Indians in DAP have been second to no one, says party leader

 

DAP leader P Ramasamy says many Indian members have been promoted to top leadership positions in DAP.

PETALING JAYA: Indians in DAP have never been beholden to the Chinese in the party, a party leader has said.

This comes in response to a series of open letters published by FMT, where reader ‘M Ali’ asserts that DAP and longtime leader Lim Kit Siang used the pretence of multiculturalism to further their Chinese-centric agenda.

Penang deputy chief minister and DAP central executive committee member P Ramasamy shot back in a Facebook post today, saying that DAP was the only party to truly represent the interests of non-Malays.

“DAP grew to be successful with the support of Chinese and Indians because it dared to do what others feared to do,” he said.

“When the non-Malay parties such as MCA, Gerakan and MIC became enslaved to the racist interests of Umno, DAP stood its ground.”

P Ramasamy.

Ramasamy said Indians had been longstanding members of DAP, which had promoted many to top leadership positions at the national level, and that for Ali to suggest they were “puppets” was an “insult and humiliation” to the community.

“Indians are second to none,” he said.

“Just compare the Indians in DAP to those in MIC or other mosquito Indian parties,” he said, raising the question that “if Indians are used by DAP, what does that mean for members of MIC in relation to Umno, their larger and more prominent Malay coalition partner”.

“In fact, there is no comparison, Indians in DAP outshine them.

“MIC could not provide effective representation to Indians because it sold out Indian interests to Umno.”

Ramasamy also defended Lim, accused by Ali of being a stooge of Singapore’s People’s Action Party and employing the “cadre system” of recruitment most often associated with the Chinese Communist Party.

“Little credit is given to the leadership skills of Kit Siang who built and sustained the party under a repressive and hostile atmosphere,” Ramasamy said. - FMT