PETALING JAYA, Feb 8 – Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P Waythamoorthy will resign from all government posts, including the Senate, on Feb 10, Hindraf announced here today.
Hindraf secretary P Ramesh, in a statement, said Waythamoorthy decided to quit because the Barisan Nasional government had not fulfilled any of its promises despite winning the 13th general election in May last year.
“We (Hindraf) did the most unthinkable – signing a pact with our one time nemesis, entirely in the interest of the Malaysian Indian poor, and in the honest belief that the Barisan National leadership would fulfil its promises.
“We have now given up any hope of that happening, eight months of trying. Hence, the central committee of HINDRAF has unanimously decided that Mr Waythamoorthy tender his resignation from all Government positions and the senate on Monday, Feb 10, 2014.
“Hindraf’s only regret is that we have not been able to deliver the changes to the Malaysian Indian poor, that we promised with this initiative. We sincerely apologize to them for the hopes we had raised.
Hindraf opens another chapter in our struggle after this. It continues till we achieve our ultimate objective of bringing changes into the lives of our Indian poor compatriots. There is not the slightest doubts about this,” said Ramesh in the statement.
He said Hindraf owed its loyalty to the Malaysian Indian poor, and “to them only”.
“Almost 800,000 Indians from plantations have been displaced from 1980’s, thousands are stateless, and the poor denied adequate educational and economic upliftment opportunities. Hindraf represents hope for these people who are otherwise the dispossessed of our society,” he added.
Waythamoorthy was appointed senator and then deputy minister after the May 2013 general election. Prior to the appointment Hindraf signed a memoranda of understanding with the government. Although details of the memorandum was not fully disclosed, it is believed to contain the government’s promise in helping the two million Malaysian Indian population.
The MoU signed on April 18, last year, is also the BN government guarantee that it would resolve the chronic socio-economic problems afflicting the Indian community if they were returned to power with Hindraf’s support.
“In his address to the gathered public on that day, the Prime Minister openly apologised for past BN lapses and promised actions to address these woes. These actions, embodied in the MoU would result in permanent and comprehensive solutions to the problems of the Malaysian Indian community.
“In addition it was agreed in the MoU that a representative of Hindraf would undertake to lead this complex task. Hindraf for its part gave a firm commitment to the people that they would oversee the implementation of the MoU and deliver changes in their lives and called upon them to vote in the BN,” said Ramesh.
He said it has been eight months since Waythamoorthy took up position within the government to lead the implementation.
“We have patiently worked with the Prime Minister to detail the MoU and to begin the rollout of the programs in the MoU. In trying to do this, we have met with nothing more than an unending series of delays and dead ends.
“It now clear to us that the Prime Minister and the Barisan Nasional are not going to honour the MoU. They have neither the necessary political will nor the courage to deliver on the promises in the MoU.
“The signing of the MoU and the often repeated promise of “nambikei” by the PM seem now to be utterly empty promises to the Indian community. Their foot dragging is not due to the usual and unavoidable grind of the bureaucracy, but is just a guise for their concealed intention not to honour the MoU.
“Prime Minister Najib and the Barisan Nasional, in not honouring the MoU, have committed a historic act of betrayal to the Malaysian Indian community,” he added.
-Free Malaysia Today
