MIC, PKR to work together to solve Effingham land issue

KUALA LUMPUR: The Effingham Tamil School (SRJK (T) land controversy finally looks set to be resolved following a compromise reached between MIC and the PKR-backed Return Effingham Land Action Team (Reflax).

The initiative was taken by MIC vice-president and Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Deputy Minister M Saravanan who visited five members of Reflax who had been on a hunger strike since Saturday morning seeking the return of a three-acre land for the school which they claimed had been taken by MIC.

However, after Saravanan’s visit to the hunger stikers, followed by a short discussion involving PKR’s R Sivarasa as well as MIC secretary-general S Murugessan, both Reflax and PKR agreed to stop calling MIC “thieves” who “stole” the piece of land.

The hunger strikers also agreed to replace their demand for MIC to “return the land” with a new one, which will “seek land” for the school.

In return, Saravanan agreed that he would bring up the group’s proposal to MIC’s highest leadership level – the central working committee – to consider the request for the land to be allocated for the school.

However, Reflax, which has been holding candlelight vigils every Saturday night for the past 14 weeks, would continue to hold its hunger strike, which is now into its third day.

Currently, there are five people, out of an original seven, who are taking part in the hunger strike at the water fountain in Brickfield’s Little India.They said that they would continue with their hunger strike until MIC confirms that it would release the piece of land. Reflax and PKR had originally accused the MIC of stealing the land which was given for the school.

Originally, Reflax had alleged that the six-acre plot in Bandar Utama, Damansara, was allocated to the school by a developer in 1999.The land, claimed Reflax, was later divided into two equal parts, one for the school and the other transferred to then MIC president S Samy Vellu and others to be held in trust.

‘We are all smiling’

MIC had initially proposed to build its branch office and an orphanage there. However, MIC recently said it would construct a hostel to accommodate needy Indian students along with a sports field, which Effingham students could then use.

The school board, which has been pushing the state and MIC leaders for the return of the land since 2007, has maintained that the land parcel belongs to the school.Today, Saravanan told reporters that discussions with Sivarasa and Reflax made him “happy” as it has been concluded that “MIC did not steal the land”.

“I’m very happy; almost all MIC leaders should be happy because we’ve concluded that MIC did not steal the land belonging to Effingham. That was the most sensitive aspect of this issue. Now we’ve concluded to compromise… now our doors are open. See now we are all smiling,” he said.

He said that everything is being done to achieve the “best win-win situation in the interest of the Indian community and the Tamil language”.“We’ve concluded that the term ‘MIC has taken the land belonging to the school’ should not be used. Sivarasa has appealed that MIC consider allocating the land back to the school; we’ve agreed to discuss with the party leadership level,” said Saravanan.

Sivarasa, who stood beside Saravanan in a joint press conference, said: “We have different views of [what happened in] the past. He has his documents, I have mine.“I think his problem was that the language we used was ‘stolen’… Now, I’m more interested in looking forward, we want to solve the issue in the interest of the community.

“We have made the proposal that the MIC consider giving – you notice I didn’t say the word ‘back’ – the land to the school.”Sivarasa added that he has written to Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim on the possibility of giving MIC an alternative piece of land to replace the one beside the school.

The ‘big lie’

Reflax chairman Manivanan Gowin said that the group will reconsider continuing the hunger strike and will announce a decision soon.

Asked if the conclusion today meant that the group’s allegations previously were false, Manivanan said: “No, we’re not saying that. We are just forgetting the past. Why the hunger strike in the first place? The intention is to ask for the land. We want the land. Rather than going round and round in circles, we just want to focus on asking for the land.”

Earlier, Saravanan told FMT that some parties were “politicising” the issue that could be verified with hard facts.He also said all documents related to the issue, dating to the 1980s, would be made public when they will be put up around the Brickfields water fountain at 5pm on June 1.

“On that day, everyone can come and view the documents at the fountain. They can judge the issue for themselves. We won’t waste time commenting on it. All explanations will be done and all documents will be displayed. I will be there to answer any questions.”

Saravanan said that MIC is upset over the “big lie” that the party had taken the three acres.

“MIC had been fighting for the school since the 1980s. MIC made the call to build the school in the first place.

“Initially, the school was built on a two-acre plot at a different site. MIC thought the two acres were not enough, so we approached the education ministry and developer for more land.“They agreed to relocate the school to another three-acre site after MIC convinced the state authorities to agree too. We then helped raise funds to build the school.”

He said out of the total of RM1.27 million raised, MIC, under Samy Vellu, helped obtain about RM1 million from the government.Saravanan said the remaining three acres – the contentious issue – were in fact gazetted as “open space” and MIC had applied for the land in 1999, adding that it was not “stolen” as some quarters have claimed.

“We got the land and paid about RM3.035 million premium for it,” he said, showing FMT a stack of documents to back up his argument.“These are the minutes of the state government executive council [meeting] when MIC applied for the land. On April 28, 1999, it was gazetted as ‘open space’ and on Aug 26, 1999, after the area was gazetted as green area, MIC applied for it. So MIC didn’t take the land which belongs to the Tamil school at all.”

“People have been politicising the matter and have refused to properly debate with me. I’m just here to protect the party, to tell the public that MIC didn’t steal any land. It’s very clear. If Sivarasa goes to court, he will be finished,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a text message to FMT, MIC president G Palanivel said:

“The MIC will use its three acres of land in Bandar Utama to build a hostel for poor children. It will be used for charitable purposes. Apart from the hostel, we will also build a sports field for use by the Effingham Tamil school.“We are also thinking of operating buses to ferry children staying in the hostel to nearby schools. It is solely meant for poor students.”

Source :http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/05/28/mic-pkr-to-work-together-to-solve-effingham-land-issue/