Hindraf launched its five-year blueprint today, calling for a Ministry of Minority Affairs headed by the movement to be established.

NONE Its national adviser N Ganesan ( right ) said whichever political coalition endorses the Hindraf blueprint in a "formal treaty" would receive its support.

"The trickle-down approach to solving these kinds of problems just doesn't work. What we need are targeted, focused and pointed efforts, like what we are suggesting.

"We believe there has to be adequate political will to carry this through... and we believe that Hindraf is the only organisation in the country that can see through a programme for the minorities," Ganesan told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

He explained that Hindraf should head the ministry because people have grown distrustful of politicians for making promises they cannot keep.

Six problem areas

Ganesan said the blueprint identifies six problem areas the Indian Malaysian community faces that need to be resolved in the next five years and it proposed some solutions.

NONE The six are: Displaced estate workers, stateless persons, lack of access to education and job opportunities, police brutality including deaths in custody, and institutionalised racism.

Some of the proposed solutions include providing adequate compensation and skills training for displaced estate workers, implementing the Independent Police Misconduct and Complaints Commission (IPCMC) and ratifying the UN's International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Asked what if neither Pakatan Rakyat nor BN would endorse the blueprint, Ganesan pointed at the crowd leaving the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall where the press conference was held and said the matter would be left to the people.

NONE The blueprint's unveiling was held in conjunction with the 5th anniversary of Hindraf's 2007 street protest, and was attended by some 1,500 supporters.

Some of them had to watch the event from TV screens outside the venue, due to the full-house crowd.

However, the movement's de facto leader and Human Rights Party chairperson P Uthayakumar was absent from the event.

NONE Asked about this, Uthaya's brother and Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy ( right ) said "because he has gone and formed the Human Rights Party. We are running a people's movement here".

Earlier at the conclusion of the anniversary rally, the audience recited a declaration supporting the blueprint and called for the ban on Hindraf to be lifted.

"We, the representatives of 1.5 million Indian Malaysian poor, hereby accept and whole-heartedly support the blueprint to achieve a practical and comprehensive final solution to the tragedy that has fallen on the Indian Malaysian community for 200 years.

"We fully support Hindraf's move to pressure the government to fully execute this plan.

"We also unanimously urge the Malaysian government to withdraw the ban on Hindraf and allow it to operate as a human rights organisation," the enthusiastic crowd said.

VIDEO | 11.17 mins