Act swiftly on rising threats against Indians, Waytha tells Anwar

 The former unity minister says this issue transcends race or religion and is fundamentally about the rule of law.

Former national unity minister P Waytha Moorthy said the nation’s rich diversity would be threatened if calls for racial violence are met with indifference instead of decisive legal action. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Former national unity minister P Waytha Moorthy has called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to ensure swift action is taken by the police on the apparent escalation of threats against the Indian and Hindu community.

Waytha said a handful of irresponsible netizens had recently warned of a repeat of the May 13 racial riots and called for Hindu temples to be bombed.

The Malaysian Advancement Party president said these comments were deeply troubling and that failing to act on them would spread fear within the community.

He added that the nation’s rich diversity would be under threat if calls for racial violence were met with indifference instead of decisive legal action.

“This issue transcends race or religion; it is fundamentally about the rule of law,” said Waytha, a key mover of the 2007 Hindraf rally.

“When citizens feel unprotected, when places of worship are under threat without consequence, and when justice seems to be applied selectively, the very fabric of our pluralistic society is at risk of unravelling.

“Malaysia cannot afford the consequences of another tragedy born out of neglect and hatred. The time to act is now, not after lives have been lost,” he said in a statement.

The relocation of the 130-year-old Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple off Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur stirred controversy last month, sparking debates over other temples which certain quarters labelled as “illegal”.

Intimidating comments had surfaced on social media amid the dispute, with a handful of netizens leaving comments threatening to bomb temples and mosques.

One such case is being probed by Johor police, after a Facebook account commented about “bombing mosques on Friday” in a video. - FMT