KUALA LUMPUR: Sunday's demonstration by Indians has set them back and trivialised all their hard work in the past, a senior official of a Hindu organisation said yesterday.
"Street protests are not our way," said R. Gopal, vice-president of the Malaysian Hindu Sangam, Federal Territory.
"Indians in this country are basically law-abiding and would not resort to violence to solve problems."
He said the demonstration organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) was disappointing as "we have lived together and enjoyed peace in Malaysia".
His sentiments were echoed by a spokesman for The Malaysian Hindu Dharma Mandaram, a religious organisation, that said Indians should not resort to street protests to resolve issues as these would lead to violence.
They could take their grouses to the prime minister through the proper channels, he added.
The executive director of Yayasan Strategik Sosial, Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria, suggested the formation of a parliamentary select committee comprising multi-racial leaders to address grievances such as education, housing and freedom of worship.
He said dissatisfaction had led Indians to take to the streets.
Jayasooria said the government should address the root cause and why the group claims to be marginalised.
"Although there are efforts by the government to eradicate poverty and to address these issues, many of its policies are not made known," he said.
"This can be seen as sidelining or the mishandling of grievances, which has led the group to react in such a manner. In my view, claims made by Hindraf were merely a catalyst to the stand they took on Sunday."