I cannot just be an observer, Waytha tells Zahid

Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia leader P Waythamoorthy said that being a leader of a marginalised community he cannot remain as a disinterested observer just because he is in government.

The deputy minister in the prime minister's department was responding to Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, saying that the latter had misunderstood his intentions. 

"Being a leader of the marginalised Indians in the country, I cannot just be a disinterested observer on the sidelines just because I am in government.

"In fact it is to the advantage of the government that I voice out the true sentiments of the people on the ground so that I can contribute positively to the objectives and good governance of the government." he said in a statement today.

Waytmamoorthy also said that he did not intend to interfere with police work when he had cast aspersions on the recent shooting of five suspected gangsters in Penang.

"The home minister has also to understand that the issue is not simply of some gross criminals being killed in a justifiable manner. 

"The issue if he understands it in its entirety relates really to the wayward drift of the young of the Indian community and killing them off in this wanton manner does not solve the problem of rising crime in the country," he added.

Zahid had taken a swipe on Waythamoorthy, telling him not to act like an NGO and issue statements contrary to the government's policy.

This was over Waythamoorthy's statement on Aug 20 that photographs of the five suspected gangster's injuries suggested that they were shot at point-blank range, contrary to the police's statement that its personnel had acted in self-defence during the Aug 19 shootout.

Waythamoorthy said that he would be arranging with Zahid and other NGOs to address the issue of Indian youths involved in crime.