I don’t need love, I need equal treatment, Ramasamy tells Fahmi
Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy says he wants to see the government ensure that Indians are treated as ‘full-fledged’ Malaysian citizens.
PETALING JAYA: Urimai chairman P Ramasamy has dismissed a suggestion by PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil for his party to apply for membership with Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Ramasamy, a former Penang deputy chief minister, said he had no grouses with the opposition coalition but would rather see the government ensure that the Indians are treated as “full-fledged” citizens.
Fahmi yesterday claimed that Ramasamy was calling on voters to boycott Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election because he was “unloved”, adding that Ramasamy should apply for Urimai to join PN as he believed “many in PN love him”.
“Thank you, Fahmi, for directing me to PN to seek some much needed love and care,” Ramasamy said in a statement today.
“Sorry, I don’t need love. What I need is for the government to be fair to the Indians and other deserving Malaysians.”
Pointing to the sums allocated for Bumiputera economic development, Ramasamy said the Indians were being discriminated against in public sector employment and enrolment in matriculation programmes and public universities.
“If the Madani government can humiliate the Indians, then what are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to offer the proverbial ‘other cheek’ so that they can be ‘slapped’ further?” he said.
“If Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim cannot assist the Indian community – not as Indians, but as full-fledged citizens of this country – then he should say so.”
Ramasamy also said that while Urimai was not aligned with PN and had “nothing against” the pact, it wanted the opposition coalition to respect and appreciate the Indian community.
He said Urimai would not allow any political party or coalition to “repeat past attempts to discriminate and bully Indians”.
Ramasamy previously said Urimai had kick-started a campaign to urge voters in Kuala Kubu Baharu, especially the Indians, to reject PH at the May 11 polls.
The former DAP assemblyman said the call to snub PH was to serve as a lesson to the federal government, which he believed had not fulfilled its promises so far.