Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy conceded he could be on the police's radar with regard to the crackdown on those with alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
However, the DAP leader is unfazed.
Ramasamy argued that he was sympathetic towards the plight of the ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka, similar to how he felt about the struggles of the Palestinians and Rohingyas.
"I might be arrested. Fine. As far as I am concerned, I was engaged in a noble cause. I have sympathy for the Palestinians and Rohingyas as well.
"When I sympathised with the Muslims in Mindanao and Aceh, nobody said anything. But there is much hue and cry when it comes to ethnic Tamils. This is double standards," he told Malaysiakini.
Ramasamy reiterated that he was involved in the peace process in Sri Lanka and had also participated in similar endeavours in the Philippines and Colombia.
“In a peace process, I have to engage all quarters. Why can't those who harp on my alleged links with LTTE get this through their thick skulls?” he asked.
Commenting on the arrests of DAP assemblypersons G Saminathan (left, above) and P Gunasekaran, he said the two might have attended the memorial service for the hundreds of thousands of ethnic Tamils who perished in the civil war.
"The LTTE was decimated after the war. It is a defunct organisation. Just because some have paid homage to the civilians who died, it does mean these people supported LTTE.
"These are Tamils supporting their brethren in Sri Lanka over the human rights violations. This is not akin to endorsing an armed struggle.
"In fact, I have a soft spot for the Palestinians and Hamas. But Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation in Europe and North America.
"There are some Pakatan Harapan leaders who have close ties with Hamas. So based on the viewpoint of the Europeans and North Americans, can we consider them as having links with a terrorist organisation?" he asked.
Noting how Harapan pledged to repeal draconian laws, Ramasamy said the arrests under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) were nothing short of a disgrace.
"The government and police must not pay attention to right-wing Muslim groups diverting attention. Harapan politicians are arrested but the likes of (Muslim preacher Dr) Zakir Naik is given VIP treatment.
"Is it a crime to be sympathetic towards Sri Lankan Tamils, Palestinians or Rohingyas?" he asked.
Previously, dozens of police reports were lodged against Ramasamy, after a photograph (above) surfaced depicting him and DAP's Bagan Dalam assemblyperson Satees Muniandy paying tribute to a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
However, Ramasamy said the two of them had attended a memorial service for victims of genocide in Sri Lanka. - Mkini
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