Source : M'Kini
The Malaysian Indian United Party (MIUP) today joined a chorus of calls being made to the government to ensure that ISA-detained Hindraf legal advisor P Uthayakumar is given a proper medical treatment.
MIUP president KS Nallakaruppan said that it was the duty of the government to ensure Uthayakumar received proper medical treatment for his diabetes.
“The detention centre authorities must make sure that Uthayakumar and the other four Hindraf detainees are in good health,” said Nallakaruppan today.
“The authorities must not fail in their duty to provide healthcare for these detainees.
“If they are needed to be admitted in a hospital, they then should be admitted. If they need to see a specialist, again, the detention centre must make arrangements for that,” he added.
He also warned that the detention camp authorities should not turn the admission of any of these Hindraf leaders into a government hospital into a media event.
“We see them parading Uthayakumar in handcuffs while being taken to the hospital and back to the detention centre.
“This shouldn’t happen. He is not a criminal. If you are taking him to the hospital for treatment, then make sure that he gets the propers treatment,” he said.
Nallakaruppan also urged the detention centre authorities to allow Uthayakumar to receive his proper medications from his doctors.
Similarly, Nallakaruppan added that two other Hindraf detainees - V Ganabatirau and R Kenghadharan - had also complained of being denied medical treatment.
“I urge the authorities to look into this matter seriously. I know how it feels to be locked up and being denied medical treatment. The government must show its humane face by giving proper medical treatment for these detainees,” he added.
Family: a silent heart attack
Uthayakumar, Ganabatirau, Kenghadharan, M Manoharan and T Vasantha Kumar - all key leaders of Hindu Rights Action Force - were detained under the Internal Security Act on Dec 13 shortly after organising a mammoth rally in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25 which saw some 30,000 Indians taking to the streets.
Uthayakumar, a diabetic for the past 12 years, was admitted to the Taiping hospital in Perak on April 7 after his sugar level rose to more than three times the normal level.
His lawyer Santha Devi Velusamy complained that he was not given his diabetes medicines for the past one month despite making repeated requests to the detention centre director.
Uthayakumar was discharged from the hospital on April 10 and taken back to the detention centre but his family members insist that he is still not well.
Uthayakumar’s brother and Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy today criticised the authorities for prematurely discharging his sibling from the hospital.
In a statement issued from London where he is currently based, Waythamoorthy urged all Hindraf supporters to lodge police reports against the director of detention centre and the Home Affairs Minister for “negligently and prematurely discharging Uthayakumar thus seriously damaging his health”.
“My family member who visited him confirms his complaints of decreased vision, giddiness, weakness and uncomfortable feeling in the heart.
“The doctor who examined him at Taiping hospital suspected he may have damaged heart muscles and is suffering a silent heart attack as a result of being denied diabetes medication for more than a month,” he said.
Police reports lodged
Waythamoorthy added that a proper test to confirm Uthayakumar’s heart condition is only available at the Taiping hospital on April 28.
“His condition is so serious and my family are willing to bear the private medical expenses. He needs to be referred to IJN urgently and we need the public to support our request for urgent private medical treatment,” he added.
Waythamoorthy also claimed that upon Uthayakumar’s discharge from the hospital, he was again denied medication for more than 20 hours and served diet with high sugar content.
In order to force the government to provide proper medical treatment to Uthayakumar, his mother K Kalaivaniy and fiancée Indra Devi Subramaniam lodged separate police reports at the Seremban and Brickfields police stations respectively this morning.
Yesterday some 300 Hindraf supporters gathered at the Kamunting detention centre to protest against the lack of medical treatment for Uthayakumar.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
School relocated from cemetery to basement
Source : M.Kini
The SRJK (T) Ladang Bukit Jalil earned a reprieve of sorts when the Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong visited them on Tuesday.
For instead of moving the 102 school children to an area meant to house the dearly departed, Wee suggested the ground floor of Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) low-cost flats instead.
