PM Mulls National Holiday For Thaipusam. If Granted, The Credit Goes To Hindraf, Not MIC

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pledged to the Indian community yesterday that he would consider declaring Thaipusam a national holiday. The Prime Minister said the annual festival, which falls on Wednesday this year, was nearing and the community was filled with expectations.

Addressing a Ponggal Festival (Tamil New Year) event at Bukit Bintang here last night, Abdullah said he understood and appreciated the meaning of a poem read out earlier by an Indian participant, who called for Thaipusam to be made a holiday.

Part of the poem read:

Sambutan Thaipusam semakin dekat

Warga menanti pengumuman cuti

(Thaipusam is nearing,

The people are awaiting news of a holiday)

The Prime Minister, in a pantun-style reply of his own, said he would have a meeting before making a decision.

“I have to hold a meeting before a decision can be made. I promise you, I’ll consider it,” he added.

Thaipusam is currently a holiday in Selangor, Penang, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Johor. (The Star)

***** Well, well, well! How receptive the Umno leadership has become towards Indian interests! This Thaipusam holiday plea, request, petition has been an ongoing thing for decades. Dr Mahathir almost every year gave the stock reply that he will 'consider it' although in retrospect one suspects he never had the intention of pleasing the Indians on this issue. It was merely a sandiwara played by the top guns, where Semi Value makes the appeal and Dr M patiently listens and then says 'I'll consider'. After that the chapter is closed for the year until the next Thaipusam.

Of course the fanatically racist MBs and CMs didn't make the task of getting even a state holiday any easier. It's OK to have a dozen and more holidays for Muslim festivals and important occasions but to give just one extra day for the bloody Indians would have dented their image as pejuang demi bangsa, agama dan negara. These hypocritical Umno warlords refused point blank the repeated requests over the years and with the top leadership including the former PM and DPM not overly concerned, they had nothing to worry. After all the kelings will vote for them come hell or high water.

This gross discrimination was despite the fact that although belonging to a minority religion here, more Malaysian Hindus gather at the temples all over the country on Thaipusam day than do those of other religions including Islam for their respective religious festivals. These devotees spend their own money on their own time and congregate at the various temples. No government sponsored free bus trips or pocket money to help them find their way to their place of worship. It is a spontaneous display of fulfilling religious duties minus the hype. And the reward these Hindus get for upholding one of the five principles of the Rukun Negara? An official "piss off, no holiday for you lot" reply by the government, year in and year out.

If this year there appears to be more sincerity (however much faked) in the leadership's mood to grant a holiday, the credit should solely go to Hindraf which has considerably weakened the MIC and shaken it to its very foundations. They have accomplished with one rally what the grovelling MIC could not do for the past three decades. And with Sam's fortunes fast sinking, a national holiday for Thaipusam may be one way for Pak Lah to save the political life of Umno's most faithful and loyal servant.

Hindraf has woken up the government from its reverie and false belief that Indians would take things lying down for eternity. Alas, no more. If the kerajaan doesn't shape up, then the Indians will do their bit to ship 'em out too.
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