COMMENT Hindraf’s five-year blueprint document lays out specific institutional interventions necessary for the socio-economic development of internally displaced estate workers (DEW) which today is believed to number more than 800,000.

The interventions cover several key aspects of development. They are comprehensive in their scope and permanent in their impact. Most of all, the blueprint is not only viable but practical to be implemented in a manner reasonably similar to the existing Felda programme.

NONE The internal displacement of estate workers occurred over a period of several decades and constitutes mainly Indians due to their historical background. These displaced estate workers eventually have been force-fitted into the urban community.

These displaced estate workers now constitute a significant section of the new urban poor and underclass and have become indistinguishable and unquestionable in the overall population segment of the Indian poor.

However, many fail to realise that the Hindraf blueprint is also open to all the other races, provided they can show valid proof of being a DEW or a descendant of one.

Having done so they would then also qualify for: 1) DEW Land allocated contract farming programme; 2) DEW Housing Programme; 3) Rebuilding the DEW youth through retraining and reskilling; and 4) DEW places of worship and burial grounds.

They would also stand to benefit from all proposals arising out of the ‘the denial of adequate and equal educational opportunities’ and ‘unequal employment and business opportunities’ programmes under the Hindraf blueprint.

Correcting inequality means economic stability

The benefit of correcting this inequality will contribute to economic stability for all Malaysians in more ways than just reducing crime.

The proposals made for the suspected 350,000 stateless Indians include:

  1. To identify all stateless Indians - those without birth certificates, those without MyKads, and those with non-blue ICs.
  2. All the stateless Indians with non-blue MyKad are to be issued with full Malaysian citizenship MyKad status immediately unless if it can be proven, without a doubt, that the individual is from another country.
  3. All those without MyKad and birth certificates should be given simplified requirement of just two other fellow Malaysians declaring in a statutory declaration about their knowledge of birth and parentage concerned. This is to avoid unnecessary delay going through red tape hurdles of the BTN-trained Umno bureaucracy.
  4. There needs to be a permanent simplification of registration procedures to prevent a repeat of this problem.

If it needs to be reminded, the stateless Indians in question transcend all religions. It even extends to those of mixed marriages with Indians and having documentation problems. In fact, the proposals in place will also benefit the Chinese having red ICs.

The proposals made in Hindraf’s blueprint in reference to ‘the impunity of the Royal Malaysian Police:

a) To set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission immediately, according to the recommendations of the royal commission to enhance the operations and management of the Royal Malaysian Police; and

b) Immediately put into place effective measures to stop all extra-judicial killing of citizens in custody at the hands of the Malaysian police.

The benefits of these measures will be felt by all Malaysians and it goes without saying that it transcends all racial and religious boundaries.

The proposals made in reference to ‘The standards of Human Rights Practices’:

To sign and ratify:

  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
  • International Covenant on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination; and
  • To adopt the guiding principles as set forth in the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement by the United Nations.

Therefore, if one were to view the Hindraf blueprint document from a humanitarian aspect as well as with an unbiased view, it will be easily comprehensible that it truly transcends not only racial but also religious boundaries.

What the blueprint only lacks in is the political will of the powers-that-be to accept it without reservation.