#waytha

Malaysia Advancement Party (MAP) chairman P. Waytha Moorthy has written to opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, urging Perikatan Nasional (PN) to support the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on racial and religious harmony.  Waytha Urges PN to Support RCI on Racial and Religious Harmony Waytha praised PN’s “new national consensus” vision but questioned its sincerity and lack…

New Post has been published on http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2015/03/24/hindraf-urges-nazri-to-use-his-power-to-declare-110-year-old-ashram-a-heritage-site/

Hindraf urges Nazri to use his power to declare 110-year-old ashram a heritage site

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24, 2015:

Hindraf is demanding Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz exercise his ministerial powers to declare the 110-year-old Vivekananda Ashram a heritage site just as he had promised.

The Hindu rights organisation chairman P. Waytha Moorthy urged the Tourism and Culture Minister to “walk his talk” by declaring the site a national heritage under Section 67(1) of the National Heritage Act.

“Section 67(1) of the NHA 2005 clearly states that the minister may, by order published in the Gazette, declare any heritage site, heritage object, underwater cultural heritage listed in the Register or any living person as a National Heritage.

“The Swami Vivekananda Ashram clearly falls within category (a) – (f) of section 2 of the clause 67 in making such a declaration,” he said in a press statement today.

Adding that the minister has “wide power” under Section 3 of the NHA 2005 in regards to policies and directive in relation to National Heritage, Waytha said the board of trustees had objected the gazetting of the ashram as a heritage site.

The recent objection by the trustee on the gazetting of the Ashram as a heritage, the former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said, was expected as they had done the same in 2008.

“The decision by the trustees to redevelop the site for commercial purpose is on the pretext of channelling more funds for the organisation’s use should be rejected outright as the necessity to protect a heritage building outweighs benefits derived from commercial ventures.”

On Jan 16 this year, MIC Youth had confirmed that the ashram, which was once feared would be partly torn down for development, would be gazetted as a heritage site.

Waytha said the minister should “act without delay to avoid causing unnecessary anxiety to the public” as it appeared that the trustee were not acting in accordance with public interest in safeguarding the Swami Vivekananda Ashram.

Nazri had on Nov 4, 2014, during his visit to the location, had stated that any building or artefact that is more than 100 years old is deemed as a national heritage.

The Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields made the news last year after it was learnt that the building, located on private land‎, was supposed to have been redeveloped into a high-rise residential complex.

This subsequently led to the formation of the ‪“Save Vivekananda Ashram” Action Committee, a coalition of 50 non-governmental organisations, including the MIC and Hindraf, who opposed the development.

Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib was reported on Jan 15 as saying that the site now was expected to be a gazetted heritage site.

New Post has been published on http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2014/02/20/waytha-wanted-rm4-5-billion/

'Waytha wanted RM4.5 billion'

KUALA LUMPUR

Former Deputy Minister P. Waytha Moorthy was alleged to have been denied an annual allocation of RM4.5 billion from the government which then led to his resignation.

This was reported by Sin Chew Daily on Thursday, quoting a source in the government.

According to the newspaper, Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader Waytha wanted the government to set up a unit for the Indian community made up of 531 personnel.

For this unit, Waytha  requested that 300 out of the 531 posts be filled with members from Hindraf.

The unit would require RM70 million to cover salaries and operating costs.

The source said that Waytha had also asked for an additional RM4.5 billion annually for the Indian community.

The source said the government was not able to approve such a high amount without a practical proposal.

There was also a problem with regard to the selection of the committee members of the Expert Steering Committee (ESC) that the government and Hindraf had agreed to set up.

This was meant to oversee the implementation of programmes listed in the memorandum of understanding between the two parties.

The source said Waytha did not submit Hindraf’s list of representatives.

New Post has been published on http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2014/02/18/stop-tarnishing-governments-image-ipf-tells-waytha/

Stop tarnishing government's image, IPF tells Waytha

KUALA LUMPUR

The Indian Progressive Front (IPF) called on former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy to stop issuing statements that could tarnish the image of the government and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

IPF President Datuk M. Sambanthan said Waytha’s call for Najib to step down showed that the Hindraf chairman was trying to conceal his own failures while he was Deputy Minister.

“I would also like to refute Waytha’s claims that the government had failed to help the Indian community because so far the government has provided various forms of assistance to the Indian community.

“The latest was Najib’s announcement to allocate RM100 million annually to help Tamil schools,” he said when met at Wisma Bernama, here, on Tuesday.

Sambanthan was commenting on statements issued by Waytha that the government under Najib’s leadership had failed to fulfill promises made to the Indian community.

Waytha had accused Najib of cheating the Indian community and failing to honour his promises to them.

The IPF leader also chided Waytha for resigning from his posts, and his claims that he could not meet Najib and that his proposals for the betterment of the Indian community were not received.

“By right, as a Deputy Minister, he should represent the Indian community in the government and call upon all Indian community leaders to discuss programmes which could benefit the community.

