S.Manickavasagam
MP Kapar, Selangor
Kapar MP S. Manickavasagam has threatened to quit as the Selangor Parti Keadilan Rakyat liaison committee deputy chairman if no action is taken against council officers involved in a Hindu temple demolition exercise in Ampang recently.
Manickavasagam, who is also a PKR supreme council member, said he might even quit the party if he was not satisfied with action taken by the state government.
The 19-year-old Sri Mahakaliaman temple near Kampung Tasek Tambahan in Selangor was built on forest reserve land. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times between 2002and 2007.We Say,
Kapar MP S. Manickavasagam should not resort to blackmailing the Selangor Government nor intimidating the PKR on this issue. As MP under PKR, S. Manickavasagam is a member of the ruling political party governing the state of Selangor.
While we acknowledge that the MPAJ should be taken to task for its action without adequate prior consultation with proper authorities, especially given the sensitivity of the demolishment of Hindu temple issues in recent months, it is also unbecoming of S.Manickavasagam to threaten resignation.It is a bully tactic and pure blackmail aimed at destabilising his own party governing the state of Selangor .
The fact remains the demolished temple was built on forest reserve land.
As we have said before (read here), the action of S. Manickavasagam further confirms the widely held view that the weakest link in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition of PR, DAP and PAS are some of the Malaysian Indian politicians elected into Parliament and into the State Assemblies. They are becoming almost unreliable representatives and questionable pillars of support for the Pakatan Rakyat to govern.
And this is NOT the first time a Malaysian Indian politician had resorted to blackmailing and intimidating the Opposition Government on Indian community issues. The first was the DAP State Assemblyman for Buntong, A. Sivasubramaniam. (Read here for more and here)
If the game plan of the Malaysian Indian MPs and State Assemblymen is to intimidate and blackmail their party after having won an election on PR ticket each time they are unhappy with community issues, they might as well go back and join the MIC to be with the likes of Samy Velu.The action of MP Kapar, S. Manickavasagam is bad politics for the Pakatan Rakyat which is still trying to iron out teething problems after only being in Government for about 6 months.
If the current behaviour of such politicans is to continue, their suitability as candidates for the PR in the next election should be reviewed. Power has suddenly gone into their heads.
Kapar MP S. Manickavasagam's blackmailing tactic is regrettable and uncalled-for.
His performance from now on as a member of PKR and as MP for the Pakatan Rakyat Coalition will need to be closely monitored.
- Malaysian Unplug
It was ordered to be destroyed by the deputy president Ampang Jaya Municipal Council president Hamid Hussain about two weeks ago.
Accoding to State Local Government, Research and Study committee chairman Ronnie Liu, the council president, Datuk Mohammad Yacob , was on leave and Hamid Hussain, as the deputy, had reportedly decided on the demolishment.
Hamid Hussain has been suspended for a week pending investigations.
Liu said a state three-man committee on non-Muslim religious affairs comprising Teresa Kok, Dr Xavier Jayakumar and himself has begun their investigations into the temple demolition.
“We are expecting the investigation results by Monday and we will look into the next course of action after that,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Liu said the state government hoped not to see any new places of worship coming up on land designated as forest and river reserves.
He said the people should understand that these reserves should NOT be occupied for other than the intended use.
Kapar MP S. Manickavasagam threatened to quit as the Selangor PKR liaison committee deputy chairman if no action is taken against council officers involved in a Hindu temple demolition exercise in Ampang recently. Manickavasagam, who is also a PKR supreme council member, said he might even quit the party if he was not satisfied with action taken by the state government.
He said action should be taken against the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) president, its en-forcement chief and other officers involved as the matter was not referred to the state government before the temple was demolished. “The council president also did not inform the two Indian representatives in the council’s board of the action. I have recently learnt that MPAJ sent notices of demolition to 10 other temples in the municipality. "
Selangor Health, Estate Workers and Caring Government Committee chairman Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar said the temple committee should also take responsibility as they did not apply for permission from the state government to build the temple.
" MPAJ is conducting an internal probe as the demolition took place without the knowledge of the state exco or MPAJ president, who was in Mecca when it happened,” he told reporters when he visited the temple on Sunday.
