HUMAN Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan must issue a public apology for insulting and demeaning the non-Malays and Indians in particular, said Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr Ramasamy Palanisamy.
The Perai assemblyman was referring to Saravanan’s winding up speech on the 2022 Budget in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 30) when the latter had said to the effect that non-Malays, in keeping with racial sensitivities, cannot be made the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
According to Saravanan who is also MIC deputy president, the highest rank position is reserved for the Malays, and that taking into account the racial sensitivities means that non-Malays must recognise the political reality of Malaysia.
“Whether Saravanan knows this or not, there is no constitutional provision that says that all the top positions in the country must be reserved for Malays,” Ramasamy pointed out.
“I am not sure what was the source of Saravanan’s information that says that the top posts in the country are meant for the Malays and not the non-Malays.”
Since there is no factual basis for Saravanan’s remarks, Ramasamy reckoned that Saravanan had “engaged in the most demeaning form of apple-polishing to butter up UMNO”.
Even the most racist and extreme Malay leaders are hesitant to make such remarks, he added.
“Since MIC leaders often want to be in the frontline of subservience and servility, Saravanan volunteered to make the remark to appease and humour the Malay leaders in UMNO.
“It is a well-established truth that MIC leaders are subservient to UMNO leaders and that MIC has always been a ‘yes-man’ party to UMNO. In fact, the very survival of MIC is dependent on the lifeline thrown by UMNO.
“In this aspect, Indians can hardly expect anything from the party or its handful of leaders and therefore MIC leaders should be quiet to desist from embarrassing the right-thinking Malaysians in general and the Malaysian Indian community in particular.”
Ramasamy went on to claim that there is “sort of competition between the MIC and the Malaysian Makkal Sakthi Party (MMSP), a pathetic successor of the once famous Hindraf movement”.
The competition and rivalry, he pointed out, is not about which party can effectively represent Indians but which party can be the most subservient and docile to UMNO.
“Perhaps it was this competition that influenced Saravanan to make the most demeaning and irresponsible remark that non-Malays cannot aspire to be heads of the police force.
“Virtually almost all the top posts in the country’s civil service are held by the Malays, with non-Malays constituting a small presence in the civil service.”
Ramasamy further stressed that political reality does not translate into something constitutional or within the ambit of the prevailing laws.
“Saravanan, rather than playing the racial card to appease his masters in UMNO, should be fighting for a more inclusive civil service.
“His remark basically reinforces the racist and extreme views of those in UMNO and other racist organisations in the country.
“I call upon Saravanan to issue a public apology for insulting and demeaning the non-Malays and Indians in particular.
“He is not fit to be a MIC leader and a minister ostensibly representing the Indian community.
“I will resist from calling for his resignation to await his public apology.” – Dec 2, 2021
Photo credit: NST
