The restiveness of Indians in the country continues unabated, raising its head up in various forms ever so regularly. The latest is the purported move by Indian representatives in Pakatan Rakyat threatening to pull out from the various PR state governments.

I do not in any way intend to allocate blame or to insinuate that the participants in the latest quarrel are wrong. Rather, what I am saying is that the real issue needs to be understood differently and the issues to be resolved framed differently.

I think new light needs to be shed on this issue so that this move is not misunderstood or trivialised

This simmering restiveness relates directly to the emergent aspirations of the whole Indian community in Malaysia. P Uthayakumar of Hindraf has so sensitively captured this feeling and had articulated it so loudly and audaciously, I daresay, in his 18-point demand to the authorities.

It is obvious by the way things have been progressing since the Nov 25, 2007 Hindraf rally which brought into focus this document, that this point about an emergent community is little understood by all those in position to make a difference. They are approaching it like old wine in new bottles.

The 18-point demand captures comprehensively all the key issues afflicting the Indian community specifically. In an oblique way, these demands also point to a need for the creation of a new paradigm for the governance of our country. This then is really the issue – is there going to be a reformation of our system?

The restiveness relates just to this need. This is the how the issue needs to be understood. The basic policies of governance in the country needs to be reset. Without this kind of understanding, the issues are going to be framed in all too familiar ways of ‘equal but unequal policies’ and the remedies will, at best, have only temporary effect.

The 18 points relate to a regime of blatant violation of the supreme document of rights – the federal constitution, of inequality and imbalance in the disposition of the national wealth and to a system running with increasingly less accountability and checks and balances with blatant disregard for the fact that Malaysia is essentially multi-ethnic and multi-religious.

For those who care, please find a copy of the 18 demands of Hindraf and understand just how comprehensive the document really is – even though it is specifically addressed to the issues afflicting the Indian community. The 18 points really require a change of national policy.

We need a new concept for the nation of Malaysia if we are going to realise sustainable prosperity through the vast human potential that is today being diddled away by a vision-lacking national policy. Of course, the current elite, whether within BN or PR, do not yet appreciate this fully enough.

My arguments here can easily be passed off as racially-slanted rubbish. That is exactly the point - there is a lot of paradigm paralysis in our country.

Only and only when the 18 demands are taken seriously and viewed from the perspective of national policy, can we expect a positively-positioned country to re-emerge. Given the current turmoil in the world economy, the political confusion in our country, this is no understatement.

The elite of the country - whether within BN or PR - must understand that a new regime is needed and the time is now. The moment will be lost as we see in so many instances in history – and then catastrophe befalls and everyone loses.

In this instance, I think the PR leadership needs to look at the issues of the Indian community in a comprehensive and attentive manner. They must be willing to listen and adjust in visible and tangible ways. The Indian PR representatives should push for a general meeting with the powers- that-be and set up a forum for discussion.

The objective of this forum should be to formulate a significant new national policy blueprint based on the 18 points document. Until the outcome of such discussion is known, the Indian reps need to stay where they are. Decisions should be made only after clearly knowing the stand on the 18 points demand of the Indian community.

Either we take the cue from the writing on the wall or just allow history to happen to us.

United we stand, united we act.