Bangsa Malaysia for us Indians, please

Today, we Malaysian Indians account for approximately 7 percent of the total population of Malaysia which comes up to about two million in number.

We have had political parties coming out of the woodwork, all professing unwavering support and seeking to champion ethnic Malaysian Indian issues especially for the ‘under-class’.

They strut around like demigods, guaranteeing the uplifting of our community and the bridging of the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’.

After six decades and fifteen parties later all touting to be our ‘knights in shining armour’, we still find ourselves where we began.

Part of the BN coalition, you have the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) who came and went with a resounding thud, and the People's Progressive Party (PPP) which is dangling over the same abyss by a thread.

They have yet to come to a consensus on who heads the party. Once they have overcome that stumbling block, they must decide on which group they pledge their support; whether it is holding onto the sinking Titanic (BN) by the skin of their teeth or will they embrace opportunism and dance to new tunes (Pakatan Harapan).

Other Indian fringe parties include (as pro-BN) the Indian Progressive Front (IPF), a splinter of the MIC, affiliated with BN but is not a formal member, the Malaysian Indian United Party (MIUP) b set up by KS Nallakaruppan after his resignation from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party (MMSP), an unaffiliated offshoot of Hindraf and the latest, the Malaysian Indian Justice Party (MIJP).

There was also the Democratic Malaysian Indian Party (DMIP) which has since been dissolved. The list carries on with the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) representing the interests of the Indian Muslim community, the Punjabi Party of Malaysia (PPM) which represents Malaysia's Punjabi community and the Malaysian Ceylonese Congress (MCC) representing Malaysia's Sri Lankan Tamil community who are technically not Indians but are often regarded as such by most Malaysians.

And then you have Hindraf or Hindu Rights Action Force, a non-governmental organisation, who has done good work in the past for the community at large. But, for now, they need to concentrate on addressing brotherly rivalry and sort out internal discord before being saviours of the ‘weak’.

The newest kid on the block is the Minority Rights Action NewGen Party (Mira NewGen Party) which has been officially accepted as a strategic partner of Pakatan Harapan.

We are tired of being used as pawns by parties for their personal gain and political mileage. Enough is enough. We are not the same trusting and gullible folk with a herd mentality who will follow Pied Pipers blindly.

There is no need for these self-serving and self-gratifying packs to trumpet about saving us. Why do we need special groups and forces to make sure that we will be well taken care of? Where will this division end?

Enough of being divided by caste, creed and ethnicity. We may be a minority, but we are Bangsa Malaysia. We have laid our trust in Pakatan Harapan under the watchful eye of Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his capable team.

The government of Malaysia Baru has a ‘Task Force on Minorities, Indians and Orang Asli Affairs’ in place and a Department of National Unity and Integration under the Home Affairs Ministry that will work for all its people without fear or favour.

By having a control and limit on organisations sprouting around Malaysia, Harapan will be able to curb misappropriation of funds and change will be felt at the grassroots level.

And then they will be able to uphold their promise of competency, accountability and transparency.-Mkini