In a series of tweets, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad addressed accusations of racism leveled against him by Ex Penang Deputy Chief Minister II, Ramasamy. Mahathir engaged in a pointed critique, highlighting what he perceives as inconsistencies in Ramasamy's positions, particularly regarding the representation of people of Indian descent in Malaysian politics.
Mahathir began by noting Ramasamy's frequent accusation of racism against him, a claim that has been a recurring theme in their political exchanges. The former Prime Minister delved into the issue by pointing out what he saw as a contradiction in Ramasamy's actions.
The crux of Mahathir's argument revolved around Ramasamy's departure from a multiracial party to establish one specifically catering to individuals of Indian descent. This move, according to Mahathir, contradicted Ramasamy's accusations of racism, as it seemingly signaled a shift towards ethnic-based political affiliations.
Mahathir then turned his attention to Ramasamy's stance on the composition of the Malaysian government cabinet. The former Prime Minister contended that when people of Indian descent were not adequately represented in the cabinet, Ramasamy would criticize the government. Mahathir questioned the logic behind such criticism, asserting that ministers, regardless of their ethnic background, serve as representatives of all Malaysians.
Mahathir emphasized that ministers not of Indian descent are also Malaysian Ministers, and their service benefits the entire Malaysian populace. He argued that as a Malaysian, there should be no reason to view the absence of ministers of Indian descent as problematic.
The former Prime Minister presented a perspective that challenges the notion of prioritizing specific ethnic groups in government appointments. He asserted that ministers, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, contribute to the overall welfare of the country.
Mahathir contended that if the absence of ministers of Indian descent is perceived as unfair, it is likely due to Ramasamy's continued loyalty to the people of Indian descent. The former Prime Minister suggested that such loyalty might lead to a biased perspective, creating an illusion of unfairness when, in fact, ministers from various ethnic backgrounds contribute equally to the nation's development.
Kamran is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.