It is common knowledge to all that MIC president S Samy Vellu has said in public that the Malaysian Medical Council was out 'to sabotage the Indians' in de-recognising degrees from the Crimea State Medical University .

I remember clearly that he said this on June 19, a Sunday, at the Wisma Peladang in Petaling Jaya. His statement was aired by Astro's Tamil news. He further said that MMC did not wish to see more Indian Malaysians becoming doctors. His outburst was in Tamil.

It is clear that Samy intended to provoke the public to think of the CSMU issue as a racial one. But now, in an about-turn , Samy has said that his party never intended to view the CSMU issue as a racial one.

How very typical of Samy to maneuver his stand very cleverly. The MIC president has directly attempted to cause social disharmony by making such provocative statements. Why is he left unpunished?

A veteran cabinet minister needs to think before he speaks but I believe Samy is a person who speaks first and thinks later. Malaysians have no need for opportunistic politicians who play the race card for their own political gain.

Indian Malaysians should realise that the community has been misled for far too long and the time has now come now for change.