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Malaysia – Kinta Indian Association (KIA) – Protests – Arrests

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Malaysia – Kinta Indian Association (KIA) – Protests – Arrests Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE Research Response Number: MYS33202 Country: Malaysia Date: 10 April 2008 Keywords: – Malaysia – Kinta Indian Association (KIA) – Protests – Arrests This response was prepared by the Research & Information Services Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. This research response may not, under any circumstance, be cited in a decision or any other document. Anyone wishing to use this information may only cite the primary source material contained herein. Questions 1. Are there any reports in relation to the existence of Kinta Indian Association (KIA) in the city of Perak or Ipoh generally? 2. Are there any reports of KIA being involved in the protests which took place on 25 November 2007 in Kuala Lumpur? 3. Are there any reports of members of KIA being arrested or threatened with arrest? RESPONSE 1. Are there any reports in relation to the existence of Kinta Indian Association (KIA) in the city of Perak or Ipoh generally? An article in The New Straits Times dated 24 September 2001 provides information on the formation of the Kinta Indian Association in Ipoh. The article indicates that an Indian association which “admitted Indians of various provincial groups”, was formed on 2 April 1906 in Taiping. The association was registered “as The Indian Association of the F.M.S. [Federated Malay States]” on 7 April 1906. The Reverend Raju Naidu, who “was the pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Tamil Church in Taiping”, and is referred to as “the man who largely inspired the Indian association movement”, subsequently “took steps to form a branch of the association in Ipoh on June 9, 1906. It began with 12 members excluding the President and was greatly dependent on Sengalraya Naidu, a Telegu and wealthy contractor, for financial support.” The Indian Association of the F.M.S. later “became the Taiping Indian Association and in the case of Ipoh, on April 28, 1911, the association was re-registered as the Kinta Indian Association and continued initially to depend on Segalraya Naidu for financial support.” The article, which refers to “the Telegu community’s role in advocating and encouraging Indian unity in Malaya”, indicates that: The early Indian associations were too dependent on the support of persons who were largely government servants whereas the agenda of the associations was patently political and therefore frowned upon by the British administration. Still, after World War 1, when the British decided to appoint representatives of various ethnic groups to sit in the federal and state councils, the person whom they picked to be the accredited leader of the Indians in Malaya was another Telegu - S.N.Veerasamy, a lawyer and a graduate of Oxford University (Kim, Khoo Kay 2001, ‘Leading Telugus in early Malaya’, The New Straits Times, 24 September – Attachment 1). Another paper by Dr. Khoo Kay Kim of the University of Malaya’s Department of History, presented at a conference on Penang held on 18-21 April 2002, indicates that “there was at least a period between the late 19th century and the eve of WW I when the Indians of Penang and those of Taiping and, to a lesser extent, Ipoh made concerted efforts to integrate their activities which, in due course, had strong political undertone.” The paper refers to “some of the Indians in Penang and Taiping” attempting “to work in unison to bring about a vigorous Indian association which would be more than just a social or recreation club. Coincidentally, two spirited Indian activists arrived in this part of the world almost simultaneously - one, a lawyer, in Penang, and one, a pastor of the Episcopal Methodist Tamil Church, in Taiping. P.K. Nambyar, the lawyer was Cambridge-educated, and Rev. Raju Naidu had lived many years in Madras and was as much a social crusader as he was an ebullient pastor. He wrote critically and resolutely against the British administration for happily enjoying the revenue derived from opium-smoking.” According to the paper: Under Rev. Raju’s urging, an Indian Association was formed in Taiping on April 2, 1906. The meeting was held at the Methodist Episcopal Tamil Church. In his speech, he chastised the local Indians for their indifference and referred to “that great political propaganda known throughout the breadth and length of the whole of India and England as the Indian National Congress started some 26 years ago....” He himself, however, preferred to accept only the office of Vice-President prevailing instead on those present to elect P.K.Nambyar of Penang as the President. But the Indian Association came to be known as the Indian Association of the FMS. The paper indicates that “[t]he movement in Taiping quickly assumed a political stance” and that “[u]nder Rev. Raju’s leadership, the