Pakatan gets cracking on Indian stateless
Nigel AwPublished: May 27, 2012 7:58 AM | Updated: May 28, 2012 5:45 AM
Despite constant hammering from Hindraf over Pakatan Rakyat’s alleged failure in helping the Indian community, the Selangor state government today moved to register hundreds of people who are born in the country but remain stateless.
Despite constant hammering from Hindraf over Pakatan Rakyat’s alleged failure in helping the Indian community, the Selangor state government today moved to register hundreds of people who are born in the country but remain stateless.
“This problem is no longer an Indian problem, this is a Malaysian problem and a problem for the government,” opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim told some 1,000 people who attended the subsequent ceramah.
The stateless individuals, mostly whom were elderly, armed with their red MyKads and birth certificates, lined at the 20 counters set up at the Klang Town Council as early as 8am.
Those who came forward were predominantly from the Indian community, though there was also a sizeable red MyKad-wielding individuals from the Chinese community.
The registration was part of the state government’s effort to gather a database of stateless individuals in Selangor to facilitate their citizenship application with the federal government.
“It has been 55 years and yet some people who are born and bred here do not have their identity cards, while Nepalese who come here for three months get their identity cards,” said Anwar (left) in reference to claims that immigrants were being granted citizenship to vote in the general election.
“What is the Prime Minister’s (Najib Abdul Razak) excuse?... If I were prime minister and someone approached me saying they have lived here since 1943 but do not have an identity card, do I say wait another 50 years?
“No, I will immediately call on the National Registration Department (NRD) and demand an explanation, this is what you call a leader,” he added.
‘MP’s mum, too, was stateless’
The issue of statelessness is particularly serious among the Indian community, said Kapar MP S Manickavasagam,, adding that his late mother, too, faced the same problem.
“My mother can speak Malay and English, she has gone to Putrajaya countless times to get her MyKad but failed, in the end she passed away last year.
“My mother was from India and lived here for 55 years, my father and siblings all have blue MyKad,” he related.
Taking the podium later, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim announced that the state government will allocate RM500,000 from the SelangorKu grant to assist qualified stateless individuals.
This amount, he said, will be used to aid those in the new database to apply for citizenship and to follow-up on the progress of their application.
“This is not an easy job, they (NRD) will ask for evidence and photos, but every week we will keep asking the Home Ministry what is being done to allow those living in Selangor who qualify for citizenship to hold a blue MyKad,” he said.
The event today appeared to counter two earlier Hindraf events in Klang, as was seen in Kota Alam Shah assemblyperson M Manoharan’s speech in which he said: “Anwar will within 100 days coming into power solve this (statelessness) problem.”
Manoharan, who is now with DAP, was one of the five Hindraf leaders arrested under the Internal Security Act for organising a major Indian protest in Kuala Lumpur in 2007.
‘Pakatan will not take racial approach’
During the two earlier Hindraf events, its de facto leader P Uthayakumar had invited Anwar to outline Pakatan Rakyat’s 100 day plan to help the Indian community should the coalition capture federal power.
Anwar had declined the invitation, citing that the opposition coalition’s struggle should not be done on racial grounds.
However, when approached, Sri Andalas state assemblyperson and Selangor exco member Dr Xavier Jeyakumar (left) denied that the event was intended to respond to Hindraf, which has continuously criticised Pakatan, including on the issue of statelessness.
“We look at people as a whole, we don’t divide them into Malays, Chinese... I think Hindraf is very narrow in its thinking in the sense they expect people to fulfill their demand as far as the Indian community is concerned.
“Today, we even had a lot of Chinese coming here about their red MyKad. It’s not a purely Indian problem, though it is a majority Indian problem, we look at it as wanting to help all the races, so I don’t think this should be seen as countering Hindraf,” he said.
Asked to comment about Uthayakumar’s intention to contest in Sri Andalas, Jeyakumar said he will likely defend but the seat but it is Uthayakumar’s prerogative to contest there as a citizen.
“I have done my work in Sri Andalas and in Selangor, I leave it to the people’s wisdom to make their choice,” he said.
“This problem is no longer an Indian problem, this is a Malaysian problem and a problem for the government,” opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim told some 1,000 people who attended the subsequent ceramah.
The stateless individuals, mostly whom were elderly, armed with their red MyKads and birth certificates, lined at the 20 counters set up at the Klang Town Council as early as 8am.
Those who came forward were predominantly from the Indian community, though there was also a sizeable red MyKad-wielding individuals from the Chinese community.
The registration was part of the state government’s effort to gather a database of stateless individuals in Selangor to facilitate their citizenship application with the federal government.
“It has been 55 years and yet some people who are born and bred here do not have their identity cards, while Nepalese who come here for three months get their identity cards,” said Anwar (left) in reference to claims that immigrants were being granted citizenship to vote in the general election.“What is the Prime Minister’s (Najib Abdul Razak) excuse?... If I were prime minister and someone approached me saying they have lived here since 1943 but do not have an identity card, do I say wait another 50 years?
“No, I will immediately call on the National Registration Department (NRD) and demand an explanation, this is what you call a leader,” he added.
‘MP’s mum, too, was stateless’
The issue of statelessness is particularly serious among the Indian community, said Kapar MP S Manickavasagam,, adding that his late mother, too, faced the same problem.
“My mother can speak Malay and English, she has gone to Putrajaya countless times to get her MyKad but failed, in the end she passed away last year.“My mother was from India and lived here for 55 years, my father and siblings all have blue MyKad,” he related.
Taking the podium later, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim announced that the state government will allocate RM500,000 from the SelangorKu grant to assist qualified stateless individuals.
This amount, he said, will be used to aid those in the new database to apply for citizenship and to follow-up on the progress of their application.
“This is not an easy job, they (NRD) will ask for evidence and photos, but every week we will keep asking the Home Ministry what is being done to allow those living in Selangor who qualify for citizenship to hold a blue MyKad,” he said.The event today appeared to counter two earlier Hindraf events in Klang, as was seen in Kota Alam Shah assemblyperson M Manoharan’s speech in which he said: “Anwar will within 100 days coming into power solve this (statelessness) problem.”
Manoharan, who is now with DAP, was one of the five Hindraf leaders arrested under the Internal Security Act for organising a major Indian protest in Kuala Lumpur in 2007.
‘Pakatan will not take racial approach’
During the two earlier Hindraf events, its de facto leader P Uthayakumar had invited Anwar to outline Pakatan Rakyat’s 100 day plan to help the Indian community should the coalition capture federal power.
Anwar had declined the invitation, citing that the opposition coalition’s struggle should not be done on racial grounds.
However, when approached, Sri Andalas state assemblyperson and Selangor exco member Dr Xavier Jeyakumar (left) denied that the event was intended to respond to Hindraf, which has continuously criticised Pakatan, including on the issue of statelessness.“We look at people as a whole, we don’t divide them into Malays, Chinese... I think Hindraf is very narrow in its thinking in the sense they expect people to fulfill their demand as far as the Indian community is concerned.
“Today, we even had a lot of Chinese coming here about their red MyKad. It’s not a purely Indian problem, though it is a majority Indian problem, we look at it as wanting to help all the races, so I don’t think this should be seen as countering Hindraf,” he said.
Asked to comment about Uthayakumar’s intention to contest in Sri Andalas, Jeyakumar said he will likely defend but the seat but it is Uthayakumar’s prerogative to contest there as a citizen.
“I have done my work in Sri Andalas and in Selangor, I leave it to the people’s wisdom to make their choice,” he said.
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