Non-Malay apathy blamed for rise of extremism

Hindraf's Waytha asks non-Malays whether they would let PAS and Umno further their 'extremist agenda'.

KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf Makkal Sakthi chairman P Waythamoorthy has denounced non-Malays who refuse to stand up for their rights, saying their apathy partly explains the rise of extremism in Malaysia.

In a WhatsApp message that he said represented the first time he was publicly expressing his frustration with non-Malays, he also mentioned “political expediency, selfishness” and “fear” among the non-Malays as reasons for “rising extremism and encroachments into non-Malay rights”.

He told his WhatsApp group to read his full message in Facebook.

He asked whether non-Malays were willing to let Umno and PAS join hands and “entrench their extremist agenda”.

“Are we going to live in a state of denial?” he said.

He also criticised moderate Muslims, saying “They hardly speak up for non-Malays and non-Muslims.”

He said non-Malays tended to explain their inaction with “lame excuses” such as, “We are not in power yet; so we can’t speak out” and “We will lose Malay support” by speaking up.

He noted that many non-Malays would encourage their children to settle down overseas, indicating that they might have “given up” on Malaysia.

“Malaysia, according to this mindset, would not be a beautiful place in 20 years’ time,” he said.

He made particular reference to the Indian community, saying some of its members, while waiting for their children to flee overseas, would try to show they were doing something about saving Malaysian democracy by attacking “soft targets”, who would invariably be other Indians.

He said this behaviour was noticeable not only in ordinary people, but also in politicians and community leaders.

He cited Hindraf’s experience in upholding human rights.

“When we raised issues like equality and racial discrimination, we were in turn labelled ‘racist’ by so-called moderates and community leaders,” he said.

He quoted these words of Swami Vivekananda Jayanthi, saying he hoped it would benefit the “unwilling” flock: “Lay down your comforts, your pleasures, your names, fame or position, nay even your lives, and make a bridge of human chains over which millions will cross this ocean of life.” -FMT