Were not exploiting PJ Selatan clashes:Prim
"How can Prim make effective political capital when it is taking up the minority cause?" asked pro tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar in a statement.
"The political reality is that Prim cannot win even in a single parliamentary or state seat and yet it is taking up the Petaling Jaya Selatan issue persistently. This is because the party believes in human rights and justice for all," he added.
Utahayakumar was responding to Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) deputy chairman Harun Hashim's recent comment that Prim was exploiting the matter for its own benefit.
They have a political agenda, so that makes it very hard for the commission," said Harun
Prim has been consistently asking the 12-member Suhakam to inquire into the clashes and issued a two-week ultimatum last Wednesday asking the human rights body to initiate an inquiry or face legal action.
Playing politics
Uthayakumar also accused the 18-month old commission of 'playing politics' by not initiating the inquiry.
"Suhakam has not taken any steps at all and is playing politics by pushing the buck to the police and welfare department," he said.
The commission has been non-committal in initiating an inquiry and has said that it is following up the matter with the police but did not want to interfere with police investigations.
Prim claims the racial attacks violated the residents' rights and blamed the police for not being able to stop the violence within a short period of time.
The clashes in early March resulted in the death of at least six persons and saw 52 others injured.
The neighborhood where the skirmishes occurred - include Taman Datuk Harun, Kampung Lindungan, Kampung Medan, Taman Medan, Kampung Penaga, Kampung Ghandi and Kampung Muniandy - is populated by Malays, Indians, Indonesian and Bangladeshi migrants.
Majority of the residents are from lower income group, most being factory workers, mechanics and small-time businessmen.