The flats are part of a relocation plan for estate workers, who for years tapped rubber in the area before the land was reclaimed by the government.
While most of the land was developed into the Bukit Jalil national stadium for the Commonwealth Games in 1998, condominiums and even medium cost housing, scant attention was paid to the rubber tappers who were there prior to Independence.
Of the 1,600 acres which were bought by the government, only 40 acres are left for the rubber tapping community of mostly Indian descent.
To add to their misery, according to a DBKL development plan, 13 hectares are already earmarked as Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Christian burial sites.
In a report last November, a plot of land among the cemeteries measuring 0.4 ha was reserved for the Tamil school and a Hindu temple.
At a press conference today, the Tamil Foundation Malaysia (TFM), EWRF, Group of Concerned Citizens and other NGOs expressed their unhappiness with the new proposal made by the deputy minister.
TFM president K Uthayasoorian said the ground floor of the said flats where residents park their vehicles and dump rubbish was a poor choice for the school to move to.
"Moreover, unsavoury elements tend to hang around these places and will pose a danger to the students," said Uthayasoorian.
Enrolment would suffer
Another reason which makes the ground floor an unacceptable choice was that the flats were only a transit point for displaced families, he said.
"The enrolment will suffer the most when the tenancy agreements for these families are not renewed after three years," he added.
Parent Teacher Association chairman S Balakrishnan also voiced their concerns over the absence of proper documentation for the temporary relocation of the said school.
Balakrishnan told Malaysiakini that until now there are no written agreements on how long the relocation will last or when the new school will be built has been forthcoming.
"In the absence of any black-and-white (proper contracts), we won't go anywhere," said Balakrishnan.
"We are worried if there is no definite deadline, the school may be just left there (under the DBKL flats) forever," he added.
The SRJK (T) Ladang Bukit Jalil earned a reprieve of sorts when the Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong visited them on Tuesday.
For instead of moving the 102 school children to an area meant to house the dearly departed, Wee suggested the ground floor of Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) low-cost flats instead.
The flats are part of a relocation plan for estate workers, who for years tapped rubber in the area before the land was reclaimed by the government.
While most of the land was developed into the Bukit Jalil national stadium for the Commonwealth Games in 1998, condominiums and even medium cost housing, scant attention was paid to the rubber tappers who were there prior to Independence.
Of the 1,600 acres which were bought by the government, only 40 acres are left for the rubber tapping community of mostly Indian descent.
To add to their misery, according to a DBKL development plan, 13 hectares are already earmarked as Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Christian burial sites.
In a report last November, a plot of land among the cemeteries measuring 0.4 ha was reserved for the Tamil school and a Hindu temple.
At a press conference today, the Tamil Foundation Malaysia (TFM), EWRF, Group of Concerned Citizens and other NGOs expressed their unhappiness with the new proposal made by the deputy minister.
TFM president K Uthayasoorian said the ground floor of the said flats where residents park their vehicles and dump rubbish was a poor choice for the school to move to.
"Moreover, unsavoury elements tend to hang around these places and will pose a danger to the students," said Uthayasoorian.
Enrolment would suffer
Another reason which makes the ground floor an unacceptable choice was that the flats were only a transit point for displaced families, he said.
"The enrolment will suffer the most when the tenancy agreements for these families are not renewed after three years," he added.
Parent Teacher Association chairman S Balakrishnan also voiced their concerns over the absence of proper documentation for the temporary relocation of the said school.
Balakrishnan told Malaysiakini that until now there are no written agreements on how long the relocation will last or when the new school will be built has been forthcoming.
"In the absence of any black-and-white (proper contracts), we won't go anywhere," said Balakrishnan.
"We are worried if there is no definite deadline, the school may be just left there (under the DBKL flats) forever," he added.
GMI: Enough of 6 years of ISA cruelty
Source : M'Kini
As part of its ongoing campaign to seek justice for all Internal Security Act detainees, the Abolish ISA Movement (GMI) today launched a host of new measures to highlight the perils of detention without trial.