movement soon spread to Ipoh where the Kinta Indian Association was formed on June 9, 1906.” The paper also indicates that: But the freneticism which marked the beginnings of what was clearly a political movement could not be sustained. Too many of those involved were government servants and the movement, so obviously orientated towards the Indian Congress, was becoming overtly anti- British. To what extent, the British attempted to check the movement, if indeed it did, is not clear but the activists had become too dependent on Rev. Raju’s persistence and drive. By 1910, he had left Taiping and the roar of the movement dissipated. Internal friction proved to be a stumbling block to the development of the two associations. Nambyar far from being held in suspicion by the British was, in 1921, appointed the first Indian representative to the Straits Legislative Council (Kim, Dr. Khoo Kay 2002, ‘Tanjong, Hilir Perak, Larut and Kinta, The Penang-Perak Nexus in History’, The Penang Story website, April, pp. 15-16 http://www.penangstory.net.my/docs/Abs-KhooKayKim.doc - Accessed 7 April 2008 – Attachment 2). In relation to more recent activities by the Kinta Indian Association, an article in The New Straits Times dated 21 September 2000 refers to “[t]he Kinta Indian Association (KIA),” as “one of the oldest Indian- based organisations in the country”. The article notes that the KIA had “embarked on a project to build a RM2 million multi-purpose hall” in Ipoh (‘KIA to build multi-purpose hall’ 2000, The New Straits Times, 21 September – Attachment 3). Another article dated 26 September 2000 indicates that “[t]he 100-year-old Kinta Indian Association (KIA), long noted for its prowess in sports, is planning to play a major role in social and cultural activities in the Perak.” It is stated in the article that: KIA who had produced hundreds of sportsmen who later went on to play soccer, cricket and hockey at state and national levels have embarked on an ambitious project-a RM2.2m multi purpose community hall which will be completed by the end of next year. State Exco member Datuk G.Rajoo has been given the task of raising the money as head of the building committee which also comprises prominent businessmen. …Rajoo said the lack of a multi purpose hall for the Indian community had been outstanding and had to depend on halls owned by other races and organisations mainly for weddings and social and cultural activities (‘The 100-year-old Kinta Indian Association’ 2000, The Sun, 26 September – Attachment 4). An article dated 28 October 2005 refers to the Kinta Indians Association being “Perak’s flag bearer again in next year’s FAM Cup football qualifying competition after a lapse of four years.” The “KIA earned the right to play in the 2006 FAM Cup qualifier when they emerged champions in the Perak FA’s Raja Nazrin Shah Cup”, beating “Suria FC 1-0 in the final played in the Perak Stadium in Ipoh recently” (Chan, Peter 2005, ‘KIA make comeback to FAM Cup’, thestar online, 28 October http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/10/28/north/12264626&sec=north – Accessed 7 April 2008 – Attachment 5). 2. Are there any reports of KIA being involved in the protests which took place on 25 November 2007 in Kuala Lumpur? A search of the sources consulted did not locate information on the Kinta Indian Association being involved in the protests which took place on 25 November 2007 in Kuala Lumpur. 3. Are there any reports of members of KIA being arrested or threatened with arrest? A search of the sources consulted did not locate reports of members of the Kinta Indian Association being arrested or threatened with arrest. List of Sources Consulted Internet Sources: Government Information & Reports Immigration & Refugee Board of Canada http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/ UK Home Office http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ US Department of State http://www.state.gov/ United Nations (UN) UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Refworld website http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain Non-Government Organisations Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/ Amnesty International http://www.amnesty.org Freedom House website http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=1 International News & Politics BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk Region Specific Links The New Straits Times nstonline website http://www.nst.com.my/ thestar online website http://thestar.com.my/ The Penang Story website http://www.penangstory.net.my/ Search Engines Copernic http://www.copernic.com/ Google http://www.google.com.au/ Databases: FACTIVA (news database) BACIS (DIAC Country Information database) REFINFO (IRBDC (Canada) Country Information database) ISYS (RRT Research & Information database, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US Department of State Reports) MRT/RRT Library Catalogue List of Attachments 1.
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