Most Read
Most Commented
mk-logo
From Our Readers
Nov 19 a significant opportunity to break Umno’s hegemony

Last Thursday, on Nov 3, 2016, the head of the red-shirts, Jamal Md Yunos, promised top Malaysiakini editors in an in an interview with them that he will bring 20,000 of his supporters to the front of Malaysiakini on Saturday, Nov 5, and “runtuh” (tear down) a part of the Malaysiakini building

This is curiously familiar to a threat Umno Youth made against Suqui in November 1996, that they (Umno Youth) will burn down the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. The current embattled Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was the Umno Youth chief then. A curious coincidence.

However, Jamal could hardly bring 700 supporters at the Malaysiakini premises on Nov 5.

This a clear indication also of the waning support from the core constituency on which Umno entirely depends. Najib has totally lost it with the Chinese and a large part of the Indian constituency.

Historical opportunities must be seized. Umno is weakening every passing day.

Hindraf People’s Movement, a breakaway faction from Perstuan Hindraf Malaysia (PHM) that is currently led by P Waythamoorthy, urges all Indian Malaysians to come out in full support of this large anti-corruption rally by Bersih on Nov 19.

Even though the Bersih 5 grouping is made up of strange bedfellows - several of whom we from the Hindraf People’s Movement do not trust, the Nov 19 rally presents a significant opportunity to break the hegemony of Umno.

There is no guarantee that the Indian poor will directly benefit from any impending change at the federal government that this rally may contribute to.

Basic socio-economic policies will not change as both sides of the political spectrum only use one-upmanship tactics to manage the demands of the poor, especially the Indian poor.

There will, however, be new alignments and new spaces that will be created for the Indian poor to operate more effectively as a political force than they have been able to do in the past.


N GANESAN is a member of the Leadership Senate of the Hindraf People’s Movement.

ADS