Why MIC Hulu S’gor candidate defends Perkasa
Kamal’s defence of this ultra movement is untenable but not unexpected as after all, this is a candidate who said that he would “take back the federal seat and deliver it to Prime Minister Najib Razak as gift for his first year in office.” Like a housecat dragging in an offering of a captured mouse.
Written by Helen Ang, CPI
P. Kamalanathan is the BN candidate standing in the Hulu Selangor by-election. In his interview with Malaysiakini, he was quoted as saying: “Perkasa has its own role. It is strengthening its (Malay) race, its language and its religion, and we (MIC) are also doing the same by strengthening our race, religion and language.”
Kamalanathan – known as Kamal (why not Nathan?) – was also quoted as saying that Perkasa’s role is about “empowering” the Malay race and it does not trample on the rights of other races.
It is pertinent that his statement should be viewed in juxtaposition with what Perkasa patron Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Friday at the commemoration of Mara’s 44th anniversary.
Responding to reporters’ questions after his keynote address, Mahathir said he sees no time frame for putting a stop to the NEP and that the other communities did not lose much when the policy was introduced in the 1970s.
Mahathir is saying that all the advantages and opportunities being given to Malays under NEP is not robbing Peter to pay Paul. His view is not much different in its syllogism from Kamal’s that Perkasa does not seek to impinge on the rights of others.
‘The pariah caste’
Despite what Kamal may say, the truth is that MIC has miserably failed the Indians. When the Tamil underclass is so poor, in what way can that be construed as the race having been enfranchised?
Indians are strong men and women; it is Malaysia’s apartheid that has weakened them over decades of discrimination. Comparatively, those of the diaspora in the advanced countries have done well for themselves.
Given the Ketuanan Melayu agenda of denial, it is not surprising that Najib Razak’s erstwhile aide Nasir Safar should have commented that the Indian forefathers come here as “beggars”. It elevates the Malays to put down the calibre of the ‘pendatang’. No surprise either that Perkasa should be the first to rally to Nasir’s defence and urge that he be given a chance to explain the context of his remarks.
Also, contrary to the opinion “pergilah kau tertindas”/“what rubbish to say that you’re oppressed” by former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin (see Youtube here, 4:42-4:48) when commenting on the Hindraf demonstration – the truth is, Indians are.
Asri’s views (3:57 onwards) are quite typical of Malay prejudice: “Sangat hina kehidupan mereka di dalam negeri mereka. Kasta pariah ini telah dibawa oleh Inggeris ke dalam negara kita … kehidupan yang mereka nikmati di sini seribu kali ganda lebih baik daripada … negara merempat, naik bas, tak pakai baju, tak pakai seluar.”
Translation: “They led an abject life in their country (India). This pariah caste were brought to our country by the English … the life they enjoy here is a thousand times better than in … that suffering country where (people) board the bus not wearing shirt, not wearing pants.”
This truth is that today, Tamil Nadu – where our Indians mostly originated from – possesses the third largest economy (year 2007-2008) among the states in India, and experienced a double-digit GDP growth rate of 12.1% during this period. It is the most industrialized state in India and ranked third for attracting FDI.
Chennai (formerly known as Madras and the capital of Tamil Nadu) houses India’s largest IT park; this IT hub was ranked “the top metropolitan city to invest in Asia Pacific”. Tamil Nadu was ranked 9th region to invest in 2008, and is India’s leading software exporter.
Malaysian Indians would likely be better off if their ancestors had not emigrated here.