For starters the movement aim to collect 300,000 letters from member of the public to be sent to the United Nation in the hope of raising the human rights issues in Malaysia. They would also be sent to Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar.
The new campaign - themed ‘Enough of six years of cruelty’, to signify the duration 10 men have been detained for allegedly being members of Jemaah Islamiah - was launched this morning at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
According to GMI president Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh the campaign will also try to gain the support of the 82 Pakatan Rakyat members of Parliament.
The letter will be sent to the Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar and High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nation in Switzerland.
Syed Ibrahim was confident that the new campaign would augur success, taking note of the recent dramatic changes in the country’s political landscape.
“If people have shown their courage to deny Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in the Parliament, let’s all of us rise again to pressure the government to release all the ISA detainees,” he said.
Although principally the campaign was targeted for the 10 alleged JI detainees who have been incarcerated for six years, GMI reiterated that all other ISA detainees including the Hindraf 5 must be tried fairly in courts or released unconditionally.
Also present at the press conference were GMI campaign manager Noorlaila Othman and member of Human Rights Committee of the Bar Council Syamsuriatina Ishak.
‘Call for media to play their part’
According to Noorlaila, the campaign was a response to Syed Hamid’s call last Sunday that the government would abolish the ISA if the people wanted it.
“This is what we are doing, we’ll take the challenge. We will show him that the people do not want the ISA.” she said.
Noorlaila - whose husband is one of the ISA detainees- added the letter-signing marathon campaign might be new to the Malaysian public compared to other countries and urged to media to promote this cause to the public
She added that the movement’s previous postcard campaign by GMI in 2006 has helped the release of nine ISA detainees.
The campaign is a continuation of an international campaign organized by the Islamic Human Rights Commision (IHRC) launched last year.
Meanwhile, Syamsuriatina said that one of the efforts undertaken by the Bar Council to support GMI was by having lawyers visiting ISA detainees in Kamunting detention camp.
“This will help monitor the situation of the detainees. It will give them moral boost,” she said.
Release Uthayakumar
GMI also revealed that of the 10 who had been in detention for six years, five have been given an extension for a further two years, making their detention to run into eight years.
All of the detainees are allegedly members of the JI extremist group. To date, none of the detainees have been charged for any offences in an open court.
Syed Ibrahim also questioned why the 10 detainees were not released when 40 others who were detained for the same reason have been released in the past years.
“These are questions that have always been asked by the media. Is there any reason why they are being detained for so long?” he asked.
Syed Ibrahim also said that the movement was also said, concerned with the health of Hindraf legal advisor P Uthayakumar, also an ISA detainee.
“This has happened before. And it can be used as a form of mental torture on the detainees. For them to be denied the rights for medical treatment is a violation of human rights. It’s a gross injustice,” he said.
He added the government must take this matter seriously and allow Uthayakumar to be given full medical treatment. He also called for the release all the Hindraf 5 leaders.
As part of its ongoing campaign to seek justice for all Internal Security Act detainees, the Abolish ISA Movement (GMI) today launched a host of new measures to highlight the perils of detention without trial.
For starters the movement aim to collect 300,000 letters from member of the public to be sent to the United Nation in the hope of raising the human rights issues in Malaysia. They would also be sent to Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar.
The new campaign - themed ‘Enough of six years of cruelty’, to signify the duration 10 men have been detained for allegedly being members of Jemaah Islamiah - was launched this morning at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
According to GMI president Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh the campaign will also try to gain the support of the 82 Pakatan Rakyat members of Parliament.
The letter will be sent to the Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar and High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nation in Switzerland.
Syed Ibrahim was confident that the new campaign would augur success, taking note of the recent dramatic changes in the country’s political landscape.
“If people have shown their courage to deny Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in the Parliament, let’s all of us rise again to pressure the government to release all the ISA detainees,” he said.
