He claimed that numerous deserving Indian students who have achieved excellent results in STPM were not given any government sponsorships or scholarships to further their education.“Provision of such assistance is part of the intellectual development programme of the country. The provisions include government scholarships, admission to preferred pre-university matriculation programmes and university places in courses of their choice.“But these Malaysian Indian students were specifically denied these state-sponsored educational assistance,” alleged Waythamoorthy.His letter was addressed to Geneva-based Githu Muigai – the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.He has also sent a copy to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education office in Bangkok seeking the international body's intervention to end the perceived marginalisation of Malaysian Indians.Last month, Waythamoorthy updated and provided evidence to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on the continued discrimination and marginalisation of minority Malaysians, especially Indians, and natives from Sabah and Sarawak.He addressed human rights representatives and rapporteurs working in collaboration with representatives of UNHRC.
Hindraf's relentless pursuit
Waythamoorthy gave a clearer picture on the various ways and means undertaken by the Malaysian government to systematically isolate those minorities from the country’s mainstream development action plans and policies.“Their efforts to attain academic excellence are being thwarted by the federal government's discriminative policies, favouring only one particular race,” he told FMT.Waythamoorthy vowed that Hindraf would be relentless in its pursuit to end the alleged state-sponsored discrimination against Indians and other minorities in the country.He explained to Muigai that Malaysian Indians have been unfairly, unjustly and systematically marginalised and discriminated by Malaysian government institutions and their agents for more than half a century.He alleged the Umno-led government's agenda was to deprive the Indian community of its fair and equal share of the economic pie.He said that despite being a UN member and recently re-elected as member of the UNHRC, the Malaysian government continues to implement double-standard policies in violation of the country’s Federal Constitution.He also said the Barisan Nasional government's human rights practices and abuses against Malaysian Indians were in stark contrast to the UN Human Rights Declaration, of which Malaysia is a signatory.He said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts the principle of non-discrimination and proclaims that every person has the right to education.He also referred to the Convention against Discrimination for Education, initiated and adopted by the General Conference at the 11th session in Paris on Dec 14, 1960.He said Unesco, while respecting the diversity of national educational systems, has an international duty not only to proscribe any form of discrimination in education but also to promote equality of opportunity and treatment for all in education.
Flagrant abuse of basic human rights
However, he alleged that the Malaysian government and its agencies through public authorities, in contrast, promulgate and institute discriminating policies particularly against Malaysian Indians.
“This is being carried out even though Malaysian Indians are more than capable of contributing to the future of Malaysia.”Waythamoorthy called on the international community, UN member-states and related agencies not to “sit quietly and be mere observers” of the flagrant basic human rights abuses perpetrated on the Indian community.He urged them to act pro-actively to stop Malaysian Indians from being continually oppressed and suppressed in every aspect of their lives in Malaysia.“We most humbly urge you to formally appeal to the Malaysian government to immediately cease this discriminatory policy and treat all students irrespective of race equally, and all be accorded their due right to equal education,” Waythamoorthy said in his letter.
Source : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/
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