“The mistake is on both sides. The demolition without prior notice from the state government and the building of temple without the state’s approval,” he said.
Temple committee chairman S. Murugiah said they did not receive any notice for the demolition.
About 100 MIC members demonstrated here to protest the demolition of a Hindu temple by the Ampang Jaya Municipal council recently. The crowd, which included Indian NGOs, protested at the main gate of the Selangor secretariat building yesterday morning.
Organiser T. Mohan, who is MIC Youth chief, said the PKR government had lied to the people that they would not tear down any places of worship.
Asked why the MIC did not solve the issue then, Mohan said the party had taken action and that was why the temple was rebuilt.
COMMENTARY:
From readers of Malaysia-Today Read here
- YB S Manikavasagam is in no position to represent all Malaysian let alone the Indian community. He is nobody outside his constituency and should not regard himself that highly. That’s the first step to political arrogance.
It is short of political gangsterism which we are all trying to do away with. He also should not consider that he is the only one concerned about this issue of demolishing of shrines, temples or other places worship.
We can’t have political representative threatening to resign and express their aggressiveness every time there is an issue of sensitive nature. He should know that he will only be fanning emotions that can get out of hand in a delicate social structure as ours.
Moreover at this delicate political climate, he will only be playing into the hands of the BN who are desperately trying to instigate unrest.
Yes diplomacy must prevail and YB S Manikavasagam should have expressed this professionally and not “gangho” reaction as he did. It only shows how immature he really is as a politician. Worse still trying to justify his action through this article.
The mistake the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council Deputy President Hamid Hussain did was to go against the directive of the State Government. Yes he might have thought that since the shrine is not registered and therefore illegal decides on his own to demolish it. Perhaps there are influences involved for him to take that decision, maybe not. That is for the PR Government to investigate and take the appropriate action it deems fit but whatever the decision, it must be fair and just and not to just satisfy a particular community.
Yes, Hamid is dead wrong for going against the State Government’s directive and he should be reprimanded for that. He should have realized that illegal or not the issue is sensitive and that he should have sought the State Government’s approval and not act unilaterally.
Equally at fault are a few Indians who feel there is a “spirit” residing in a tree or a rock and decide to build a shrine, just like that. Anywhere, any place, any time and everybody must respect that right. This is not Hinduism. Oh yeah, the Chinese also find such “spirits” here and there and build shrines because someone struck some 4-D numbers.
The issue about Dato Zakaria’s Mansion in Pandamaran, Port Klang is not an issue here because that was during BN’s time. What lopsided comparison is this? As far as YB Manikavasagam is concerned, JUST GROW UP! Your threats and uncalled bursts of uncontrolled emotion are not wanted here. THINK BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH. - The elected PR members must know that keeping a cool head is more important now than ever. Five decades under the divide and rule regime has conditioned us to be a racists. While the self-serving MIC is taking this opportunity to drive a wedge between people, bigotry could only lead to the path of failure.
- Dear MB Selangor, please come out clean with us together with your elected reps,if not how long can our ships sail in the same direction. The Council employeee are of the old UMNO school, are always admant and arrogant,never people friendly,and thats the reason we kicked the privious coruppted lawmakers of Selangor out.
Please don't falter and dissapoint us by allowing these incompetent adminstrators to undermine the their position. Sack them if need be, we the people demand it.
We are paying their salaries,and we want a condusive enviroment. Your civil servants should we humble in discharging their duties, and we will not condone to arrogance of these incorrigible council staffs. Can we be a little bit more humane. We are only asking for an explanation on the temple episode, is it too much?
Mr.MB, we heard that you are a man of great caliber,now show us!!
9 comments:
Whilst I agree with you that it is somewhat improper for the Kapar MP to threaten resignation, and whilst you did point out another example of a Malaysian Indian MP who may have behaved similarly, by the same spirit, I disagree with your generalized labelling that Malaysian Indian MPs are problematic - that would be ignoring other problematic MPs and would make you no different than BN who keeps harping on racism.
For example, a problematic Pakatan MP will be the Kulim PKR MP who stormed into the Bar Council recently. I would rate his action far more severe than the Kapar MP, and this Kulim MP is not a Malaysian Indian necessarily.