Although principally the campaign was targeted for the 10 alleged JI detainees who have been incarcerated for six years, GMI reiterated that all other ISA detainees including the Hindraf 5 must be tried fairly in courts or released unconditionally.
Also present at the press conference were GMI campaign manager Noorlaila Othman and member of Human Rights Committee of the Bar Council Syamsuriatina Ishak.
‘Call for media to play their part’
According to Noorlaila, the campaign was a response to Syed Hamid’s call last Sunday that the government would abolish the ISA if the people wanted it.
“This is what we are doing, we’ll take the challenge. We will show him that the people do not want the ISA.” she said.
Noorlaila - whose husband is one of the ISA detainees- added the letter-signing marathon campaign might be new to the Malaysian public compared to other countries and urged to media to promote this cause to the public
She added that the movement’s previous postcard campaign by GMI in 2006 has helped the release of nine ISA detainees.
The campaign is a continuation of an international campaign organized by the Islamic Human Rights Commision (IHRC) launched last year.
Meanwhile, Syamsuriatina said that one of the efforts undertaken by the Bar Council to support GMI was by having lawyers visiting ISA detainees in Kamunting detention camp.
“This will help monitor the situation of the detainees. It will give them moral boost,” she said.
Release Uthayakumar
GMI also revealed that of the 10 who had been in detention for six years, five have been given an extension for a further two years, making their detention to run into eight years.
All of the detainees are allegedly members of the JI extremist group. To date, none of the detainees have been charged for any offences in an open court.
Syed Ibrahim also questioned why the 10 detainees were not released when 40 others who were detained for the same reason have been released in the past years.
“These are questions that have always been asked by the media. Is there any reason why they are being detained for so long?” he asked.
Syed Ibrahim also said that the movement was also said, concerned with the health of Hindraf legal advisor P Uthayakumar, also an ISA detainee.
“This has happened before. And it can be used as a form of mental torture on the detainees. For them to be denied the rights for medical treatment is a violation of human rights. It’s a gross injustice,” he said.
He added the government must take this matter seriously and allow Uthayakumar to be given full medical treatment. He also called for the release all the Hindraf 5 leaders.
Supporters rally for ill Uthaya
Source : M'Kini
YennaMike Say: It shows that the peoples' government refuses to hear and action peoples' repeated call to release Hindraf 5. Uthaya hanging there brother...unseen forces at at work...
Some 300 Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) supporters today rallied in protest over alleged denial of medical attention being given to ISA detainee P Uthayakumar.
The placard-armed crowd gathered in front of the Kamunting detention camp in Taiping at about 2pm today and held their peaceful protest while being under the watchful eyes of about 50 police personnel for about 90 minutes.
Hindraf coordinator S Thanentheran told Malaysiakini that the crowd were outraged that Uthayakumar - one of the movement’s most recognisable face - was not treated humanely.
“His potassium level is very low. It has caused him to become weak. His diabetic readings are also dangerously high at 15.5. His vision is failing him.
“Hindraf supporters are angry, as they know his condition. This is very inhumane of the government. We hold ministry and camp commandant responsible for his life,” he said.
Camp officials had admitted Uthayakumar to the Taiping Hospital on April 7. He was discharged two days later. Thanentheran said that Uthayakumar has yet to recover fully.
“His detention diet is not suitable for a diabetic. He is not allowed to give himself insulin shots. His sole medications are pills which are not enough,” he added.
Observe law
Thanentheran had earlier failed in an attempt to convince camp authorities to allow a private doctor to treat Uthayakumar.
Padang Serai MP N Gobalakrishnan who also attended the rally warned that the camp authorities must not be negligent in ensuring the well-being of detainees.
“I believe if the camp denies Uthayakumar right to seek medication and doctor of his choice, they are violating the law. Action can be taken against them,” he said, adding that the Home Ministry must act on the matter.
Gobalakrishnan however commended the police for their cooperation extended during the peaceful protest.
YennaMike Say: It shows that the peoples' government refuses to hear and action peoples' repeated call to release Hindraf 5. Uthaya hanging there brother...unseen forces at at work...
