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Pakatan and Hindraf - missed chance or great escape?
Published:  Apr 9, 2013 11:31 AM
Updated: 12:20 PM

YOURSAY 'Playing hard with Pakatan but going soft with BN is an ungentlemanly act and raises questions on Hindraf's intentions.'

Pakatan and Hindraf - the missed opportunity

your say Dark Knight: Suaram director Kua Kia Soong, while I agree with some of your assessments on Hindraf's blueprint and Pakatan Rakyat's failure to adopt some pertinent proposals in it, you have failed to address Hindraf's ridiculous demand from Pakatan for a disproportionate number of parliamentary and state seats.

Has Hindraf made the same demands of BN, and has BN assented to it? Playing hard with Pakatan but going soft with BN is an ungentlemanly act and raises questions on Hindraf's intentions.

Raja Chulan: For 55 years we (all Malaysians) have been cheated and taken on a long ride by Umno-BN. As such, our number one enemy is none other than Umno-BN.

This GE13 is indeed a God-sent opportunity. Hindraf and Pakatan should put aside their differences just to defeat and bury Umno-BN first and foremost. All other issues and differences can be sorted out after that.

Kgen: Let's be practical here. 55 years of institutionalised racism cannot be removed in a single stroke. What Kua is saying is why didn't Pakatan promise to abolish institutionalised racism in their election manifesto?

Kua is speaking from his academic ivory tower and being ignorant of political realities on the ground. The support from the Malays will crumble if Pakatan dares to announce the abolishment of Malay privileges and their chance of capturing Putrajaya will be as good as zero.

Remember the uproar when a Pakatan MP proposed that Malay discount for houses should be limited to luxury houses only? Or when Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim proposed that 10 percent of Mara's intake be open to other races?

It may take a decade to slowly dismantle what BN has set up. It seems odd that the author abhors institutionalised racism but admonishes Pakatan for not accepting Hindraf's blueprint which will just strengthen it.

Changenow: I agree with Kgen that institutionalised racism cannot be dismantled in one stroke. Specifically Malays have to concede economic opportunities and be fair to all marginalised people irrespective of race.

The problem is dismantling the demon that BN has created. Both BN and PKR are in fear of it, which is disastrous for all.

Lie Detector: Kua has described this as a "missed opportunity". I describe it as a "great escape". There is no telling what Hindraf leaders will do in Parliament if they win in a Pakatan seat.

Kua fails to describe how Hindraf conducted these negotiations with Pakatan. Even before the release of the blueprint, it had publicly declared that there is no difference between BN and Pakatan.

Then they publicly condemn Pakatan leaders as ‘mandores'. Once P Uthayakumar demanded Pakatan leader Anwar Ibrahim go to an open field in Klang and publicly endorse the blueprint. This aggressive knife-to-the-throat is Hindraf's way. In other words; my way or no way.

Then there is the underhand manner of asking for 10 state and seven parliament Pakatan seats. Absent from Bersih 2.0, Bersih 3.0 and Kebangkitan Rakyat #112, Hindraf is indeed in a world of its own.

Lexicon: Pakatan has a long way to go before it fulfills our aspirations, but it's a good start and many light years ahead of BN. Hindraf is not likely to be as influential on the outcome of GE13 as Sabah and Sarawak.

In my opinion, the greatest missed opportunity was to have failed to create a credible opposition front in Sabah. But that's as much down to the failings of Sabah politicians Jeffrey Kitingan and Yong Teck Lee, as it is down to Pakatan's.

Anonymous_7281: If BN have been helping Indians all these while, why are they still having issues after 55 years. Don't be fooled by their ploys for votes.

After the election is over, Indians issues will be forgotten until the next election and the cycle will continue again.

Pakatan's pledge to help all in need irrespective of race is best for all. Surely the poor Indians and other races will receive assistance. Otherwise like in the New Economic Policy, the rich Indians who know how to please BN leaders will be the only ones benefitting from it all.

Rican88: "I am afraid this historic non-compromise between Pakatan and Hindraf in GE13 will probably go down in Malaysian history as one of the most unfortunate missed opportunities in the overthrow of BN rule." So sad but true.

Theeyes82: Kua got it spot on. Pakatan is missing out on something big here. I will cast my vote for Pakatan not because I like them, but I can't bear with BN anymore.

Pakatan says BN copied their manifesto, then what on earth did DAP do with its Gelang Patah declaration? Isn't that plagiarism as well?

Fairnessforall: Kua, you claim that DAP plagiarised from the Hindraf blueprint yet when BN does it, Hindraf advisor N Ganesan says it has been ‘incorporated'. What utter rubbish, why the double standards.

Secondly, you fail to realise that Hindraf's demands for signing of the blueprint is linked to the demand for the seven parliamentary and 10 state seats, whereby this same demand was not put to BN.

As an Indian, I do not agree with Pakatan giving in to Hindraf's demands and threats.


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