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©The Star (Used by permission)
by Elizabeth Looi

KUALA LUMPUR: The MIC top brass has come out in defence of K. Devamany, the party’s Cameron Highlands MP, who is embroiled in a controversy for seemingly sympathising with the Hindraf rally.

Party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu clarified yesterday that what Devamany had meant to say in Parliament was that the Government was not doing enough for the Indian community.

“Policy failure is different from not doing enough. Devamany meant to say that the Government was not doing enough ... but everyone is not doing enough,” he said.

He said Devamany mentioned the 50,000 figure “absent-mindedly” in the House.

“Police have released the figures, and if there were really 50,000 people, they would have filled up Kuala Lumpur,” Samy Vellu told reporters at the Parliament lobby, with Devamany beside him.

MIC secretary-general Dr S. Subramaniam also backed the embattled MP, saying that the latter’s statement was consistent with his role as an MIC backbencher and his call to the Government to pay serious attention to the Indian community was not disrespectful to the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition.

Devamany, a first-term MP, said he stood by what he had said and had not broken ranks.

“I used the legislative method to put forward the concerns of the people,” he said, adding that he brought up the issue on his own initiative.

On Monday, Devamany interjected during question time while Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Datuk Abdul Raman Suliman was answering a supplementary question by Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.

Lim had said Hindraf’s demonstration on Sunday was a cry of desperation from the Indians and asked if it showed the Government’s failure in equal wealth distribution.

When Abdul Raman replied that the Government had never discriminated against any race, Devamany rose to say: “But 50,000 people were there. That is a failure. Therefore, I feel that these issues should be looked into seriously.”

Meanwhile, MIC vice-president Datuk S. Veerasingam said it was important that people from all walks of life benefit from the vast development that the country has achieved.

Nazri: ‘Robin Hood’ still needs to face the music

KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and deputy chief whip Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said MIC parliamentarian K. Devamany should not be let off the hook even if the Indian community regarded him as a hero. 

“Should we let Robin Hood off the hook just because he is a hero? He robbed the rich and gave to the poor but he was still breaking the law,” he said at Parliament lobby yesterday. 

“Should we encourage people to be popular among the community by breaking ranks? Or should we consider the welfare of the whole BN?” 

Nazri, who is in charge of parliamentary affairs, maintained that Devamany had “broken ranks” when he disputed the MIC’s stand with regard to Sunday’s Hindraf demonstration. He said Devamany also broke ranks when he said the Government failed to address the issues of the Indian community. 

He reiterated his stand that if Devamany had disputed his own party, he should resign from the MIC. 

Nazri said Devamany would have to explain his remarks to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is the Barisan chief whip, tomorrow.  

“In my opinion, there has been a breaking in ranks,” Nazri said, adding that if Devamany wanted to be a “fighter” then he should not put his party in a difficult position. 

Nazri said the demonstration on Sunday would not change the Government's perception towards the Indian community in general. 

He said the Government believed that the other one million Indians in the country who did not participate in the rally were fully behind the Government. 

“Some 20,000 penyangak (crooks) who participated in the rally will not alter our viewpoint of the entire community,” he said. 

Meanwhile, International Movement for a Just World president Dr Chandra Muzaffar said it was not right to put a racial slant to a gathering. Dr Chandra said that while he respected a person’s right to gather, he did not agree with the racial stance taken and the violence that reportedly occurred.  

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