PETALING JAYA: Two former MPs have slammed Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his “hate-filled rants”, after the former prime minister said that Indians are not “completely loyal to Malaysia” as they want to identify themselves with their countries of origin.
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago said both the Indian and Chinese communities have contributed to Malaysia’s socio-economic and political development, and that Mahathir should be “ashamed of himself for such venom”.
“Action must be taken against him for such divisive statements that are potentially harmful in this multiracial society,” Santiago said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
He said Mahathir had undone “whatever little good” he had done for Malaysia with his words, and accused him of trying to stay relevant.
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“Is he trying desperately to stay relevant? Especially in his twilight years? Then he must know we are fed up with his hate-filled rants. Malaysia doesn’t belong to a select few, but to all Malaysians.”
Former Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto also castigated Mahathir, saying he is “the last person to speak about what loyalty means, and especially about roots and heritage”.
“I am a proud & loyal Malaysian, and unlike you, I work hard to see Malaysia at her best. You were the setback we never deserved,” she said in a separate post on X.
In a recent interview with Chennai-based Tamil news channel Thanthi TV, Mahathir said Indians in Malaysia must remember they are Malaysians more than immigrants from other countries.
Asked by the interviewer if this meant that Indians should fully assimilate and “become Malay”, Mahathir agreed.
“They want to say that this country belongs to them. They should become (Malay).
“In the past, we’ve had a lot of people of Indian, Pakistani, Arabs, and African origin who are now ‘Malays’ in the sense that they speak at home the Malay language and their culture is Malay,” he said.
“In any country, if you want to claim that you belong to that country, you must identify yourself with the indigenous people of that country. The constitution says Malaysia is a Malay country.”
Mahathir agreed when the interviewer pointed out that the Federal Constitution enshrines the rights of all minorities, but said that while Indians “have certain rights, they cannot claim that this country belongs (to them)”.
“One might argue this country does not belong to Malays. Orang Asli have a better claim as sons of the soil,” the interviewer said.
“That may be your view. That is not our view,” was Mahathir’s reply.
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