Personally, race has nothing to do with this abnormal behaviour, but the individual themselves who may be of ANY race. Let's reject these MPs on the basis of their behaviour, rather than the race itself.
How come a govt entity become so effeicient and hardworking when it comes to taking action against forest reserves encroachment when we read and watch in the media, other govt enties ,depts, in the same state as well as the other neighbouring Makmur state and the northern states, forest reserves become personal reserves?arjun
In reply to "anonymous"
We are saying "SOME of the Malaysian Indian politicians" are of great concern to the three state governments under the Pakatan Rakyat (Selangor, Perak and Penang). We did NOT generalize to refer to all Malaysian Indian MPs.
We had strong views against the stupidity of the Kulim-Bandar Baharu PKR MP (see our earlier postings). But the Kulim MP did NOT threaten to resign despite the strong words of PKR against the Kulim MP.
A threat or the blackmail to resign coming from an MP of a political party that is responsible for govt, for a slightest disagreement on communal issues, is very destabilising. To use the word "improper" is too kind a word for such action.
There are bigger fish to fry in the politics of this country than this single issue of a temple built on forest reserve land.
In our view, the Kapar MP's blackmail is providing fuel for the MIC and UMNO in the BN to highlight racist and negative racist issues and to further destabilise the newly formed PR state government.
As we said, POWER has gone into the HEADS of some these MPs when they resort to threats and blackmail at their own party.
These Malaysian Indian MPS/State Assemblymen should not ape the actions of HINDRAF (to which we are more sympathetic in their struggle) after they had been elected as MPs and State Assemblymen under the PR banner.
Malaysian Unplug
In reply to "anonymous- Arjun"
Two wrongs don't make a right.
Malaysian Unplug
There has been too many mentions of the word " wrong .What are the "wrongs "? only two ?The trial by media has made the state entity to look bad already.Most malaysian writers make the state and its apparatii look bad.We come along and try to make things right?.The forest dept should be hauled for permiting encroachment in the first place. arjun
Whether Teresa Kok didn't or did wear a skirt to a mosque I do not know for sure.If she didn't we should not fall into the rumour-mongering mind game.But if she did,then she has made herself a cannon fodder and it is imperative she learn from such mistakes.Even the muslims men or women do not wear shorts or skirts into a mosque.Even non-muslim women tourists are made to wear the robe before stepping into the National Mosque.
It is totally disgusting..... the threats made by the Kapar MP. He must be grateful that he is a MP not by birth but by the supporters of PKR. Who does he thinks he is.... with or without him, it will never ever make any difference not only in Malaysia but in this world.
I dare him to resign from PKR and join other political parties. I am positve no political parties will ever accept his application..... he clearly knows
why ! The qualities of de-facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid is the best example for this particular Kapar MP.
Without any offence, he may be suffering from a medical disorder syndrome known as " Hykofluturn ". It is a metabolic disorder whereby excessive faeces backflow into the brains !
" Hykofluturn " is not listed in the medical books but it is listed in his brains.
( tomthomas )
PR MPs and ADUNs must remember they are now the govt, not opposition. Threatening resignation over an issue is not something I expect a MP to do. One has to understand the issue and find ways to solve it, seeing that the temple was built on forest reserve land and a relocation would probably be in order.
As to the wearing of skirts into mosque, I am not sure what is being applied to tourists who visit our national mosque. When I was in Turkey recently and visited the blue mosque, the only requirement was for ladies to cover their knees and their shoulders. They can wear pants or skirts so long as their knees are covered and if they are wearing spaghetti strap tops, they are given a shawl to cover their shoulders. Interestingly, the same rules apply when we visited some cathedrals in Italy.
The rules only apply if you want to enter the mosque. If you are inappropriately dressed, you can just stroll around the compound.
Cheers,
JJ
If the Kapar MP' wanted to resign, go ahead, he thinks that is too good or by resigning it will help the shrine re-build. I challenge him to resign. He must remember that he wall elected by the people whom wanted him to speak on their behalf and do the things right by proper channel. The act he shown is more likely a gangsterism, an idiot fool whom disqualified to be an MP at all.
Let other people who is more qualified to be an MP for Kapar.
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