DAP-PKR-PAS' betrayal of the Indians - malaysiakini

The recent announcement of the exco composition of the PKR-DAP-PAS
controlled Perak and Selangor is a huge let down for the marginalized
Indian community. It really borders on the outer limits of betrayal. Least
this letter be misconstrued as a mischievous attempt of a MIC or Barisan
supporter, let this be put to rest – we voted for PAS in Perak and for PKR
in Selangor.

And what do we marginalised Indians get in return? The same one miserable
exco seat each in Selangor and Perak – just like what Umno gave MIC. For a
marginalised community that started the tsunami what do we get – one
miserable seat. For a community that defied the police, bore the brunt of
tear gas, were charged with murder and placed in police lock ups and under
the ISA – what do we get? One miserable exco seat. We threw the dictator
Samy Vellu out in Perak and what do we get in Perak? One miserable exco
seat.
Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit Siang would not have had an audience at their
early ceramah if not for the Indians who made a sizable portion of the
audience. Others saw us coming out in the thousands for the ceramah and
decided to follow suit. A marginalised community ignited a revolution in
this country that ended up in a tsunami. And what do we get for it?
Betrayal.
The problems of the suppressed Indian community are too enormous for just a
single exco member to handle. A Sivanesan of Perak and Dr Xavier Jayakumar
would fail because the task is unmanageable – unmanageable by any single
person. Definitely an argument will be forthcoming that this Barisan Rakyat
represents all races and that their elected representatives would take care
of all regardless. If so, then why the tussle over exco seat allocations
between the parties? Why the wrangling over juicy portfolios like land and
local government?
How about PAS in Perak? Instead of taking three exco seats, why didn’t it
give up one and insist on two exco seats for Indians? How could PAS have
won these many seats both in Selangor and Perak if not for the 95% Indian
support for a party that wouldn’t even allow me, a Malaysian, to be a full
member because of my religion? Is this action a ‘Malaysian Malaysia’
action, can this action be called keadilan and is this the action of a
party that is rooted in religion?
We Indian Malaysians were colour blind, race blind and religion blind
during the last elections – because we didn’t want it to matter. To our
core, we were Malaysians first, Malaysians second and Malaysians third. We
placed our entire faith in the hands of the Barisan Rakyat parties. Now
have we been shortchanged. No, we have been betrayed instead.
How could one Indian exco member be successful in safeguarding the interest
of all the Indians as well as the interest of all Malaysians in Selangor
and Perak? The Malaysian Malaysia’s DAP website and PKR’s website don’t
even have sections in Tamil – only Bahasa Malaysia, English and Mandarin!
Now who is marginalising whom? Gentlemen, let your action speak louder than
all your sweet campaign words.

Please make amends to your actions. There are city council and municipal
council heads to be changed. The PKR-DAP-PAS coalition should ensure that
at least some of the big cities have an Indian as a mayor or municipal
head, both in Selangor and Perak. There are also state government bodies
and corporations. Please ensure adequate representation at senior levels.
Also, both these states, please come up with a comprehensive plan to combat
the problems the Indians are faced with. We are disappointed so far but we
are hopeful that the wrongs will be righted. We hope we will not be let
down again in the future.
http://www.malaysia kini.com/ letters/80698