikalau tidak mampu untuk memberi keadilan kepada anggota sendiri, bagaimana kita mahu meyakinkan rakyat Malaysia bahawa kita mampu memberi keadilan kepada mereka.

REFORMASI! REFORMASI! REFORMASI!



S. KOTTAPAN

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