Remembering a patriot: Rafizi reflects on civil service glass ceiling for Indian Malaysians in tribute to official

In paying tribute to the late Economy Ministry deputy secretary-general (Macro) V Valluvan, whom he described as a “friend and true patriot”, former economy minister Rafizi Ramli has also lifted the lid on what he believes is a glass ceiling confronting Indian Malaysians in the civil service.

His account of the obstacles he encountered in trying to secure Valluvan's promotion to one of the ministry's top posts reignites questions over racial representation and whether non-Malays face institutional barriers to career advancement in the public sector.

The issue is not new. Non-Malays have long been severely underrepresented in the civil service, fuelling perceptions that they face discrimination and unequal opportunities to rise through its ranks.

In 2023, when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was urged to address the racial imbalance through reforms, the Public Services Commission maintained that there was no racial discrimination in the recruitment of civil servants, insisting that all Malaysians had equal opportunities to compete in an open and fair process.

In a Facebook post, Rafizi said he was in Malacca campaigning for the state election when he received news of Valluvan’s passing on Nov 1.

Rafizi recalled that when he assumed the post of economy minister in November 2022, Valluvan was heading the ministry's Industry, Science and Technology Division.

“When a vacancy arose for the position of deputy secretary-general of the ministry in late 2024, it was my view that he was the most qualified.

“The problem was that the government had a different plan. There is a belief that a glass ceiling exists for Indian Malaysians in the civil service,” he added.

At the time, Rafizi said, there were only two or three Indians holding the Jusa A grade, considered the highest grade for the top leadership of most ministries.

“The signal I received from higher up was that promoting Dato' Vallu to Jusa A grade would upset the balance. I did insist, and, as expected, my insistence ruffled a few feathers.

“In the end, he was promoted to deputy secretary-general of the ministry at Jusa A grade, the least he deserved for the long years of service to the nation,” he added.

The two worked closely together as Rafizi pursued policies aimed at pivoting the country's economic ambitions from “Made in Malaysia” to “Made by Malaysia”.

Bid to turn

Rafizi said when he was under an MACC investigation into allegations of corruption and fraud involving a RM1.1 billion deal between the government and British chipmaker Arm Holdings, Valluvan was repeatedly questioned.

“After I left the government, a national project that had been celebrated a few months earlier suddenly became the subject of an investigation into alleged impropriety. The team was accused of rushing it through government procedures, and I was investigated by MACC.

“Throughout the investigation from February to May 2026, Dato’ Vallu was summoned repeatedly by the authorities and interrogated for hours to establish whether I had given him any instructions that could be used in court against me.

“For all intents and purposes, the intention was to make him a star witness against me: a senior government official who had worked so closely with me, giving evidence that would incriminate me,” he added.

'Rest well, friend'

The Bersama leader said his last communication with Valluvan was in April. He had deliberately exercised caution in his dealings with the senior civil servant, mindful that their conversation “could have been twisted into an allegation of witness tampering”.

“Despite everything, Dato’ Vallu was a patriot who served his country above and beyond what was required of him as a civil servant.

“It is poignant to think of him and Deepavali. Last Deepavali, he sent me homemade murukku. Rest well, friend. You were a great patriot, and all of us are proud of you,” Rafizi added. - Mkini