Tamils are safe in Malaysia: Writers Association
Madurai,
Dec
6:
Contrary
to
the
alleged
racial
discrimination
by
the
Malaysian
Government,
the
Malaysia
Tamil
Writers
Association
has
claimed
''Tamils
are
safe
in
the
Muslim
dominated
country.''
The
recent
protest
rally
by
ethnic
Indians
in
Kuala
Lumpur,
under
the
Hindu
Rights
Action
Force
(HINDRAF),
an
umbrella
body
of
NGOs
demanding
equality
and
fair
treatment
in
the
Muslim
majority
country,
had
nearly
sparked
diplomatic
row
between
India
and
Malaysia.
Talking to newspersons here last night, Malaysia Tamil Writers Association President P Rajendran, leading a delegation of 34 writers from Malaysia said, ''I would say it is the only Muslim majority country in the world, where the rights of ethnic minorities, especially Tamils are safeguarded and we all lead a life of peaceful co-existence.'' On the number of schools with Tamil as medium of instruction had gone down sharply, Rajendran terming it ''wrong'', he said the Malaysian Government was giving due recognition to Tamil language.
He
further
said,
at
the
primary
level,
Tamil
was
kept
as
a
compulsory
subject
in
Tamil
medium
schools
while
it
was
an
optional
subject
in
the
middle
and
higher
education.
Mr
Rajendran
said
in
fact
the
Malaysian
police
extended
full
cooperation
during
the
Hindu
festivals.
About
the
police
ban
order
on
the
recent
rally
taken
out
by
HINDRAF,
he
replied
that
unlike
in
India,
the
Malaysian
police
would
take
strict
action
against
any
organisation
including
those
of
Malaysian
or
Chinese
communities,
if
they
did
not
get
prior
permission.
He refused to comment on the strong reaction made by the Malaysian Minister Mohammed Nazri Abdul Aziz against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi for his supportive statement to the Malaysian Tamils.
Rajendran
said
the
Malaysia
Tamil
Writers'
Association
would
establish
an
endowment
in
Madurai
Kamaraj
University
(MKU)
to
promote
Tamil
literature
and
strengthen
literary
exchanges
between
Tamil
Nadu
and
Malaysia,
based
on
the
request
from
the
School
of
Tamil
Studies,
MKU.
The
other
details
of
establishing
the
endowment
would
be
discussed
with
Mr
Karunanidhi
on
December
11
at
Chennai,
he
added.
UNI