KUALA LUMPUR: Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran has refuted a recent news report in which he allegedly labelled the Malays as ‘pendatang’, or immigrants.
Saying he was quoted out of context, Kulasegaran also denied claiming that the Indians were the original inhabitants of Tanah Melayu, now Malaysia.
In a statement yesterday, the Ipoh Barat member of parliament said the “slanderous” report was manipulated by certain quarters to fan the flames of racism in the country.
“Last week, I attended a Hindu event in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, where I said we shouldn’t label a certain race as immigrants because all of us live together in Malaysia.
“During the event, which was conducted in Tamil, I never once talked about the Malays. Allegations that I called the Malays immigrants are mere slanders and lies.
“What I said during the event was that the Indians have been in Tanah Melayu since 2,500 years ago. Hinduism was introduced by the Indians in Tanah Melayu.
“The discoveries made at the Lembah Bujang archeological site, especially in Sungai Batu in Kedah, confirm this,” he said in a statement uploaded to his Facebook page.
In a news report published on July 27, Kulasegaran was quoted as saying that various Hindu temples were discovered in Lembah Bujang, Kedah, which was proof that Hinduism had long existed in the country.
The report was based on a video recording uploaded on Youtube, which showed Kulasegaran delivering a speech in Tamil.
In his statement, Kulasegaran said based on the archeological discoveries, it was unfair for the Indians to be labelled as immigrants.
He said this was because Hinduism was one of the earliest religions practised by the people of Tanah Melayu and the Nusantara, or Malay archipelago.
He said Buddhism also flourished in the region until the advent of Islam in the 15th century.
“Transmigration is a natural process that occurs throughout the world.
“People of various races migrate around the world based on needs and current conditions. It’s the same with Tanah Melayu, Malaysia, India China, and various other countries.
“All these are historical facts, So, what I want to emphasise is that history should be taught using the correct, accurate and complete facts. This is important because every Malaysian should know their own history,” he said.