“But for the 9 months that he was the Deputy Minister, he had never called the Indian leaders and in fact had kept away from us. That was not right.”

Sambanthan hoped the Indian community would not be influenced by Waytha’s claims to run down the government for his own benefit.

New Post has been published on http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2014/02/18/waytha-says-he-met-najib-16-times-to-discuss-indian-issues/

Waytha says he met Najib 16 times to discuss Indian issues

KUALA LUMPUR

Former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy, on behalf of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), has called for the resignation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for his alleged “betrayal” of the Indian community.

“All components of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition should be ashamed of how the Prime Minister has cheated the Indian community by his inability to fulfil and implement the MOU/agreement he had endorsed.

“He can cheat the Indian community, but he will never be able to take away our dignity,” he said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Waytha Moorthy was appointed Senator and then Deputy Minister after the 2013 general election.

Prior to that, Hindraf signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on April 18, 2013 with the government highlighting several issues.

Waytha Moorthy said he had met with Najib 16 times in the last 8 months to discuss   fulfilling the agreement and his dissatisfaction over the matter.

“It was a lie when he said I did not discuss about my resignation with him. At each of these meetings, we discussed many things, including naming a new unit for me to head as well as the necessary budget that was agreed.

“However, it occurred to me that he is a weak leader who does not have the political will to make decisions and fulfil his promises.

“This is why he should step down and let someone who is more honourable and capable to lead the nation.”

Labelling Feb 10 (the day Waytha Moorthy resigned as the Deputy Minister and the next day as Senator) as a “black day” in the history of Malaysia, he said Hindraf’s initial participation in the BN government, amid criticisms, was for the agreement to materialise.

“It didn’t and experience showed that we were wrong for trusting Najib.

“He has committed a betrayal in historic terms to the entire Indian community that will not be forgotten for generations to come. This story will be told over and over.”

Hindraf refused to answer any questions from the press stating that there would be another press conference in the next few days where more details would be revealed.

‘Pakatan has championed Indian rights’

Meanwhile, in an immediate response, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Vice-President N. Surendran said the call for Najib to resign was nothing new, but said it wasn’t the answer for the Indian community.

“Asking Najib to resign is not as effective as BN being defeated at the polls and making way for a new government that will actually take the woes of the Indian community seriously.

“The Indian community can never prosper under BN.

“The call for Najib to end the woes of the Indian community has been championed by Pakatan Rakyat for a very long time,” he said when contacted by The Rakyat Post.

He said Waytha Moorthy had betrayed the Indian community when he asked them to stand by BN for GE13.

“I’m glad, however, that he has come to his senses and I hope he doesn’t betray the community again. He had caused damage in his attempt to exact change in this country and he has a long way to go to make up for what he did.”

‘He wanted budget for Indians be parked under him’

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, via his personal Twitter account, wrote: “Waytha Moorthy should not blame PM for his failures in effecting change. He was not a team player & wasn’t effective in advocating his cause.

“Whenever Waythamoorthy brought matters to the PM, they were resolved. Ask @mpkotabelud (referring to Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan) about housing problems for Indian community.

“Fact is, Waythamoorthy demanded all govt budget for Indian community be parked under his discretion. That’s not how govt operates. Waythamoorthy wanted to control the money, bypassing ministries & agencies. When he didn’t get this, he quit & blamed PM,” Khairy wrote.

MIC Treasurer-General Datuk S Murugessan told The Rakyat Post that Waytha Moorthy had no right to call for Najib to resign, arguing that unlike the former, Najib was elected by the people.

“Waythamoorthy was appointed to the post.”

Murugessan added that MIC had initially welcomed the Hindraf co-founder’s appointment, with the hope that he would strengthen Indian representation in the Cabinet, yet “didn’t see much movement”.

New Post has been published on http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2014/02/18/waytha-moorthy-tells-najib-to-resign/

Waytha Moorthy tells Najib to resign

KUALA LUMPUR

Former deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy, on behalf of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), has called for the resignation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for his “betrayal” of the Indian community.

“All components of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition should be ashamed of how the prime minister has cheated the Indian community by his inability to fulfil and implement the agreement he had endorsed.

“He can cheat the Indian community, but he will never be able to take away our dignity,” he said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Waytha Moorthy said he had met with Najib 16 times in the last eight months to discuss about fulfilling the agreement.

“However, he did not have the political will to fulfil his promises.

“This is why he should step down and let someone who is more capable lead the nation.”

Labelling Feb 10 (the day Waytha Moorthy resigned from all Cabinet posts) as a “black day” in the history of Malaysia, he said Hindraf’s initial participation in the BN government, amid criticisms, was for the agreement to materialise.

“It didn’t and we were proved wrong for trusting Najib.”

Hindraf refused to answer any questions from the press stating that there would be another press conference in the next few days where more details would be revealed.