Some 300 Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) supporters today rallied in protest over alleged denial of medical attention being given to ISA detainee P Uthayakumar.
The placard-armed crowd gathered in front of the Kamunting detention camp in Taiping at about 2pm today and held their peaceful protest while being under the watchful eyes of about 50 police personnel for about 90 minutes.
Hindraf coordinator S Thanentheran told Malaysiakini that the crowd were outraged that Uthayakumar - one of the movement’s most recognisable face - was not treated humanely.
“His potassium level is very low. It has caused him to become weak. His diabetic readings are also dangerously high at 15.5. His vision is failing him.
“Hindraf supporters are angry, as they know his condition. This is very inhumane of the government. We hold ministry and camp commandant responsible for his life,” he said.
Camp officials had admitted Uthayakumar to the Taiping Hospital on April 7. He was discharged two days later. Thanentheran said that Uthayakumar has yet to recover fully.
“His detention diet is not suitable for a diabetic. He is not allowed to give himself insulin shots. His sole medications are pills which are not enough,” he added.
Observe law
Thanentheran had earlier failed in an attempt to convince camp authorities to allow a private doctor to treat Uthayakumar.
Padang Serai MP N Gobalakrishnan who also attended the rally warned that the camp authorities must not be negligent in ensuring the well-being of detainees.
“I believe if the camp denies Uthayakumar right to seek medication and doctor of his choice, they are violating the law. Action can be taken against them,” he said, adding that the Home Ministry must act on the matter.
Gobalakrishnan however commended the police for their cooperation extended during the peaceful protest.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Hindraf Leaders' Wives Oppose Anti-government Rally
Source : News Post India
Sunday 06th of April 2008
The wives of four detained Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders in Malaysia have urged their supporters and well-wishers to stop public protests against the government as it may jeopardise chances of the four leaders' release.
The wives of the four leaders were reacting to an SMS campaign asking ethnic Indians to gather outside the home affairs ministry Monday as a sign of protest against the Hindraf leaders' detention.
The wives of detained Hindraf leaders - M. Manoharan's wife S. Pushpaneela, V. Ganabatirau's wife B. Buvaneswary, K. Vasantha Kumar's wife K. Vikneswary and R. Kenghadaran's wife M. Kalaivani said they didn't want their husbands to suffer the consequences of such an act.
'We would like to humbly request all Hindraf supporters not to participate in any demonstration or rally,' urged Pushpaneela.
She said many elected leaders were working hard for their husbands' release and 'it would be best to wait patiently for the outcome of their collective efforts', the New Straits Times said Sunday.
The four men and another Hindraf leader P. Uthayakumar were held under the Internal Security Act at the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping, Perak, after they organised a protest rally in Kuala Lumpur Nov 25, 2007.
The Hindraf claims to speak for the over two million Tamil Hindu settlers who came here during the British era, and now allege discrimination in jobs and education for the ethnic Indian community.
Kalaivani said the proposed gathering might jeopardise their husbands' chance of being released if it got out of hand and turned ugly.
Teacher Buvaneswary concurred and urged Hindraf supporters to remain calm and not aggravate the situation. Vikneswary said she appreciated the care and concern shown by Hindraf supporters but the best thing to do was to wait patiently.
'This is not the time to gather in big groups and protest,' she said.
Meanwhile, Hindraf national event coordinator Kannan Ramasamy said the protest Monday was merely a submission of a memo by Hindraf lawyers to Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar.
'Only a few of our lawyers and several immediate family members of the detainees would be there,' he clarified.
'We are requesting Datuk Seri Syed Hamid to be more responsive as he is the one who has the authority to release them in his capacity as home minister,' said Ramasamy.
Albar has said that he would 'not be swayed by sentiments' and decide on the issue 'in the best national interests'.
Sunday 06th of April 2008
The wives of four detained Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders in Malaysia have urged their supporters and well-wishers to stop public protests against the government as it may jeopardise chances of the four leaders' release.
