A WAR of words has erupted between the Dewan Himpunan Pendukung PAS (DHPP) a.k.a. the PAS Non-Muslim Supporters Wing chairman Balasubramaniam Nachiappan and Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP) over the latter’s derogatory remark of the former.
This came about as MAP president Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy had in a recent social media post described PAS and Bersatu as having presented “a new brand of puppets as their Indian associate members”.
According to the HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force) founder, such Indian leadership who fill up the top echelon of DHPP “are mostly uneducated and have no notable record of community service”.
Earlier, Waytha has berated the MIC, PKR and DAP leadership for having failed the Indian community.
“MIC had 68 years to bring change, yet our community still stands on the sidelines. Meanwhile, the Indian leadership in PKR and DAP remain subservient to Malay and Chinese interests, doing little to address the core issues that affect us,” contended the former National Unity and Social Well-Being Minister.
In rebutting Waytha, Balasubramaniam clarified that DHPP does not only represent the Indians but serves as a platform that represents the entire non-Muslim community in Malaysia.
“In fact, PAS has strengthened the role of DHPP by appointing our representatives as special officers in the PAS-governed states,” he pointed out in a media statement.
“This role is important to ensure that the rights of the non-Muslim community are always protected.”
After all, the record shows that DHPP has successfully carried out this responsibility by ensuring that various issues involving the non-Muslim community can be resolved well in the PAS-governed states according to Balasubramaniam.
“The accusation that DHPP only acts as a ‘puppet’ is completely baseless and belittles our great efforts to build bridges of unity in a plural society,” fumed the former PAS-nominated Dewan Negara senator from June 16, 2020 to June 15, 2023.
He further hit out as “a far-fetched insult” Waytha’s claim that DHPP leaders are an uneducated bunch.
“The DHPP leadership is made up of a diverse range of professional backgrounds – including PhD holders, engineers, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, young university graduates and community activists. These people are not only educated but have served the community with dedication.”
At the end of the day, Balasubramaniam told Waytha to reflect on his own failures before pointing fingers at others.
“He was once appointed as a minister specifically to defend the Indian community. However, he failed to carry out the agenda and eventually resigned without leaving a proud legacy.
“Now, as the MAP president, the party has no other leadership but himself. This fact clearly shows his failure to build support and trust among the Indian community” – Sept 10, 2025
Main image credit: HarakahDaily
