PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar has no time to delve into the myriad problems faced by the Indian community but he has all the time in the world to meet up with Tamil movie celebrities.
Recently, he had a meeting with the Tamil superstar Kamal Hassan (a Hindu) who was in Malaysia to promote his latest movie “Indian 2” which is a sequel to the earlier blockbuster movie “Indian”.
I am not sure whether Anwar is under the impression that meeting up with Tamil film stars is equal to addressing some of the woes of the Indian community.
These movie stars come to Malaysia to promote their movies as Malaysia with a sizeably Tamil population provides an opportunity for these film stars to reap their profits.
The profits are derived from the moviegoers, who happen to be the subaltern sections of the Indian community. What a shame and utter disgrace!
Anwar should not think that he might ingratiate himself to the liking of the Indian community by rubbing shoulders with film stars of Indian origins.
He should be reminded that Indians are waiting to teach a powerful lesson to the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition in the upcoming Sungai Bakap by election next Saturday (July 6).
Sungai Bakap by-election fortune
Let us see whether Anwar’s meeting with Kamal will turn around Indian support in favour of his political coalition or the Madani government.
Anwar has insulted the Indian community by using the derogatory word “Keling”. He forbade healthy discussion of non-Malay students admission into the matriculation programme.
Not the least, he refused to appoint an Indian Tamil as a cabinet minister. In Penang, the state government seems to have gone back on the need to build houses to preserve Indian settlements in Perai and Sungai Kecil areas.
Even the state government did not appoint an Indian Tamil as the Deputy Chief Minister II.
Moreover, the removal of certain Indian staff from the TechDome and the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) was an illustration of revenge politics against me and my associates.
Indians in Sungai Bakap must make it a point to teach the PH-led coalition an unforgettable lesson by not voting for them.
Indians have lost so much in the country to harbour the belief that the PH-led coalition might make a difference in their lives.
The Sungai Bakap polls present a golden opportunity for Indians to reject the PH-led coalition.
Many Indians may not turn up on polling day next weekend. Whether this could be interpreted as a boycott or not remains to be seen.
Some sections of the community might vote for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition as a protest. Whatever the case is, Indians, who constitute about 17.4% of the voters, are considered as “kingmakers”.
One thing is sure: gone are the days when Indians blindly supported the PH-led coalition. Thus, by rejecting the PH-led coalition candidate, at least Indians can redeem their pride and dignity. – June 29, 2024
Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
