The Weak Link in Pakatan Rakyat: Indians in DAP Adopting Racist Attitudes and Behaving like UMNO-Malays

We say,

The DAP Leadership, including state governments under Pakatan Rakyat, should NOT countenance any institutional structure and policy proposed by its own members (or from other parties in Pakatan Rakyat) that is race-based in its outlook for purposes of running the State Governments. Be it for the Chinese, Indians or Malays.

Malaysians who had voted for the coalition of Opposition Parties in the March 2008 election had made that crystal clear.

Those activist Indian MPs and State Assemblymen in DAP who are now calling the state governments to adopt race-based politics should ALSO be crystal clear: that we REJECT race-based policies and institutional structures in governments.

Thus, we strongly oppose the proposal by the Indians in DAP for the Penang Government to establish a Penang State Indian Development and Advisory Council. This proposal is racist in intent, and no different from the racist policies of theUMNO-led Government.

The Indian politicians, including those politically-minded, in DAP and PKR should be extremely careful in their mindsets on how they should go about in helping the MARGINALISED section of the Indian community without appearing being racists in tendencies.

There should NOT be any subplot by these Indian politicians in DAP and PKR to intimidate the Pakatan Rakyat state governments, as exemplified by the stupidity of the DAP State Assemblyman A. Sivasubramaniam in his attempt to blackmail the DAP and to destabilise the newly formed Perak State Government headed by the PAS Menteri Besar.

We had indicated earlier that Indian politicians should not use the sentiments of HINDRAF and the general sympathy of all Malaysians for the marginalised groups in the Indian community as an excuse to blackmail the Pakatan Rakyat governments in their race-based demands.

It is a "turn-off" for other Malaysians if they intend to push on the disgusted RACE POLITICS of MIC/BN. Then, they should have joined or remain in MIC/BN. By themselves behaving as racist-politicians in DAP, they are jeopardising the very interests of the marginalised section of the Indian community.

The concerns of the marginalised section of the Indian community in the country should be addressed as social issues affecting ALL Malaysians. They are to be dealt with within the framework of uplifting the poor, the disadvantaged and the marginalised across all sections of the Malaysian society.

We don't buy the idea of setting up another race-based institution. Nor should the Penang State Government in this case, and for that matter, by the state governments of Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Kelantan and other states.

We say, it is time that Indian MPs and State Assemblymen become TEAM-PLAYERS in the newly formed Pakatan Rakyat, rather than using the new coalition as a springboard to continue pushing the race-based politics of MIC/BN.
-Malaysian Unplug

From Straight Talk Blog: Read here commentary by Khoo Kay Peng

Background: Read here for more in Malaysiakini

"... The Penang DAP Indians want the state government to immediately establish a high powered state-level council that would function as a one-stop agency to manage all issues and matters pertaining to Indian affairs in the state.

In their proposal made to state DAP chairperson Chow Kon Yew recently, DAP Indian members have suggested for Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P Ramasamy to chair the council, which will come under the direct purview of the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his state executive council. Read here for more

Commentary

From Khoo Kay Peng: Read here for more

"... Just when we thought the Malaysian public is ready to take a path not previously taken - the racial road, the Penang DAP Indians have called for the establishment of a special committee on Indian rights.

Before that, in Perak, Buntong Assemblyman A. Sivasubramaniam resigned and then retracted over the decision to appoint only one Indian exco.

It is not wrong for the state government to look into the needs and rights of the Indian community but also the rights of other communities as well.

This call is no different from the claims made by several Malay groups to respect and uphold the NEP. We know that this demand is precarious if the Malays are serious about uplifting the living standards of their own community.

The Penang DAP Indians must be mindful that if their suggestion is taken up by the state government, other communities will make similar request.

The end results is not going to be very much different from what we found in BN.

For a start, there should not even be a Penang DAP Indians branch separate from the rest. If DAP is serious about its "Malaysian Malaysia" ideology, there should simple be one DAP,the Social Democrats.