KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf leader P. Waythamoorthy confirmed that he will be appointed as a minister.
He said that he has had extensive discussions with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, where he was informed that he would be given the mandate to serve the people.
“And I look forward to serve in the Cabinet,” he said.
He declined to comment further save that he is to be at Istana Negara, where the last batch of ministers and their deputies are being sworn in.
“I am much happier now because this is what I wanted. I wanted to represent the people in the true sense and not just for namesake.”
“You know why I left before, I stand by my principles. I had to leave before because promises made by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had not been fulfilled,” he added.
The activist made headlines in 2007 when he and several others – including his brother and rights lawyer P. Uthayakumar – were involved in a massive protest by Hindraf in Kuala Lumpur to highlight the plight of the Indian community.
The protest was seen as an early catalyst for the so-called “political tsunami” in the 2008 elections, which saw Barisan Nasional (BN) losing its traditional two-third majority in Parliament.
Five years later, Waythamoorthy inked an agreement with then BN chairman Najib, in a deal criticised by his brother Uthayakumar.
Following BN’s win in the 2013 polls, Waythamoorthy was made a senator and a deputy minister, only to resign months later in early 2014.
He had then said he was disappointed that the BN government had failed to fulfil its promise to attend to problems faced by Malaysian Indians.
Waythamoorthy has since continued his opposition to BN.
Last year, he met PH chairman Dr Mahathir, in a move to align Hindraf with the then opposition coalition and campaigned extensively for Pakatan Harapan in the recent general elections.
Meanwhile, when met after being sworn in as senator at Dewan Negara here, Ketereh Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chief Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin evaded the question on whether he had been appointed as deputy minister.
When asked what portfolio he will be helming, Radzi said “Wait at the Istana.”
Radzi said it is a big responsibility to be a senator, particularly after it was given by his party and carrying the hopes of Malaysians.
“Insyallah (God willing) I will do my best,” he said.
Mohd Radzi, who is also a former forensic accounting lecturer, is likely to be appointed Deputy Minister in the Economic Affairs Ministry.
Meanwhile when approached after he was sworn in as senator at Dewan Negara here, DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong played coy on whether he would be appointed as deputy minister.
“I am heading to Istana Negara. Wait after Istana Negara,” he said when asked on whether he would be appointed as deputy minister and which portfolio it would be.
Over the past two weeks, PH sources had suggested that Liew is likely to be appointed as the Deputy Defence Minister.
Liew, who is Johor DAP chief, was a former Kluang MP who lost in the polls to MCA’s Datuk Seri Ir Wee Ka Siong for the Ayer Hitam seat. — Reports by Hidir Reduan, Veena Babulal and Farhana Syed Nokman