Kuala Lumpur – In a statement posted on its facebook page, Hindraf announced it is evolving into a political party. “At the Extra-ordinary general meeting called by Hindraf on the 7th May 2017, after much deliberation, delegates present unanimously adopted the proposal put forward to convert the status of Hindraf from an organization into a political party” the statement further said.
“After widespread nationwide forums and meetings with the grassroots Indian community, the overwhelming call was for HINDRAF to evolve into a political party so that effective and proper representation of the Indian community is heard in the political sphere as oppose to mere puppet representatives. Hindraf legal counsel Karthigesan Shanmugam who headed a 4 member panel scrutinized the various provisions under the Societies Act 1966 more specifically Article 11(3)(b) and advised delegates, though conversion from an organization into a political party could be the first of its kind, however there is no specific bar under the law for the same to be done” Muniandy Ponnusamy, the General Secretary of Hindraf said in the statement.
“In furtherance, the framework of the present constitution of HINDRAF is akin and fulfills all required criteria pursuant to Schedule 1 (2) of the Act to be sanctioned as a political party. Pursuant to this the EGM also unanimously adopted for the Home Minister to approve Hindraf’s application for the conversion of its status” Muniandy said.
Hindraf to support Pakatan Harapan
“As the forefront humanity NGO, Hindraf has always emerged as the spokesperson for an alternative form of political engagement in a transcending partisan politics by raising the plight of the down trodden Indian community in Malaysia since 2005. The profound result is quite obvious when it became the catalyst for the break in the BN’s two-third hegemony in GE 12 and created the awareness nationwide and internationally on the neglected socio-economic plight of the down-trodden Indian community in all aspects ranging from displaced estate plantation workers, statelessness, education, business, employment opportunities and so forth” Muniandy’s statement further pointed.
Muniandy also claimed ‘HINDRAF since 2005, being a representative of the Indian grassroots NGO has effectively played its role in pressuring the government to look into the affairs of the minority Indians that had been marginalized and neglected for over 60 years with the ineffectiveness of the incumbent Indian political stakeholders’.
“The delegates present felt although some temporary and ad-hoc cosmetic changes are prevailing under the mounting pressure from HINDRAF, the permanent solution for the Indian community at policy and macro level is still wanting with the lack of proper representation. It was felt that though there are Indian representatives, but it is only superficial representation in Parliament and the Government administration. In consequent to the above, it has also been passed in the EGM unanimously that HINDRAF will throw its support and weight for the Pakatan Harapan in the upcoming general election by charting out an effective strategy for them in mobilizing the HINDRAF grassroots supporters” the statement concluded.
