Didn't we have a part-Indian PM for 22 years?

YOURSAY 'Having an Indian as a DPM means nothing. Mahathir, a Malayalee, was PM for 22 years. What did he do for the Indians? Nothing.'

Niat lists GE demands - seeks Indian M'sian DPM

Swipenter: Appointment of officers should be based on meritocracy and not on the colour of your skin. What National Indian Rights Action Team (Niat) is proposing is nothing less than what is practiced now by Umno - to perpetuate racial politics and "kulitfication".

We are all fighting to end oppression, racial and religious discrimination and marginalisation and promote social justice, fairness, equal opportunity, a need-based affirmative action plan and equal citizenship for all, irrespective of culture and creed, but what Niat is trying to do is to continue the present quota system based on race.

So how is the appointment of Indian office bearers going to help Indians if the plans, allocation of resources and strategies are all still centred around race and not needs?

Paul Warren: We had an Indian prime minister for 22 years. Sure, he would not refer to himself as Indian and instead he fooled the Malays into thinking he is Malay.

My kids' mom is Chinese and I'm Indian. Yet for ethnicity they are officially referred to as Indian. Our former prime minister's father was Indian and his mother a Malay. So how come he is officially a Malay?

So really, Niat, you are wasting your time with some of your requests.

Joe Fernandez: The Indian problem is actually a problem of the underclass who were pushed out from the estates into squatter areas when estates were fragmented and sold for re-development or illegal immigrants replaced the traditional Indian estate labour.

Solve the problems of these people, including statelessness, before they take to the streets again. Having an Indian as a DPM means nothing. Mahathir, a Malayalee, was PM for 22 years. What did he do for the Indians? Nothing.

Gen2: I don't care who is DPM as long as he gets the job done and make Malaysia a great country. Putting race as a criteria automatically adds a demerit to their argument.

They may act and speak like progressives but by raising the race card, they have revealed their real mentality. They probably have watched too many Tamil movies.

Onyourtoes: Of course, we can demand for positions, they can even give an Indian a second PM post, but he will be in charge of protocol, you know going to the airport to received dignitaries. Then you have the department of minority affair, you mean like Jabatan Orang Asli?

Have I seen one suggestion or proposal how the Indian community should take responsibility for themselves and improve the way they live? Seriously, the government or the society at large is not your uncle, in case you forget that.

Hmmmmmmmm: Niat should just demand that Indians not be neglected by any party which forms the government. Also that everybody be treated equally.

If the most capable person is an Indian, he should automatically be the PM in the Pakatan Rakyat government. Nothing more, nothing less.

There is no point demanding for positions if you cannot find any competent person to fill that post. It would just be window dressing. This is what we don't want for our future Malaysia.

Doc: Although I am an Indian, in my opinion the ideal criteria for DPM would be a person with good political acumen, personal integrity, respect for all Malaysians, progressive thinking, educated, smart, has respect for the rule of the law and able to think out of the box.

Unfortunately race would not be my main selection criteria for DPM. For example, MIC which claims to represent all Indians had S Samy Vellu as a minister and MIC president for 30 years. In the last 30 years, did MIC or Samy help the Indian community?

That's just one example of a useless Indian in a position of authority who did not lift a finger to help his fellow community.

Clever Voter: Whatever race-based demands Niat is requesting are no different from what we already have. Just take a look what Umno, MCA and MIC members have done.

Not only have we been short-changed, these opportunists only helped themselves to the cash register, while their communities were left languishing.

Ferdtan: Niat had shot themselves in the foot by asking for DPM post. Is it all about position or helping the Indian community? If there are capable Indians, then why not? It should not be on a race basis.

S Ambiga says end race politics. It's a good advice. Mahatma Gandhi had not nor seeked any formal position in the Indian government but he still commanded respect from all.

Can the leaders of Niat be more selfless in the struggle for their community? Does it matter who is the DPM as long as the community is helped?

Rakyat-in-Grief: I am a Malaysian Indian. However, I do not agree with the demand of Niat simply because it sounds purely racial. As Ambiga said it's time that we end this racial politics.

Moreover, making one person DPM will not necessarily benefit his community if he is not the right person for the post.

Odin: Sorry, Niat, but I disagree. I think what is needed are government leaders who practice meritocracy, treat all Malaysians as equal to one another, are honest, and serve the people (rakyat) instead of themselves, families and cronies.
With leaders like that, all else fall in place. The PM may be, say, a Malay, but if he (also read as she) is such a leader, he will ensure that the poor and needy of any other races will be taken care of.

It may be all right to ask for three DPMs, one each to represent Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. It may be all right to ask that a Sabahan and a Sarawakian be also eligible for election to the PM post.

As for rotation, I think it is best to forget it. Someone who is the DPM for only one-half term has hardly any time to show what he or she can do.

Note that I have included the female sex. There is no reason that the PM or the DPM must be a male. Women can perform as well as men, if not even better.

Multi Racial: Niat, you got it all wrong. You should be fighting for fairness and equality and not for race. This is what Umno, MCA and MIC want us to do. Fight for race and be racist.

Moving forward, we should focus on unity and helping the poor and weak. Provide free education and medical services to the poor, regardless of race.

Abasir: This Niat call appears to both illustrate and reinforce the mindset created by Umno over the last 55 years - that a only a Malay can look after Malays, a Chinese is needed to safeguard Chinese interests and only an Indian should represent Indian concerns.

While I laud Niat for championing the cause of those deliberately and consistently marginalised by Umno, it is depressing to note that it too is following the footsteps of this morally bankrupt regime which has successfully divided this nation.

Perhaps we, as a nation, are incapable of thinking outside the racial box ... to realise a day when someone from one ethnic group will fight tooth and nail for the welfare of another.

Perhaps the Umno poison, which has leached into the consciousness of the rakyat, has incapacitated all.

Anonymous #90800716: We should get rid of this race mentality and focus on all marginalised Malaysians. Former MIC leader Samy Vellu was a minister for 26 years. He hoodwinked the Indians to enrich himself and his cronies.

Do we still need an Indian minister to take care of the welfare of the Indians? Look for a capable person who will care for all. Forget about his or her race. We are all Malaysians. - Malaysiakini