Dr M the last person Indians should trust – M. Manoharan

I would have laughed at the remarks that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad made in his keynote address at the launch of the new group, the Indian Advisory Council Malaysia (IACM), if not for the gravity of the matter at hand.

It was Dr Mahathir who by design had brought the Indian community in this country literally to its knees. The motive is unclear, even though the former PM is abashedly racist in many of his comments and analyses, and was bent on implementing policies that marginalized the Indian community. It was brazen bullying of a politically and economically disadvantaged community. Maybe it was a case of denying his Indian heritage to his Malay electorate, however convoluted it may seem. However, this analysis does not explain his government’s extreme partiality to the Muslim Indians, considered ‘Malay’ by his government.

Dr Mahathir’s 22 years at the top of the executive hierarchy coincided with the rapid dwindling of Indians in the civil service. From a high of 12% when he took office in 1981, the Indian participation in the civil service whittled down to a mere 5.12% in 2005. Unlike the Chinese, Indians traditionally looked to the civil service for employment and upward economic and social mobility. To compound the matter, Indians retiring from top posts in the government were replaced by Malays.

It was Mahathir’s earnest interventions on numerous occasions that kept Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu  in his post as “leader of the Indians” through Umno’s lackey, MIC. Samy Velu’s inept leadership inflicted untold misery to the Indian community. It was during Samy’s tenure that a plethora of problems began to plague the Indian community.

Foremost was the issue of problem-ridden Tamil schools. Lacking in infrastructure, these schools were poorly staffed and devoid of resources. As a result, the products from these schools were ill equipped to handle the demands of a modern economy. Thus, many Indians gravitated to the bottom of the job ladder, and faced with low incomes, under-employment and joblessness resorted to crime. Thus Indians find themselves disproportionately represented in violent crime, gangsterism and underworld activities.

When pressed for answers, Samy would blame the BN government but Umno would blame him in turn and the charade went on for more than two decades.

Indian participation in the professional services, specifically in medicine, law, veterinary science and dentistry halved during Dr Mahathir’s leadership due to onerous requirements like the CLP and non-recognition of many overseas university medical programmes that traditionally attracted Indian Malaysians. Coupled with this, Indians found fewer places in the local public universities for professional courses due to the quota system.

I find it very difficult to forgive Mahathir for letting the poor Indians’ meagre savings just vanish in Maika Holdings. The Far Eastern Economic Review had remarked in 1986 that with RM100 million at its disposal, ‘Maika had no way to go but up’. However, Mahathir’s sidekick managed to decimate Maika! And Samy was never held accountable.

In light of this, isn’t it ironic that Mahathir should rant about accountability on the 1MDB issue in his ongoing battle with Najib when it suits him?

At present, just maybe, it is Mahathir’s intention to milk every “aye” of support in his ongoing battle with Najib. But even this poorly rated Najib has managed to endear himself to the Indians by engaging with them in his 6 years as PM, compared to Mahathir’s 22 years. It must be noted that Mahathir never ever in his 22 years attended or officiated any Indian cultural event. Perhaps, it is too much to ask of a racist!

On the other hand, Najib makes it a point to grace the annual Thaipusam celebrations. It could be just a publicity or vote generating stunt; but unlike Mahathir, Najib’s efforts prove that he does not despise the community or attempt to short-change it at every opportunity.

Mahathir demands and craves for the democratic space to air his views, especially against his targets but did not accord the same to his critics while in office. The voices of groups and the Tamil papers that highlighted the Indian plight were ruthlessly silenced. A case in point is Tamil Nanban, whose former editor, the late Athi Kumanan, was warned several times and eventually denied a licence to operate. Social activist Irene Fernandez was hounded by the Police perpetually. The same harsh treatment was meted out to opposition politicians like P. Patto, V David and Karpal Singh, culminating in their jailing under Operasi Lalang for highlighting the Indian plight.

Mahathir may pretend to “mudah lupa”; but the onus is on us to remind him and the likes of him that we need honesty, contrition and a secure undertaking to undo the damage that has been done to the poor Indians.     

*M. Manoharan reads The Malaysian Insider.