Hindraf: Waythamoorthy to quit all government posts

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waythamoorthy will resign from all government posts, including his Senatorship, on Monday.

This was announced by Hindraf secretary P. Ramesh in a statement released on Saturday.

Hindraf said Waythamoorthy had decided to quit as the Barisan Nasional (BN) government had not fulfilled any of its promises despite winning the 13th general election in May last year.

“We (Hindraf) did the most unthinkable – signing a pact with our one time nemesis, entirely in the interest of the Malaysian Indian poor, and in the honest belief that the Barisan National leadership would fulfil its promises.

“We have now given up any hope of that happening, eight months of trying. Hence, the central committee of Hindraf has unanimously decided that Mr Waythamoorthy tender his resignation from all Government positions and the senate on Monday, February 10, 2014.

Hindraf said that they regretted not being able to deliver the changes to the Malaysian Indian poor as promised, saying “We sincerely apologize to them for the hopes we had raised.”

Waythamoorthy was appointed senator and then deputy minister after the May 2013 general election. Prior to the appointment Hindraf signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government.

“We have patiently worked with the Prime Minister to detail the MoU and to begin the rollout of the programs in the MoU. In trying to do this, we have met with nothing more than an unending series of delays and dead ends.

“Prime Minister Najib and the Barisan Nasional, in not honouring the MoU, have committed a historic act of betrayal to the Malaysian Indian community,” he added.

Attempts to contact Waythamoorthy by Astro Awani were unsuccessful, however, he reportedly told Utusan Malaysia that his resignation letter has been handed over to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak but has not received any response.

Meanwhile, the Hindraf faction aligned to the opposition said that the decision by Waythamoorthy was predicted.

“They are the Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia and has nothing to do with the original Hindraf, that's us. We said from day one that nothing will come out of working with Barisan Nasional,” said secretary-general S Thiagarajan when contacted by Astro Awani today.

Asked if this meant that the pro-BN and pro-Pakatan factions of Hindraf will now reconcile, Thiagarajan said: “Chances are very slim. I don’t think so. The answer is no. He has already lost his credibility and trust of the people.”