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Hindraf is playing poker with Pakatan
Published:  Feb 18, 2013 9:04 AM
Updated: 3:19 AM

YOURSAY 'But it is doubtful whether Hindraf has the cards to win the game. The huge influence that Hindraf had in 2008 was the result of a perfect storm.'

'Pakatan may lose 25 MPs without Hindraf's support'

your say Cala: Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim is representing the coalition who is trying to wrest more seats from a dying BN regime. Some of these seats are likely to come from MCA, MIC as well as Umno.

If Hindraf intends to go after seats held by MIC, I see an overlapping of goals which will be done at the expense of Pakatan's existing cadres. But ignoring Hindraf will have negative consequences in constituencies where Indians decide.

The situation calls for wisdom from both Pakatan and Hindraf leadership. Between BN and Pakatan, it is clear as daylight that Hindraf should back Pakatan.

BN is a fading force that has been proven to be unreliable, discredited and racist in the past. It is pure foolhardy to place one's trust on the BN regime.

Unspin: Hindraf is playing a poker with Pakatan but it is doubtful whether Hindraf has the cards to win the game.

The huge influence that Hindraf had in the last election was the result of a perfect storm, i.e. several critical factors converged at the right time to swing the traditionally pro-BN Indian votes to Pakatan.

Some of these factors were: (1) demolition of Hindu temples in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, (2) the Hindraf rally, (3) the arrest of several Hindraf leaders under ISA, and not least, (4) the promise of US$1 million for every Indian Malaysian if Hindraf was successful in its lawsuit against the UK government.

Considering that so much water had flowed under the bridge, it is highly unlikely that the perfect storm will happen again.

Dark Knight: P Waythamoorthy, the great soul Mahatma Gandhi fought for and was responsible for the independence of India. Yet he did not make any demands of his fellow men that he be made prime minister, let alone be given a seat to contest in the subsequent elections.

While you have good intentions, making demands for unrealistic seat allocations negates your fight for Indian Malaysians. The element of ransom, as speculated by some Malaysiakini commentators, is obvious.

Ferdtan: Waythamoorthy said: "The Indian community is not at war with the government as we were in 2007-2008."

Have there been real changes to the problems of Indians during PM Najib Razak's short term? What we see are only promises made conditional upon BN winning in the GE.

Why Hindraf leaders are deluding themselves with vain hopes that BN is still the Indians better hope if Pakatan were to refuse Hindraf's conditions for cooperation?

Have they not learnt after over five decades that BN will not change - certainly not in favour of the minority Indian race? State your stand now. Stop your posturing. It is getting irritating. Are you with BN or Pakatan?

If you want to be neutral by boycotting the general election, then you have no right to make any noise against whoever forms the next government.

Sometimes we just can't help feeling that Hindraf (only the leaders) are there on behalf BN to be the spoiler in the keen contest between Pakatan and BN in GE13.

Tailek: Beware Pakatan. If Hindraf wins those parliament and state seats, there is a danger that they may jump over to BN. I have nothing against the Indian man in the street but I just do not trust Indian politicians.

AY: Hindraf, another opportunist group - the Chinese education body Dong Zong - was trying to use the same tactic to get something out PM Najib yesterday. Did they get anything?

Samuel Jeson: Indians in this country are able to get a little political clout only after the birth of Hindraf. Now it has been seven years and it's time for Hindraf to sent its representatives to Parliament. My support is for Hindraf.

Jiminy Qrikert: Samuel Jeson, Hindraf cares only for 'Indians' (but in reality, just Tamils) and not the broader base of rakyat who need help.

Do yourself a favour and read Dr Kua Kia Soong's article on Hindraf's blueprint to understand why Hindraf will never get the broad-based appeal they need for legitimacy from the rakyat.

They had a good five years to understand this but chose to remain 'Indian-centric'. Now they are using their 'leverage' to squeeze Pakatan to sign a racist document when Pakatan is committing to affirmative action to help the rakyat regardless of race.

A good 90 percent of the Chinese have abandoned MCA and given their support to PKR and DAP, some even support PAS but no one will support Hindraf simply because Hindraf's race politics is just another leaf from BN's book that has divided and ruled Malaysia for 56 years.

Dr Chin Tu Lan: If that is the way Hindraf want to negotiate to get what they want, I would strongly suggest Pakatan to forget about them.

If there is no spirit of comradeship and a common vision for the good of all Malaysians, then this partnership would not work.

If I were Pakatan, I would rather lose these seats than compromise as a result of their threats.

KSD: Even though I have waited 55 years for BN to fall, I will say that Pakatan should not give in to blackmail. If Hindraf can even raise the threat of dealing with BN, let them go.

I am certain that most thinking Indians will be wiser than the two Hindraf brothers and their henchmen. They want to be the next MIC.

'Better to wait another five years than to give in'


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