Hindraf: MIC president must apologise

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has called on MIC president S Samy Vellu to issue an apology to the families of the movement’s incarcerated leaders and the Indian community.
In a press statement today, Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy said Samy Vellu’s recent call to free the five leaders held under the Internal Security Act (ISA) was ‘appalling’.
"He was part of the system that incarcerated those "messengers of truth" and suppressed the legitimate voice of democracy.
"Whilst the prime minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) was a "gentleman" in accepting his errors and pledging to rectify his mistakes, Samy Vellu is playing politics by his regular antics now, seeking the release of the five," added the lawyer who is in self exile in London.
Waythamoorthy said the MIC president should tender an apology for the following reasons:
a) Failure to openly oppose the arrest of Hindraf leaders by the government openly on Dec 13.
b) Misleading the government and public that Hindraf is a threat to national security.
c) Misleading Hindraf’s struggle for his own political survival.
d) Denying the 18 demands of Hindraf as absurd and claiming that the Indians were not marginalised.
"It is plainly clear the initiative now (calling for the Hindraf five’s freedom) is to gain popularity and to repair the damage done to his reputation as an obsolete leader," he said.

Samy: I did not lie about Mano's wife

MIC president S Samy Vellu today clarified that he did not lie about detained Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader M Manoharan's wife approaching him for help.
"I never said she met me. It was only R Kengadharan's wife who met me. Manoharan's wife rang me up twice to seek my help for the release of her husband," he said in a statement.
Manoharan and Kengadharan were among the five Hindraf leaders currently held without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
On Sunday, Samy Vellu said he will push for the release of the five, but this has since met with strong criticisms as the MIC president was highly critical of Hindraf in the past.
Yesterday, Manoharan's wife S Pushpaneela denied that she had met Samy Vellu. She also quizzed why Samy Vellu wanted to press for the five’s freedom at this point in time.
"Why now, when he could have done it earlier?" she asked.
'Intentions are genuine'
Meanwhile, Samy Vellu claimed his intentions are genuine in seeking the release of the five who were arrested shortly after organising a mammoth rally on Nov 25 in Kuala Lumpur which drew some 30,000 people.
"It's absurd to say that I am doing this to seek publicity and popularity. No matter what, I will pursue their release with the prime minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) and home minister (Syed Hamid Albar).
"Whatever it is, I will do what I have said in order to seek their release," said the veteran politician.
Yesterday, Umno vice-president and Malacca chief minister Ali Rustam criticised Samy Vellu for using the Hindraf issue to seek publicity for his own political interest.
Whereas Syed Hamid yesterday ruled out the possibility of releasing the five.

tunku : dey mr. samy, the hindraf don't need your help lah.stop being hero lah.