Fellow Malaysians,
This is an opportune time
to bring about change. You may not get another opportunity such as
this. Let us not lose on this opportunity.
There are calls along
communal lines claiming that if MCA, Gerakan and MIC candidates were
elected they would then have a greater voice to speak up for their
community and protect their community’s rights. It is claimed if
they do not receive this support, then the community would lose out.
Don’t you believe that!
What rights are they
talking about? How are they going to protect those rights? Can they
really speak up? Would they have the guts to stand up and take a
stand on behalf of their community?
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Let me just refresh your
memories with a simple sample of their commitment to your rights. In
January 2007, nine non-Malay Ministers wanted to submit a memorandum
to the Prime Minister calling for a review of laws affecting the
rights of non-Malays.
Umno reacted so strongly
and vociferously causing a furore of protest claiming that these
Ministers were challenging the PM and demanded that they must
withdraw their memorandum to the PM.
As a consequence of this
pressure exerted on them, five out of the nine ministers who had
signed the memorandum met the PM, and after that they withdrew the
memorandum.
The five ministers were
MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, MIC President Datuk Seri S Samy
Vellu, Gerakan President Datuk Seri Lim Keng Yaik, Minister of
Transport Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy and Minister of Health Datuk Chua
Soi Lek.
The point that we are
making is that if these ministers do not even have the right to
submit a memorandum, what protection of rights of the community are
they speaking about? Whether the PM entertains their memorandum or
chooses to throw it into the waste paper basket is another matter.
But they were not allowed to submit the grievances of the community
to the PM. What a pathetic turn of events!
And yet we are told that
these leaders will speak up and protect our rights.
Our response is, “Tell
it to the marines!”
Vote for democracy! Vote for a stronger opposition!
P Ramakrishnan
President
7 March 2008
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
