COMMENT Three significant characteristics of the system of Malaysian electoral politics make it inimical to the interests of the Indian Malaysian poor. The system is based on simple electoral majorities, it is ethnocentric and it works to provide moral cover for the Malaysian elite.

And, it has become conventional wisdom that since Indian Malaysians do not form a majority in any single constituency, and are an economically depressed community, it will be nigh impossible for them to gain true representation for their socio-economic interests. This implies that Indian Malaysians will continue to be dependent on the largesse of the party in power.

Hindraf challenges these three assumptions and the first stones were cast with the 2007 Hindraf rally. Hindraf has been unrelenting in this challenge ever since...