PEMBELA labelled HINDRAF as treacherous and hits out against Anwar Ibrahim

PEMBELA, a group of Muslim lawyers headed by renowned defense lawyer Zainur Zakaria hit out against Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) for causing a ruckus with their blatant lies, racism attacks, manipulation of facts and history, attempting to drag Malaysia into an international row and attempted to incite and instigate racial and religious hatred which tantamount to treason.

The media conference was conducted at the Kuala Lumpur Syariah Court.

MEDIA STATEMENT BY PEMBELA

6th DECEMBER 2007

PEMBELA refers to the recent street protest held on the 25th of November
2007 by a movement called Hindraf or Hindu Rights Action Force in support of
their demands.

While PEMBELA acknowledges the fundamental right of every citizen to gather
peacefully and their right to free speech within the ambit of the law,
PEMBELA deplores the actions carried out by Hindraf in the pursuit of their
demands.

Among the steps taken by Hindraf was to send a letter to the Prime Minister
of the United Kingdom.

In this letter dated the 15th of November 2007, written by P. Uthayakumar as
the legal adviser to Hindraf, Hindraf made several accusations and
allegations against the Malaysian Government, and the Muslim community of
committing atrocities against Malaysians of Indian origin. These accusations
are not only malicious and untrue but highly inflammatory and calculated to
incite racial and religious discord among Malaysians.

In the said letter Hindraf appealed to the UK Government to move an
emergency resolution in the United Nations to condemn Malaysian Government
for committing ethnic cleansing and genocide against Malaysian Indians with
the backing of Islamic extremist and terrorist.

Such accusations by Hindraf are not only baseless and untrue but malicious
and highly inflammatory with the objective of arousing racial and religious
discord particularly between the Malays and Indians and also between the
Muslims and the Hindus in this country.

Hindraf has also issued a veiled threat that the Indians in Malaysia may
resort to armed terrorist insurrection like that being carried out in Sri
Lanka if the Malaysian government do not give in to their demands, the
principal one being the rejection of certain fundamental provisions of the
Federal Constitution.

PEMBELA views the actions of Hindraf and especially their leaders with grave
concern as their actions and threat to resort to armed revolt are not only
seditious but can be regarded as acts of treason.

Hindraf now seeks to use these malicious and baseless allegations to garner
international support for their cause and have despatched one P. Warya
Moorthy to undertake this campaign.

Hindraf has also threatened the Malaysian Government, in particular the
Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, that they will
relentlessly pursue such campaign unless the Malaysian government meet their
leaders to discuss their demands. PEMBELA condemns such attempts at
blackmail and intimidation as totally unacceptable.

The events behind HINDRAF’s actions are reminiscent of the events which led
to the May 13 tragedy in 1969. PEMBELA therefore condemns the highly
irresponsible actions of Hindraf, especially their leaders for fanning the
fires of racial and religious emotions and urges the Malaysian government to
act firmly, before racial and religious sentiments become uncontrollable.

PEMBELA therefore urges the Malaysian Government to:

1. Ban the movement called Hindraf;
2. Take firm legal action against the leaders of Hindraf; and
3. Not to entertain any demands by Hindraf for any discussion or
meeting with the Malaysian Government.

PEMBELA also views with concern statements issued by other organizations
echoing the threat by Hindraf that the Indians may have to resort to armed
terrorist insurrection if their demands are not listened to by the Malaysian
Government.

PEMBELA considers such statements as irresponsible, more so coming from
organizations that demand others to act within the ambit of the law.

Zainur Zakaria
Spokesperson for PEMBELA

6th December 2007, Kuala Lumpur

Zainur Zakaria likened HINDRAF as extremist militants, suh as the infamous Al Maunah for attempting to disrupt stability, create pandimonium and massive social unrest through racial and religious hatred amongst Malaysians. Al Maunah was charged for trying to wage a war against HM SPB YDP Agong and deemed an act of treason. Three of Al Maunah leaders were found guilty and sentenced to death.

On the same note, The Star reported that IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan said HINDRAF had linkages with terrorists and militant organisations and now canvassing donations for their cause. The Police would consider using ISA against their leaders, for sowing hatred:

Friday December 7, 2007

IGP: Hindraf trying to garner support from terrorist groups

By LOURDES CHARLES and ANDREW SAGAYAM

KUALA LUMPUR: There are signs lately that the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) is trying to garner support from terrorist groups, the police charged yesterday.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said Hindraf has also set up a fund by misleading the public into believing that the money is to finance its activities.

“We view such matters very seriously. It is also very worrying especially when we live in a multi-racial society.

Ominous words: The front page of Monday’s edition of Singapore’s The New Paper which interviewed P. Uthayakumar and quoted him as saying that Hindraf will not rule out violence.

“The police will not hesitate to take stern action against anyone to ensure that peace and security prevails in this country,” he said.

Musa also said the group was trying to sow hatred towards the Government and that its actions could spark racial clashes.

He said such dangerous sentiments were being widely spread via Hindraf forums, distribution of books and leaflets, on websites as well as through the short messaging service.

“It is also trying to rope in gangsters to prevent local authorities from demolishing illegal temples in the near future.

“The fanning of such racial sentiments among the Indians is very unhealthy and dangerous,” Musa said, adding that the police would not hesitate to invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA) against those who abused technology to stoke racial hatred or unrest.

The IGP said those found guilty of spreading such messages through SMS or e-mail could be jailed up to three years, fined RM10,000, or both, under Section 28 of the ISA.

One of Hindraf’s leaders, P. Uthayakumar, was reported as saying in an interview in Monday’s edition of Singapore’s New Paper that that he would not rule out using violence.

He was quoted as saying that the protest by monks in Myanmar last September inspired Hindraf’s public protest.

“The monks were prepared to die for their cause. I’ve shown slides of monks getting shot and killed during my roadshows and I think it struck a chord with the people.

“I think it’s quite unlikely we’ll head down that path towards a civil war but there’s always that possibility. Some of the uneducated may resort to violence,” Uthayakumar was quoted as saying by the paper.

He also allegedly made similar statements in an interview with Indian national television in a programme called Times Now, where he warned of serious consequences.

Amongst the questions were asked was about Anwar Ibrahim’s statement on HINDRAF and later a subsequent statement deemed as ‘damage control’. For one of Anwar’s trial lawyers in the much talked about high profile case between 1998-2001, it is very clear that Zainur Zakaria expressed his utmost resentment against Anwar. He quipped that Anwar being a former Deputy Prime Minister ought to know better and should not made the statement, capitalising on taking full advantage of the situation.