The wives of the four leaders were reacting to an SMS campaign asking ethnic Indians to gather outside the home affairs ministry Monday as a sign of protest against the Hindraf leaders' detention.
The wives of detained Hindraf leaders - M. Manoharan's wife S. Pushpaneela, V. Ganabatirau's wife B. Buvaneswary, K. Vasantha Kumar's wife K. Vikneswary and R. Kenghadaran's wife M. Kalaivani said they didn't want their husbands to suffer the consequences of such an act.
'We would like to humbly request all Hindraf supporters not to participate in any demonstration or rally,' urged Pushpaneela.
She said many elected leaders were working hard for their husbands' release and 'it would be best to wait patiently for the outcome of their collective efforts', the New Straits Times said Sunday.
The four men and another Hindraf leader P. Uthayakumar were held under the Internal Security Act at the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping, Perak, after they organised a protest rally in Kuala Lumpur Nov 25, 2007.
The Hindraf claims to speak for the over two million Tamil Hindu settlers who came here during the British era, and now allege discrimination in jobs and education for the ethnic Indian community.
Kalaivani said the proposed gathering might jeopardise their husbands' chance of being released if it got out of hand and turned ugly.
Teacher Buvaneswary concurred and urged Hindraf supporters to remain calm and not aggravate the situation. Vikneswary said she appreciated the care and concern shown by Hindraf supporters but the best thing to do was to wait patiently.
'This is not the time to gather in big groups and protest,' she said.
Meanwhile, Hindraf national event coordinator Kannan Ramasamy said the protest Monday was merely a submission of a memo by Hindraf lawyers to Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar.
'Only a few of our lawyers and several immediate family members of the detainees would be there,' he clarified.
'We are requesting Datuk Seri Syed Hamid to be more responsive as he is the one who has the authority to release them in his capacity as home minister,' said Ramasamy.
Albar has said that he would 'not be swayed by sentiments' and decide on the issue 'in the best national interests'.
Hindu temples hit by 'cabinet ban'
Source : M'Kini
Image : Net
Devotees of the Hanuman temple in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, have eagerly been anticipating a spanking new structure by year’s end.
Construction work by specialist builders from India have been progressing smoothly, with about 40 percent of work completed on schedule to date.
But temple officials now foresee problems in completing the work as the immigration department has refused to extend the work-permits of the builders.
Worse, the department has given the workers one month to leave the country, and has refused to entertain applications to bring in new workers.
“We are stuck. The temple is only half-built. If these workers go, who will finish the work?” asked temple treasurer M Suresh.
“The department wants us to hire local workers. What they don’t realise, or choose to ignore, is that not everyone can build temples. You need skilled and specialist workers.”
He has another problem - what to tell the devotees who have donated huge sums of money for the temple construction.
This is not an isolated case. Across the nation, many Hindu temples face same problems with the immigration department refusing to renew work permits of builders, priests and musicians.
Its reason is that locals can be hired to do these jobs, a claim that many temple officials reject.
Half-built temples
Temple builder P Malairaju said about 10 of his projects are stuck as a result of this new policy.
“When we apply to bring in expert builders, we submit a huge dossier involving the work schedule and the need for these workers. Only after going through these documents, would the department approve a permit.
“Each worker is given an initial six-month permit which can be renewed for up to five years. However now, at the end of the six months, these workers are being told to pack up and leave,” he told Malaysiakini.
He said the decision can be appealed and an extension could be granted for up to three months, but not in all cases.
He said that he has about nine expert workers at the Hanuman temple and about 90 more working at temples in other locations.
“When we asked the department why the renewal applications have been rejected, we were merely told to hire locals. Why can’t they refer to our dossiers and see for themselves why we brought in these workers in the first place?”
He added that local workers still lacked the necessary skills to build temples and its intrinsic works.
“This is not like building an apartment or a building. You need to know the work,” he added.
