Perkasa: Vell Paari a publicity hound, Tee needn’t apologise

Syed Hassan labelled Vell Paari a “liability” to BN. — File picKUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 ― Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah has no cause to apologise for his controversial article that allegedly disparaged the Hindu community, Malay right-wing group Perkasa said yesterday when defending the Muslim academic.

The group also blasted S. Vell Paari as trying to boost his own popularity ahead of Election 2013, following the MIC strategy director’s criticism of Tee.

Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali said Vell Paari’s demands did not represent the views of the Indian community in Malaysia, adding that the son of former MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu was a “liability” to the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

“The criticism by Vell Paari is not something new, he also frequently criticizes our president Datuk Ibrahim Ali.

“For Perkasa, we see this Vell Paari as trying to gain popularity, seeing that he has already tenggelam (sunk) in his party and is considered a liability to BN,” Syed Hassan said when contacted by The Malaysian Insider.

Syed Hassan also defended Tee’s article, saying that there was truth in some of the matters that he wrote on, while warning Vell Paari not to challenge the patience of the Malay community.

“The words of Dr Ridhuan Tee has its truth; we see that only Vell Paari alone is earnestly demanding but other leaders didn’t.

“Furthermore, there are Indian community leaders close to Perkasa that have advised (the MIC) leadership to ignore Vell Paari, because his voice is no longer important,” Syed Hassan added.

When asked about calls for Tee to apologise for penning the article that allegedly belittled Hindus, Syed Hassan stressed that there was no need for the academic to do so.

“No need for Dr Ridhuan Tee to apologise,” Syed Hassan said.

Perkasa also warned Vell Paari and Indian leaders from federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat to stop the tactic of using “threats” and sensitive issues to fish for votes in Election 2013.

“Don’t try to threaten or challenge. Perkasa has never used threatening tactics to draw the support of voters. Don’t try to be hurtful or use sensitive issues,” Syed Hassan urged.

In Tee’s article titled “Kesabaran Umat Islam ada had” (The patience of Muslims has its limits) and published in the Malay-language daily Sinar Harian on February 18, he had written that the Indian community in Malaysia were allegedly not sensitive to the feelings of the country’s Muslims.

The MIC Youth had on February 20 lodged a police report over Tee’s article, while MIC Youth information chief S. Subramaniam had said it was “derogatory” and “insensitive” to Hindus as the article had wrongly linked the controversial movie “Vishwaroopam” to adherents of the faith.

Vell Paari had urged MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel to push for action against Tee for disparaging Hindus, saying that he would otherwise ask Indians to vote against BN in the general election.

In an open letter to Palanivel on February 22, Vell Paari said the matter should be raised at this week’s Cabinet meeting to press Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to act against the Muslim academic and also Ibrahim, the Perkasa president.

Sinar Harian had on the same day apologised for publishing the provocative article written by Tee, an associate professor at the National Defence University (UPNM).

The apology was relayed by the paper’s editorial advisor, Datuk Abdul Jalil Ali, in front of a group of about 10 people who had gathered at the publication’s headquarters to protest the article.