| Malaysia – Government shaken inside out |
The year 2007 ended on a rocky note for Malaysia, over the issue of massive demonstrations by ethnic Indians alleging marginalisation of the community in the Islamic country. The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), a group representing the community, shook the government with a massive demonstration on November 25 last year in which over 20,000 ethnic Indians participated. While Malaysia denied allegations of marginalisation of Indians, the huge rally prompted the government to slap the draconian Internal Security Act on five prominent Hindraf leaders, among others, who were behind the protests. It also declared the movement led by Hindraf as illegal.
Ever since, small and big protests began hitting headlines in Malaysia to demand the Hindraf leader`s release. In February too, over 200 ethnic Indian defied a ban and held a rally, which later turned violent, near the country`s Parliament demanding more rights for the minority community. More than a year has passed since that massive protest, but the `Hindraf 5` are still being detained by Malaysia without trial under the Internal Security Act.
In January, Malaysia also issued orders restraining workers and professionals from India and Bangladesh from taking up any kind of jobs in the country. This, many said, was linked to the crackdown on ethnic Indians.
In early March, Malaysia`s ruling party suffered its biggest electoral loss when they raced to victory in just five of 13 states that went to polls, casting a cloud of shadow over Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi`s political future. Badawi`s multi-racial National Front coalition could garner only a simple majority in Parliament and lost the crucial two-thirds majority it had held for most of its 50-year-long rule. The poll debacle came on the back of price rise, religious disputes and concerns over corruption.
Works Minister Samy Vellu, chief of the Malaysian Indian Congress, one of the National Front parties, failed to retain his seat he had held for almost three decades. Many believed ethnic Indians were fed up with him because he was apparently out of touch with their concerns. However, detained Hindraf leader M Manoharan won a Parliamentary seat despite being held under internal security laws for organizing the November 25, 2007 anti-government protest.
This made the Malaysian government face the reality, and in November this year it doubled the quota for the ethnic Indian community in the country`s civil service from 3.5 percent to 7 percent, hoping it might calm some of the anger.
|
|
|