He also said that the department has also refused to entertain new applications to bring in workers to continue the stalled projects.
“What is going to happen is that there will be half-built temples all around the country. I pity the temple officials who have to face the wrath of devotees,” he said.
Suresh agreed, saying that even now some of the devotee at the Hanuman temple were blaming the temple officials for “siphoning off the donation and slowing down the temple construction”.
‘We are stuck’
Other temples have been caught by the denial of renewed work permits for priests from India, thus forcing prayers and weddings to be conducted without priests.
The Sri Ayyanar Temple in Jalan Genting Klang is among those in this quandary. Its priest and a musician have been told to leave soon.
“How do we find replacements? Local priests are not interested in working full time. We don’t have enough qualified musicians as well. And this temple is fully booked for the coming wedding season,” said temple secretary A Gothandapaandi.
Similarly the Sri Subramaniam temple in Bandar Sunway is facing difficulty after its musicians were told to leave and applications for new musicians and priests were rejected.
“We are stuck. I fear for the future. We don’t have enough local priests or musicians. The government should have some sense in this matter,” said temple chairperson R Manivasagam.
Officials in other temple committees urged the government to end the ‘ban’.
“Is there an unwritten code to stop the growth of Hindu temples in this country?” asked a temple secretary from Ipoh.
Sri Sivan temple secretary V Palani from Klang said: “Trained local musicians and priests prefer to work on freelance basis so that they can earn more. Temples need full time musicians and priests so that we can serve the needs of our devotees at all times.”
When contacted, an immigration official said this is a cabinet-level decision and that all questions should be directed to the home ministry.
Back to cabinet
Last week MIC president S Samy Vellu raised the matter with the minister concerned, Syed Hamid Albar, who said the matter would be discussed in the cabinet before a decision is made.
Malaysia Hindu Sangam is also worried about the trend and has asked the government to revoke the cabinet decision, which was made late last year.
Hindu Sangam president A Vaithilingam said that the affected temples were all big, popular and registered temples.
“This sudden decision has caused a lot of unhappiness and had damaged the operations of especially larger temples,” he said.
“We feel that the decision is very unfair especially when considering that there are two million foreign workers in the country, whereas the requirement of the temples for a few hundred foreign skilled workers is not being entertained,” he added.
He also said that it takes many years to train highly-skilled priests and temple musicians.
“Unfortunately, the temples are not able to find locals with suitably high qualifications and skills to work for the pay that the temples can afford,” he said.
Vaithilingam also said the Hindu Sangam is making efforts to meet Syed Hamid to resolve this problem.
This issue first cropped up last December when then minister in charge of foreign workers Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said that there is no ban on foreign workers - including priests, musicians and sculptors - from India.
He insisted that no applications from Indian priests, musicians or sculptors had been rejected, but admitted the government is trying to reduce foreign labour.
"Our policy is that we want locals to take up the jobs as priests, musicians and sculptors," he was reported as saying.
Temple officials, however, say that based on what’s happening now, it is clear that there is indeed a ban in place.
Image : Net
Devotees of the Hanuman temple in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, have eagerly been anticipating a spanking new structure by year’s end.
Construction work by specialist builders from India have been progressing smoothly, with about 40 percent of work completed on schedule to date.
But temple officials now foresee problems in completing the work as the immigration department has refused to extend the work-permits of the builders.
Worse, the department has given the workers one month to leave the country, and has refused to entertain applications to bring in new workers.
“We are stuck. The temple is only half-built. If these workers go, who will finish the work?” asked temple treasurer M Suresh.
“The department wants us to hire local workers. What they don’t realise, or choose to ignore, is that not everyone can build temples. You need skilled and specialist workers.”
He has another problem - what to tell the devotees who have donated huge sums of money for the temple construction.
This is not an isolated case. Across the nation, many Hindu temples face same problems with the immigration department refusing to renew work permits of builders, priests and musicians.
Its reason is that locals can be hired to do these jobs, a claim that many temple officials reject.
