Hindu rights NGO Hindraf said MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh's admission that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's administration was racist is "shocking", asking what the BN component party has done about it.

Hindraf secretary P Muniandy said Sivarraajh has admitted what the NGO has always asserted, "that the Umno-led government is and has always been racist", and this has not changed under subsequent prime ministers.

"The 22 years under Mahathir’s racist regime were continued under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the current leadership under Prime Minister Najib Razak.

"If MIC was genuine in its stand that Mahathir’s 22-year reign was racist, the question then arises as to what has MIC done to convince the subsequent leaders who took over to dismantle those racist policies?

"Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak were part of Mahathir’s cabinet," Muniandy said in a statement.

"Can MIC show the slightest evidence that it has advocated against any racist policies of the government, not only to the Indian community but the entire 45 percent non-Malay community?

"The answer is obvious," Muniandy added.

Mahathir, the long-running former prime minister and Umno president, is now under attack from his former BN colleagues after announcing an intention to form a new party to challenge the ruling coalition.

'MIC worked with Dr M'

Muniandy said there has been no difference in the policies of BN in the post-Mahathir era.

"It must be remembered that Dr S Subramaniam, the current MIC leader, and most of MIC’s current top leadership were working hand in glove with Mahathir and denied the minority Indian community their basic rights," he said.

He said MIC had been "willing to condone the great injustices perpetrated by Umno-led BN", which shows the party's lack of concern for the larger national interest and justice.

"Even now it is not too late. MIC can still leave BN to show its sincerity.

"However, Hindraf is not convinced MIC has the courage to do the honourable thing, as MIC is used to the peanuts thrown at it and the personal benefits the party obtains by hanging on to a racist regime," Mundiandy added.