20010320ngo

Tuesday March 20

NGOs rap gov’t for promoting racism

Leong Kar Yen

7:19pm, Tue: A group of NGOs took the government to task for failing to confront the problem of racism which it claimed resulted in the recent clashes in Kampung Medan, leaving six dead and scores injured.

“The government has not addressed the problem of racism. It continues to deny the problem while promoting it in its action and policies,” said a memorandum that was handed to the Parliament this afternoon.

It added such actions have heightened racial sentiments among the different communities in the country.

The memorandum was presented by spokesperson for the Concerned Citizens Group (CCG), K Arumugam, and was endorsed by 46 groups which include Suaram, the National Human Rights Society of Malaysia and the Community Development Centre.

The memorandum added that the government has also failed to take care of the poor in Malaysia.

“The people elect a government and the government delivers the goods, services, a peaceful environment and uplift the quality of life and standard of living.

“This government has failed in providing for and taking care of poor Malaysians. This we believe is a violation of the social contract and trust placed on the elected government,” the memorandum added.

Approximately 200 people had also assembled at the gates of the Parliament in support of the memorandum.

Not senior enough

CCG handed the memorandum over to PAS secretary-general Nasharudin Isa, who received it on behalf of opposition leader Fadzil Nor. Also present were Keadilan president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok.

However, the group was unable to hand the memorandum over to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad despite having sent a letter earlier informing him that the NGOs would be in Parliament today.

Two hours later Senator M Kayveas, the deputy minister for housing and local government, appeared to receive the memorandum, but CCG’s Charles Santiago refused to hand the document over to him because he was not a “senior minister”.

Kayveas was the first high-ranking government official to visit the Kampung Medan area following the clashes.

The neighbourhood where the skirmishes occurred - which include Taman Datuk Harun, Kampung Lindungan, Kampung Medan, Taman Medan, Kampung Penaga, Kampung Ghandi and Kampung Muniandy - is populated by Malays, Indians, and Indonesian and Bangladeshi migrants, and comprises long houses, low-cost flats, terrace houses and wooden squatter houses.

The majority of the residents are from the lower income group, most being factory workers, mechanics and small-time businessmen.

To date, police said that six have died, more than 40 injured and over 200 arrested in the clashes which began on March 9.

Royal commission

The 11-page long memorandum listed six recommendations which included calling for a royal commission of inquiry and setting up of a race relations commission

“Only a royal commission of inquiry can ascertain the truth of the matter. The commission will ascertain the causes of the recent clashes; bring the perpetrators to justice and identify the structural weaknesses in present poverty eradication programmes in order to prevent future recurrence of such a tragedy,” it said.

The race relations commission on the other hand should “be set up in order to eradicate all unfair discrimination”.

The commission will have the power to investigate overt and institutional racism and to recommend possible remedies, it said.

The memorandum also called for financial support for the affected families, socio-economic programmes, the setting up of a multi-ethnic police task force to tackle drug abuse and gangsterism in the areas.