PRESS RELEASE
BY YB DATO SERI SUNDARAJOO SOMU
PENANG STATE EXCO FOR HOUSING & ENVIRONMENT
&
STATE ASSEMBLYMAN FOR PERAI
I strongly condemn the seditious statement made by former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Muhamad on the Indian community’s loyalty to Malaysia, claiming that the community is not fully loyal to the country.
I take the statement as not just an insult to the Indian community but also an insult to Dr. Mahathir himself, in his position as Prime Minister of this country twice.
Even so, I think the action of Dr. Mahathir is nothing new, especially when he is losing popularity among fellow Malaysians. Whenever he starts to lose popularity, he will try to regain attention with racist statements like this.
I believe there is no need for me to elaborate further on the loyalty or contribution of the Indian community or any other race towards Malaysia. Every race, be it Malays, Indians, Chinese, or our friends from Sabah and Sarawak, has shown their own devotion, services, and loyalty to this country. No one can question that.
In conjunction with the Pongal Festival, which marks the birth of a new chapter in our lives, I call on all fellow Malaysians, especially the Indian community, to ignore political fossils like Dr. Mahathir. His continued cheap political stunts should no longer be accepted or tolerated.
Although we respect his contribution to the country, we should not accept this kind of insult at all. I call on the authorities to immediately start an investigation and take immediate action against his racist remarks.