Half-built temples
Temple builder P Malairaju said about 10 of his projects are stuck as a result of this new policy.
“When we apply to bring in expert builders, we submit a huge dossier involving the work schedule and the need for these workers. Only after going through these documents, would the department approve a permit.
“Each worker is given an initial six-month permit which can be renewed for up to five years. However now, at the end of the six months, these workers are being told to pack up and leave,” he told Malaysiakini.
He said the decision can be appealed and an extension could be granted for up to three months, but not in all cases.
He said that he has about nine expert workers at the Hanuman temple and about 90 more working at temples in other locations.
“When we asked the department why the renewal applications have been rejected, we were merely told to hire locals. Why can’t they refer to our dossiers and see for themselves why we brought in these workers in the first place?”
He added that local workers still lacked the necessary skills to build temples and its intrinsic works.
“This is not like building an apartment or a building. You need to know the work,” he added.
He also said that the department has also refused to entertain new applications to bring in workers to continue the stalled projects.
“What is going to happen is that there will be half-built temples all around the country. I pity the temple officials who have to face the wrath of devotees,” he said.
Suresh agreed, saying that even now some of the devotee at the Hanuman temple were blaming the temple officials for “siphoning off the donation and slowing down the temple construction”.
‘We are stuck’
Other temples have been caught by the denial of renewed work permits for priests from India, thus forcing prayers and weddings to be conducted without priests.
The Sri Ayyanar Temple in Jalan Genting Klang is among those in this quandary. Its priest and a musician have been told to leave soon.
“How do we find replacements? Local priests are not interested in working full time. We don’t have enough qualified musicians as well. And this temple is fully booked for the coming wedding season,” said temple secretary A Gothandapaandi.
Similarly the Sri Subramaniam temple in Bandar Sunway is facing difficulty after its musicians were told to leave and applications for new musicians and priests were rejected.
“We are stuck. I fear for the future. We don’t have enough local priests or musicians. The government should have some sense in this matter,” said temple chairperson R Manivasagam.
Officials in other temple committees urged the government to end the ‘ban’.
“Is there an unwritten code to stop the growth of Hindu temples in this country?” asked a temple secretary from Ipoh.
Sri Sivan temple secretary V Palani from Klang said: “Trained local musicians and priests prefer to work on freelance basis so that they can earn more. Temples need full time musicians and priests so that we can serve the needs of our devotees at all times.”
When contacted, an immigration official said this is a cabinet-level decision and that all questions should be directed to the home ministry.
Back to cabinet
Last week MIC president S Samy Vellu raised the matter with the minister concerned, Syed Hamid Albar, who said the matter would be discussed in the cabinet before a decision is made.
Malaysia Hindu Sangam is also worried about the trend and has asked the government to revoke the cabinet decision, which was made late last year.
Hindu Sangam president A Vaithilingam said that the affected temples were all big, popular and registered temples.
“This sudden decision has caused a lot of unhappiness and had damaged the operations of especially larger temples,” he said.
“We feel that the decision is very unfair especially when considering that there are two million foreign workers in the country, whereas the requirement of the temples for a few hundred foreign skilled workers is not being entertained,” he added.
He also said that it takes many years to train highly-skilled priests and temple musicians.
“Unfortunately, the temples are not able to find locals with suitably high qualifications and skills to work for the pay that the temples can afford,” he said.
Vaithilingam also said the Hindu Sangam is making efforts to meet Syed Hamid to resolve this problem.
This issue first cropped up last December when then minister in charge of foreign workers Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said that there is no ban on foreign workers - including priests, musicians and sculptors - from India.
He insisted that no applications from Indian priests, musicians or sculptors had been rejected, but admitted the government is trying to reduce foreign labour.
"Our policy is that we want locals to take up the jobs as priests, musicians and sculptors," he was reported as saying.
Temple officials, however, say that based on what’s happening now, it is clear that there is indeed a ban in place.
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