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Log inEvery Indian should know about V. David
Every Indian should know about V. David
by Maya on Tue May 06, 2008 9:35 pm
Every Indian should know about V. David, the man who made a "May Day" possible
Many Malaysians probably take the 1st May holiday for granted. It is a day to stay home or for going out with the family. Or maybe it is a day to sleep in
late.
Whatever today may mean to you, did you know that Malaysia did not always celebrate May Day or declare 1st May a holiday? This was because Malaysia was still at 'war' with the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and anything 'labour' or 'socialist' was regarded as 'communist'. Malays were led to believe that anything 'left wing' is 'budaya kominis' and therefore an imported ideology from Mainland China and Russia, the two superpowers of those days that were sympathetic to the CPM cause. And Malays believed that communism is opposed to Islamic teachings.
Malays have of course come a long way since then, though they still have a longer way to go, and the perception of May Day is no longer one of an
un-Islamic holiday associated with communism. But many probably do not know that getting Malaysia to endorse May Day as a workers' holiday, and not a communist holiday, plus getting 1st May gazetted as a holiday,
has to be credited to the renowned workers' hero, V. David, who fought for many long years to get the Malaysian government to change its stand.
This is what Wikipedia has to say about V. David:
David V. (born 26 August 1932 - died 10 July 2005) is a Malaysian trade unionist and former opposition politician. He won a seat in the Malaysian parliament twice, representing the constituencies of Bangsar and
Damansara. While in parliament, he was known to be fearless and vocal in raising issues concerning the Indian community in Malaysia.
David was a founding member and secretary of Selangor Factories Association, which he started in 1953. He was elected a Kuala Lumpur town councillor and became Transport Union secretary in 1958. In 1959, he was
elected the Member of Parliament for Bangsar. In 1978, David defeated the Malaysian Indian Congress strongman, Deputy Minister S. Subramaniam, and became the Damansara Member of Parliament.
David was arrested under the Emergency Ordinance in 1958. He was also arrested under the Internal Security Act in 1964, 1969 (after May 13 racial riots) and 1987. In 1984, he became the Chairman of World Tamil Association.
Many Malaysians probably take the 1st May holiday for granted. It is a day to stay home or for going out with the family. Or maybe it is a day to sleep in
late.
Whatever today may mean to you, did you know that Malaysia did not always celebrate May Day or declare 1st May a holiday? This was because Malaysia was still at 'war' with the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and anything 'labour' or 'socialist' was regarded as 'communist'. Malays were led to believe that anything 'left wing' is 'budaya kominis' and therefore an imported ideology from Mainland China and Russia, the two superpowers of those days that were sympathetic to the CPM cause. And Malays believed that communism is opposed to Islamic teachings.
Malays have of course come a long way since then, though they still have a longer way to go, and the perception of May Day is no longer one of an
un-Islamic holiday associated with communism. But many probably do not know that getting Malaysia to endorse May Day as a workers' holiday, and not a communist holiday, plus getting 1st May gazetted as a holiday,
has to be credited to the renowned workers' hero, V. David, who fought for many long years to get the Malaysian government to change its stand.
This is what Wikipedia has to say about V. David:
David V. (born 26 August 1932 - died 10 July 2005) is a Malaysian trade unionist and former opposition politician. He won a seat in the Malaysian parliament twice, representing the constituencies of Bangsar and
Damansara. While in parliament, he was known to be fearless and vocal in raising issues concerning the Indian community in Malaysia.
David was a founding member and secretary of Selangor Factories Association, which he started in 1953. He was elected a Kuala Lumpur town councillor and became Transport Union secretary in 1958. In 1959, he was
elected the Member of Parliament for Bangsar. In 1978, David defeated the Malaysian Indian Congress strongman, Deputy Minister S. Subramaniam, and became the Damansara Member of Parliament.
David was arrested under the Emergency Ordinance in 1958. He was also arrested under the Internal Security Act in 1964, 1969 (after May 13 racial riots) and 1987. In 1984, he became the Chairman of World Tamil Association.
Re: Every Indian should know about V. David
by Pollathavan on Wed May 07, 2008 8:38 am
Now I know who is David. Thanks!
Do I really, really need a signature here? Is it legal and binding under the Malaysian Digital Signature Act? Holy cow...if I put a signature here and post something wrongly, I can kena sued
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