We pay tribute to Dr G Sreenevasan for his contributions to the Malaysian medical field. Our condolences to Dr G Sreenevasan’s family on his death yesterday.

This is yet another classic example and the tip of the iceberg of how the Indians helped built this country, Malaysia. In the year 1957, about 60 percent of the country’s doctors were Indians.

The Indian doctors set up the eye department (Dr Keshminder Singh), the kidney and urology department (Dr G Sreenevasan), the pediatric department (Dr Abraham) and the other medical departments in Malaysia.

But as Umnos’ reward, in 2004 only one place was given in Universiti Malaya for the 1.8 million Indians to compete for. Therefore thousands of Indian students using their parents hard-earned savings, EPF money and funds got from the sale of their family property were forced to study medicine in Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Indonesia, India etc.

But Umno’s racist regime then derecognised their degrees from these foreign universities even though Malaysia is short of doctors by 50 percent. Why can’t these Indian students be made to do an extra six months of housemanship and then be absorbed into the Malaysian medical service as doctors especially when we are 50 percent short of doctors.

But Umno would rather bring in doctors from countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and even Africa to try and meet the doctor shortage in Malaysia.

Never mind the foreign exchange flowing out of the country - as long as there is no chance for the local, ethnic minority Indians studying overseas.

This extent of Umno’s racism, religious extremism and supremacy does not happen in any other part of the world the last having been seen in apartheid South Africa in 1989.

The writer is pro-tem president, Human Rights Party.