KUALA LUMPUR: MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M Saravanan expressed his gratitude for the apology issued by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over a recent racial slur.
Saravanan acknowledged the importance of this apology as a lesson for all leaders to be cautious about trampling on the sensitivities of diverse racial communities within the country.
The statement addressed the concerns raised by media outlets, party members, and the Malaysian Indian community at large regarding the prime minister's use of the term 'keling' during a recent forum.
The video clip of Anwar referring to the Tamil language as 'Bahasa Keling' circulated widely, sparking a strong reaction among the Malaysian Indian community.
Saravanan emphasised that despite the prime minister's assertion that he used the term in a historical context, 'keling' is considered derogatory and leaders should exercise prudence to avoid its use.
"While our prime minister might not have had any malice in uttering the word, it had certainly hurt the feelings of the community which had supported the current government come to power in the last general elections.
"In the past, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad faced criticism for using a similar term, justifying it as a common identifier for Indians or Tamils in the old days, particularly in the northern regions," said the Tapah member of parliament.
MIC has actively addressed the concerns raised by the incident, Saravanan said, adding that he had personally reached out to the prime minister to express the displeasure of the Malaysian Indian community over the use of the term 'keling.'
He hoped such incidents would not recur, emphasising the need to uphold unity and mutual respect among Malaysia's diverse communities. - NST
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