I know a Chinese building contractor who is not yet able to plug into mainstream finance. He funds projects solely on the goodwill and credit of hardware suppliers of similar ethnicity where strictures of clan hierarchy are set aside.

According to him, Hindraf have unwittingly exposed the existence of Chinese guilds, associations and banks which play and continue to play a proactive role in uplifting the community in terms of religion, education and economics. They have unwittingly exposed a virtual non-existence of such guilds, associations and banks in the Hindu community. They have exposed their ability to more effectively pander the government for assistance rather than their own community. They have unwittingly exposed the fact that Chinese, Sikh, Christian and Bahai places of worship churches do not have land issues because their communities weigh in on such matters.

Hindraf has unwittingly exposed Malaysia as the only country in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) with one of the largest number of non-Muslim places of worship despite having a Muslim majority. It has been exposed that in Selangor alone, there are more temples for the minority Hindu community than mosques and suraus for the majority Muslims. There are more Hindu temples than Chinese, Sikh, Christian and Bahai places of worship combined.

He also said that they unwittingly exposed the prevalence of class and caste practices amongst the Hindu community, where temples patronised by the community’s upper echelons do not have land issues. They have also unwittingly exposed the apparent disparity and opulence of temples patronised by the upper echelons compared to the dilapidated state of temples patronised by the lower echelons of the community. Hindraf has unwittingly silenced the rich upper class or caste Hindus on this issue.