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Rakyat Malaysia mesti bersuara menentang ahli politik oportunis yang cuba menentukan hala tuju negara, kata Presiden Aliran
Dalam ucap utamanya di Mesyuarat Agung Tahunan ke-34, P. Ramakrishnan yang telah dipilih semula sebagai presiden persatuan Aliran, merakamkan perasaan kesalnya terhadap perbuatan ahli politik oportunis yang menyemarakkan isu perkauman yang boleh membawa Malaysia ke tahap yang merbahaya.
Rakyat tidak boleh membiarkan minoriti yang bersuara lantang ini menentukan hala tuju negara kita.
Pemimpin negara sepatutnya mengecam pengacau-pengacau ini, dan bukan berjinak-jinak dengan mereka yang seterusnya melayani tuntutan yang semakin meningkat tanpa memperdulikan hak kerakyatan kesemua pihak. Ramakrishnan mengingatkan kita bahawa ekoran daripada pindaan terhadap Perlembagaan Persekutuan selepas peristiwa 13 Mei ialah, antara lain, hak kerakyatan kesemua pihak tidak boleh dipersoalkan lagi. Namun begitu, berdasarkan peristiwa yang lalu, peruntukan dalam Perlembagaan ini nampaknya tidak dihormati.
Beliau teringatkan peristiwa baru-baru ini yang termasuk kes ketua sekolah di Johor dan Kedah yang membuat kenyataan perkauman, pembantu kanan Perdana Menteri yang meluahkan kenyataan yang menyinggung perasaan di sebuah seminar 1Malaysia di Melaka, dan seorang wakil Perhimpunan Agung Umno yang mencadangkan bahawa orang Cina dibenarkan membuat perniagaan tetapi dinafikan hak mengundi.
Ramakrishnan berasa kesal kerana dalam kesemua hal ini, pemimpin-pemimpin negara tidak mengkritik dengan pantas pesalah-pesalah ini manakala majoriti rakyat tidak bersuara untuk mengutuk kumpulan yang tidak bertanggungjawab ini.
Majoriti senyap mesti bertindak apabila ketidakadilan timbul: mereka boleh menulis kepada media, memaksa organisasi mereka membuat pendirian dan bukannya menunggu sehingga tiba pilihanraya umum yang akan datang.
Kita perlu ingat: “Apa yang diperlukan untuk membolehkan kejahatan berjaya ialah orang yang baik hanya mendiamkan diri sahaja.”
Mesyuarat pertubuhan hak asasi manusia ini juga memilih Dr. Francis Loh Kok Wah sebagai setiausaha kehormat, Dr. Mustafa K. Anuar sebagai penolong setiausaha kehormat dan Anil Noel Netto sebagai bendahari kehormat.
Turut dipilih sebagai ahli jawatankuasa eksekutif ialah Dr. Prema Devaraj, Andrew Wong, Dr. Soon Chuan Yean, Dr. Yeoh Seng Guan, Dr. Andrew Aeria, Leena Mohan, Sarajun Hoda bin Abdul Hassan, Angeline Loh, Dr Subramaniam Pillay, Dr Lye Tuck Po dan Ch’ng Teng Liang.
Dr Francis Loh
Setiausaha Kehormat
28 November 2010
Media statement
Malaysians must speak out to prevent opportunistic politicians from dictating the direction of the nation, urges Aliran President
In his keynote address to the 34th AGM, P. Ramakrishnan, who was re-elected as Aliran president, expressed his regret that certain opportunistic politicians have been playing up racial issues that threatened to take Malaysia to the brink.
People should not allow this vocal minority to dictate the direction of our nation.
The national leaders instead of taking these trouble makers to task appear to court them, which has further encouraged them to be more extremist in their demands, ignoring the rights of citizenship. Ramakrishnan reminded all that, following the May 13 tragedy, the Federal Constitution had been amended to, among others, state that the citizenship of a national is beyond question. Yet, judging from recent events, this provision of the Constitution does not appear to have been respected.
He recalled recent incidents including the cases of the school heads in Johor and Kedah who made racist remarks, the top aide of the Prime Minister who uttered offending remarks at a 1Malaysia seminar in Malacca, and an Umno general assembly delegate who suggested that the Chinese can be allowed to do business but they should not be given voting rights.
Ramakrishnan lamented that in all these instances, the national leaders did not act swiftly to castigate the culprits while the majority of well-meaning Malaysians did not speak up to take to task these unreasonable people.
The silent majority must act whenever an injustice is committed: they can write to the media, compel their organisations to take a stand and not just wait until the next general election.
Let us always remember: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing.”
The AGM also elected Dr. Francis Loh Kok Wah as honorary secretary, Dr. Mustafa K. Anuar as honorary assistant secretary and Anil Netto as honorary treasurer.
Also elected to the executive committee were Dr. Prema Devaraj, Andrew Wong, Dr. Soon Chuan Yean, Dr. Yeoh Seng Guan, Dr. Andrew Aeria, Leena Mohan, Sarajun Hoda bin Abdul Hassan, Angeline Loh, Dr Subramaniam Pillay, Dr Lye Tuck Po and Ch’ng Teng Liang
Dr Francis Loh
Hon Secretary
28 November 2010
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