Hindraf did not issue demands, says Waytha
PETALING JAYA: Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has denied sending any demands to the Institutional Reforms Committee (IRC) and has claimed that P. Uthayakumar is not part of the group.
“Hindraf wishes to clarify we did not send any demands to the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, Council of Eminent Persons or the Institutional Reform Committee,” Hindraf chariman P. Waytha Moorthy said yesterday.
It was reported yesterday that Hindraf 2.0, under the leadership of Uthayakumar, had submitted 25 demands to the IRC to improve the lives of the bottom 75% (B75) of the Indian community.
He renewed his demand for UiTM, a public university created specifically for bumiputras, to be open to all Malaysians.
Uthayakumar also demanded the repatriation of the estimated 4.6 million illegal foreign workers in 20% stages over the next five years, while halting work permit renewals to all existing legal foreign workers.
He also asked that Felcra and Felda be opened up to Indians.
“Hindraf wishes to invite Uthayakumar to formally join as a member of Hindraf if he so wishes. Confusing the people with a similar name to Hindraf is not helping our long struggle to find permanent and comprehensive solutions to the peoples’ problems,” said Waytha in a statement.
“I wish to say clearly to Uthayakumar. The war is over with the defeat of BN. Uthayakumar must drop his confrontational path and join all those who are now working hard to build a new Malaysia. It is time to rebuild the community in the new Malaysia that was the result of hard work of all those who supported PH.
“(Prime Minister) Tun Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) has given his commitment to Hindraf to solve the long standing issues and we are already working with Tun and other PH leaders.”
In SHAH ALAM, some 50 UiTM alumni members representing seven associations staged a protest against an alleged demand by Hindraf to open the varsity to all races.
UiTM Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung (GPMS) president Muhamad Akmal Dahalan said no party should touch on matters concerning Article 153 of the Constitution which ensures special rights of Malays and bumiputras.
He said UiTM, as a specialised higher education institute for the Malays and bumiputras, was a manifestation of Article 153 that should not be disturbed.
“The special rights of Malays and bumiputras in the education field is not a matter that should be open for debate or negotiation,” he said after lodging a police report here.