Political parties with links to the banned Hindraf movement have been warned - do not to use the race as a card for getting ahead with your agenda.

The red flag was raised by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator T Murugiah who said: " Racialist sentiments must not be whipped up by any race that may lead to fear and uneasiness among the other races in the country."

His outburst came in the wake of the outrage expressed by certain Hindraf leaders against the police for the shooting to death of five suspected Indians criminals on Nov 8.

"We must all think as Malaysians under Prime Minister Najib (Abdul Razak) 1Malaysia concept and not be divided along racial lines as Indians, Chinese or Malays which is outmoded in present times," he added.

puduraya murugiah 260908 Murugiah ( right ) who is with the unity department has been tasked with the mission to foster the growth of racial harmony in the country.

He rapped the Hindraf leaders for lashing out at the police over the incident and accused them of exploiting it for political mileage.

Federal CID director Bakri Zinin had denied allegations that the police were trigger-happy and have a 'shoot-to-kill' approach when confronting suspects.

Murugiah said: "Criminal cases are on the rise within the Indian community and the police were just doing their job.

"Leaders of the former Hindraf, a banned movement, should not politicise the incident as a racial issue but allow the police to do their duty."

In his view, such leaders should lend support to the victims instead of backing criminals with moral and other forms of support.

He advised them to educate Indian youths into turning away from a fatalistic view of life which affects both their mental health and their economic and social well-being.

He was speaking to reporters today after visiting SM Sultan Yussof in Batu Gajah, where on Wednesday a misunderstanding sparked a clash between two groups of form five students.

Addressing root cause

After the incident, police picked up around eight students but released them later in the day when ousted Pakatan speaker V Sivakumar intervened in the matter.

Murugiah said: "There is a tendency for school children to be hot-headed and get into quarrel. Parents should not to blow-up such insignificant incidents into racial issues."

"They should instead act as mediators and diffuse such incidents and strengthen the racial harmony in the country.

"I shall also direct officers from my department to immediately attend to such racial flare-ups and address the root-causes before they get worse," he said.

kayveas hq pc 050609 On his future political direction, the sacked PPP supreme council member was confident that he will return as president of his former party within six months with the help of the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

He claimed that proper procedures set out in the party's constitution were not adhered to when party president M Kayveas ( left ) sacked him.

Murugiah alleged that he was not given a show cause notice by the party to appear before the party's disciplinary committee to defend himself.

"Furthermore, there are grey areas in the constitution over the sacking of members and this can be challenged by unhappy members," he said.

A plus factor in his favour now, is BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor's recent statement that individuals and NGOs keen on supporting and working with the coalition can become members of the ‘Friends of BN' affiliate instead.

Murugiah's groundwork with the various races appears to be proving to be a political asset and he seems to in the good books of both Najib and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.