By V. Vasudevan, NST, Dec 12.
Two prominent Hindraf activists, one of whom has been charged with sedition, are members of the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP).
V. Ganabatirau is advisor to the DAP’s Sri Muda branch in Shah Alam and lawyer M. Manoharan is an ordinary member.
Manoharan led a team of lawyers who defended Ganabatirau, P. Uthayakumar and P. Waytha Moorthy at the Klang Sessions Court on sedition charges.
Manoharan, together with Uthayakumar, Waytha Moorthy, Ganabatirau and R. Kenghadaran, were named as respondents in a magistrate’s court order barring the Hindraf rally on Nov 25.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng admitted today that Ganabathirau and Manoharan were members of the DAP but he disputed police claims that Hindraf leaders had links to terrorist organisations.
“These are not proven charges but allegations by the government.” Guan Eng also claimed that the issues raised by Hindraf “have struck a chord with our members”.
“We support them (Hindraf) but not the language they use,” Guan Eng said.
When asked about allegations of ethnic cleansing of the Indians made by Hindraf’s Uthayakumar, Guan Eng said: “Of course, there is no ethnic cleansing in Malaysia. But the issues like marginalisation of the Indian community is there.”
He stressed that the DAP did not condone violence and would act against party members involved in violence.
Guan Eng, his father, opposition leader Lim Kit Siang, and Parti Keadilan Rakyat advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim were among opposition leaders who had turned up at the courts to show moral support for the Hindraf leaders charged with sedition.
DAP chairman and Bukit Glugor MP Karpal Singh, however, has distanced himself from Hindraf. In an earlier report, he had said that Hindraf’s allegations of ethnic cleansing were baseless and untrue and urged Hindraf leaders to be more responsible when uttering such statements.
Karpal also questioned the manner in which Hindraf’s rally was carried out, adding that there should not have been any violence involved.
He had, however, said DAP was supportive of peaceful demonstrations and questioned the need for police permits.
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1 comment:
UMNO controlled government and its cronies(MCA,MIC,ppp,GERAKAN & co)should know that if they sow hatred they cannot reap goodwill.
If one good thing comes out of this, it would be the catalyst that finally mobilizes the Indian to rise up for their rights and remove self serving politician and the hypocrite in their communites.
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it.He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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