Ramkarpal slams Sanusi for his ‘Tanah Melayu’ comments

 The DAP MP also called out Umno for not reprimanding the Kedah menteri besar for his insensitive remarks.

Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh has asked the authorities to investigate the remarks by PN election director Sanusi Nor.

PETALING JAYA:

Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh has criticised the blatant disregard for racial insensitivities by Perikatan Nasional election director Sanusi Nor suggesting that different ethnic groups in Malaysia can fall back on ancestral homelands outside the country.

He said this, coupled with Umno’s reluctance to reprimand him, was a serious cause for concern and may be a sign of things to come, given their newfound alliance, at least in Negeri Sembilan.

In a statement today, Ramkarpal said MIC president SA Vigneswaran’s call for BN to go solo does not, in any way, mitigate the damage done by PAS as it was unlikely that this would happen since Umno has not condemned PAS on the matter.

On Thursday, Sanusi, who is also Kedah menteri besar, said that “Tanah Melayu” was the only homeland for Malays, unlike other ethnic groups who could go back to India, China or Thailand.

Ramkarpal said the remarks, on the campaign trail in Negeri Sembilan, were not only insensitive to non-Malays but a blatant disregard of the mutual respect and understanding between different communities that have long been instilled in the country, as they imply that the Indians and Chinese do not belong here since they can return to their respective countries, namely India and China.

“Such remarks cannot be coincidental as they come so soon after Sanusi’s party president, Abdul Hadi Awang’s statement on July 16, which implied that non-Malays were ‘pendatang’ in this country.

“There can be no doubt that such racial rhetoric ought to be severely condemned as they have no place in multicultural and multiracial Malaysia. If left unchecked, it can potentially spark racial tensions in this country.”

Ramkarpal said BN component parties, MIC and MCA, must clearly state their stand on the position of PAS, particularly as to whether they were prepared to leave BN as a result, as such a position can have far-reaching consequences on racial harmony in the country.

The DAP MP called upon the authorities to commence the necessary investigations against Sanusi as a failure to do so risked such remarks being repeated as they can be detrimental to racial relations in this country. - FMT