Hindraf 2.0 gives Harapan a passing grade, barely

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf 2.0) has given Pakatan Harapan a "50.1 percent" grade for its first year in power, in spite of a long list of complaints about unfulfilled promises for the Indian community.

The group applauded Harapan for its "serious" anti-corruption drive, abolition of GST and "generally better" police conduct.

It also noted that 1,841 stateless Indians were granted citizenship and there were 377 Indian students accepted into Mara Science College (MRSM).

However, according to Hindraf 2.0 de facto leader P Uthayakumar (above), Harapan had only fulfilled "1 percent" of its pledges to the "B75 Indian community".

"The common excuse given in effect being - pulling the B75 Indian poor above the waters will upset the Malay Muslim ground.

"Do we deliver for the people who voted us in or worry about the people who didn't?" asked Uthayakumar.

Should the federal government disagree with Hindraf 2.0's assessment, Uthayakumar urged the director-general for the Implementations and Coordination Unit (ICU) to present Harapan's perspective during the group's gathering in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur this Sunday.

The Harapan manifesto had included a chapter called "Special commitment to the Indian community" listing out plans to help the community in terms of education, business, jobs, citizenship, etc.

First on Uthayakumar's list of unfulfilled promises was that 350,000 Indians were still, allegedly, stateless after a year of Harapan rule.

Harapan had promised to resolve this within 100 days of coming to power.

Uthayakumar also pointed out that Harapan has not resolved housing woes of former estate workers.

Harapan had promised that state housing agencies would provide affordable home schemes for "Indian families who are in need, especially former farm workers".

Harapan's promise to ensure all National Type Tamil Schools were "fully funded" was also not fulfilled.

Harapan had also promised to establish a government funded Tamil secondary school and increase the number of Indian students at boarding schools (SBP) and MRSM.

On Harapan's promise to set up land-based schemes for Indians that were modelled after Felda and Felcra, Uthayakumar said none has been set up so far.

Harapan's promise to direct GLCs, federal government agencies and local governments to target a 10 percent workforce from the Indian community was also not met, said Uthayakumar.