Umno has expressed shock over an NGO's claim that the struggle of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is similar to that of Palestinians.

Condemning Malaysian Tamillan Today president N Shanmugam for making the comparison, the party's information chief Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said Malaysians, especially Muslims, must reject the NGO's stand.

“Although they claim to have been living in the Jaffna and Batticaloa regions for 20,000 years, they are of Sri Lankan Tamil origin. Sri Lanka is an independent and sovereign nation.

“LTTE launched guerilla attacks and killed many innocent civilians for its struggle.

“In other words, they wanted a country for Tamils within an independent nation and were against the Sinhalese government in Colombo,” he added in a statement this afternoon.

On the other hand, Shamsul said, the inhabitants of Palestine welcomed the Jewish settlers under the Balfour Declaration in 1926 and allowed a specific settlement for them.

“However, the Israelis colonised their ancestral land and increased their hold over Palestine through the Six Day War in 1967,” he added.

Shamsul said Palestinians are oppressed in their own land as compared to LTTE, which sought a region within an independent nation.

The Umno man compared this to the demand for the independent state of Khalistan in India.

In view of this, Shamsul warned all quarters not to use Palestine as a basis to support the “terrorist organisation” LTTE.

He also urged the government to investigate Malaysian Tamillan Today, which he claimed could pose a threat to the nation.

Shamsul was responding to a Malaysiakini report yesterday quoting Shanmugam expressing support for Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, who is being investigated on his alleged links with LTTE.

The allegation against Ramasamy surfaced when the DAP leader called for the extradition of controversial Indian-born preacher Zakir Naik.

India said it filed an official extradition request for Zakir in January but the Malaysian police denied this via a letter to the preacher's lawyer.

Previously, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Zakir, who has a Malaysian permanent resident status, would not be sent back to India to face charges.

Critics have accused Zakir of delivering hate speeches and belittling other faiths.