Letter to Editor
I CAN’T help but be amused reading Nehru Sathiamoorthy’s article, in which he suggests that it’s improper for Prof P. Ramasamy to comment on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to Batu Caves.
Nehru Sathiamoorthy, who has been critical of the Madani government in the past, now seems to have developed a sudden affection for PMX and his administration.
I’m not sure if this newfound admiration has anything to do with the police investigations into Nehru’s article about the Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, published some seven or eight months ago. However, his blatant attempt to defend the indefensible is all too obvious.
His insistence that Prof Ramasamy’s remarks about Anwar’s visit are merely a personal opinion only highlights how disconnected he is from reality.
The majority of Indians, including many aligned with government parties, share the same sentiment – that Anwar’s visit was nothing more than a political stunt to pacify the Indian community. Perhaps Nehru should spend more time on the ground to understand this reality.
Nehru also takes issue with the comparison between Anwar’s visit and former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s past visits to Batu Caves.
But this comparison wasn’t made only by Prof Ramasamy – it’s a sentiment echoed by many Indians on the street.
The majority, regardless of political affiliation, would agree that Najib’s visit appeared more sincere – not because of his attire, but because of his direct engagement with the Indian community.
What did Anwar actually do during his visit? He announced that the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia’s (JAKIM) guidelines for Muslims would not be implemented.
But did Indians ever ask for these guidelines to be deferred? That’s an issue between Muslims and their religious authorities – why did the prime minister choose a Hindu festival to make such an announcement?
I wonder why people like Nehru suddenly fail to see the problem and instead rush to defend the prime minister.
That said, the Indians, Tamils and the Hindus in Malaysia are not desperate for Anwar or Najib to attend our Thaipusam celebrations. If anyone wishes to honour our festival, they should do so with sincerity, not as part of a political stunt to serve their own interests.
Facing financial difficulties cannot be translated into acts of sycophancy. – Feb 13, 2025
Satees Muniandy is the secretary-general of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai).
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: Facebook/Anwar Ibrahim
