LETTER | In the past, Dr Mahathir Mohamad spread a deeply rooted scathing image about the Indians, crushing the community’s representation and further instilling self-doubt among them and other ethnicities.

It mortified the Indians and subjected them to the worst form of discrimination. How did Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy conveniently shove this off his rack of complaints?

Here now is a prime minister, against all odds, balancing his own position within his own circle, felt right to acknowledge the Indians on an international scale and advocates the transformational need to uplift the socioeconomic status of the Indians.

Now Ramasamy is not very happy about Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s visit to Sri Lanka and wants him to raise the matters of gross human rights violations against Tamils during the civil war in Sri Lanka, further insinuating that the Malaysian Government has done nothing to improve the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils.

As a matter of fact, in 2012, Najib had provided a US$1 million contribution to the children and war widows of the Sri Lankan Tamils, meant for relief work and improving their livelihood. Now, what has your Pakatan Harapan done to help the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamils?

But ironically, Ramasamy’s outcry towards Najib hits the gas, adhering to the one job he was probably dedicated to under Pakatan Harapan. Dispensing articles criticising the prime minister every time he executes development plans for the Indians or even praise or engages with anything Indian related.

It baffles me a great deal when he demands such initiatives and engagement, yet denounces it at the same time.

The pushback

Najib was upfront over the pushback he was facing within the government, a system long bred by Mahathir.

Nevertheless, he led the team and gave proper directions, sorting the issue cordially, while he worked on a separate note for a good two years, relentlessly probing into specific issues and gathering concrete data on the troubles Indians were facing on the ground.

This would then go on to be documented as the Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB), Najib being the first prime minister to embark on such an initiative for the Malaysian Indians.

Ever since, BN and MIC have consolidated its aim of having the best interest of the Indians, charting an independent course for the Indian Malaysians. As such, the Socio-Economic Development of Indian Community Unit (SEDIC) was established right under the prime minister’s purview to solely implement the MIB.

And only a leader who disrupts and moves the government structure based on his directives can make such a change.

So tell me, if it isn’t Najib, who else has better rights to go all praises for the Indians? After all, it is the sweat and blood of Indians that built the country into what it is today.

Or are we to expect Ramasamy to dangle his blueprint just right before the elections?

Rack of complaints

Ramasamy’s history says it all. Constantly making impulsive statements even within his own party, where he retorted that DAP needed to get rid of its godfathers, in reference to Karpal back then. That’s as far as his capacity goes.

And, despite the vicious racial politics in the past caused by your current leader who is the prime cause of what kept the Indian Malaysians patronised, for the very first time, BN is holding our hands and moving forward together under the administration of Najib.

For the very first time, the rights of the Indians are being respected and rightfully empowered as citizens of Malaysia.

The MIB spills the truth that was cloaked for years under the administration of the past and of what was considered taboo. Najib’s direction is clear and genuinely seeks for the Indian community to reap all benefits in return.

So you can irrationally harp on it all as long as your energy takes you, but I will not deny that Najib  is the “father of Indian community development.”

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.