The Human Rights Party (HRP) has handed over a letter to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in Putrajaya, asking the latter to stop treating poor Indians as soft targets for easy bullying by the authorities, for example, the police.

Signed by the party’s Penang pro-tem chairperson K Kalaiselvam, the five-page letter was also copied to Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Noh Omar, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Police chief Ismail Omar and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamad.

It stated that state authorities have needlessly attempted to destroy the meagre livelihood of a poor Indian family who are trying to eke out a living out of fallow land.

Kalaiselvam said the family was not asking for any assistance from the state but just living their lives the best way they can by farming and selling their produce.

“We consider this situation to be preposterous given your various utterances at the national level about elimination of poverty and about the correction of the problems with the Indian community,” he said.

Kalaiselvam was referring to an incident on Nov 3, just two days ahead of Deepavali, where a team from the district office, Seberang Perai Municipal Council, Public Works Department and police demolished a small farm run by Kamala Devi Abaroo (Kamala) in Seberang Jaya.

The farm is located on unused land in the vicinity of the Butterworth-Kulim Expressway adjoining the Seberang Jaya police station, and its current owner is the Drainage and Irrigation and Department (DID).

DID director Annuar Yahya had in late June reportedly given a verbal consent to Kamala that she could continue to use the land as the department had no immediate need for it.

Annuar had claimed in newspaper reports recently that he was not aware of the demolition, and therefore could not have authorised it.

Upon hearing of her plight, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy had said he would be taking up her case in the state exco meeting, but the former has yet to provide any solution to Kamala’s problems.

NONE Penang MIC Youth chief J Dhinakaran has condemned the Pakatan Rakyat government for its ‘cruel action’ in levelling the land just before the Deepavali celebrations.

When met at the HRP’s office in Prai, Kamala ( right ) claimed to have suffered damages to her trees and plants - which she had cultivated and nurtured for 12 years - worth RM120,000; a massive loss to her source of income.

The 47-year-old mother of two told Malaysiakini tearfully that she is currently working as a cleaner for 12 hours a day, and is not able to cope with bringing up her family as she used to.

‘Pressured to vacate the area’

She claimed to have been threatened by police officers from Seberang Jaya, and had since lodged reports against them.

“Since late last year, police officers from Seberang Jaya had began to pressure me to vacate the area; failing which that there would be negative consequences for me and my family,” she said.

“Fearing for my safety, I have lodged two police reports at the Bukit Mertajam and Georgetown police stations against the offending police officers; and I am resisting their threats,” she added.

NONE HRP advisor N Ganesan ( left ), who was at the press conference with Kamala, said when state authorities themselves snatch living opportunities away in a cavalier manner, one has to conclude that they have a hand in creating the large underclass of criminals from among the poor Indians.

“Therefore, we are recommending that the government provide protection for Kamala as she will resume using the said piece of land and will try to reconstruct her life despite the losses,” he added.

Ganesan said Kamala needs to be compensated for her loss due to the demolition of her assets by federal government authorities.

“The officers of the government involved in the demolition act need to render a written apology to her for this criminal act of destroying her property,” said Ganesan, who is a central committee member of the party.

“They have to be called to account for taking the law into their own hands; exemplary action needs to be taken by the government to show the seriousness with which it views breaches like these,” he added.

“The police officers concerned need to be investigated; whether they were acting in favour of third parties and who these third parties are and what their intentions really were,” he stressed.

Ganesan also proposed that Kamala be given a Temporary Occupation Licence for the use of this land to prevent a recurrence of this nature.

If the DID needed back the land, Kamala’s family should be given an alternative place, for example, families are provided 10 acres of land in government programmes like Perda and Felda , he said.

“Such citizens regardless of their ethnicity need to be nurtured and developed for these citizens contribute positively to the nation by their industriousness,” he added.