GEORGE TOWN: A former DAP leader has claimed that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the prime architect of the divisive racial and religious policies that have kept ethnic groups apart in the country.
Dr P. Ramasamy, former Penang Deputy Chief Minister II, said the longest serving prime minister seemed to have forgotten that the divide and rule policy in the country was his making.
"It is strange that Dr Mahathir, once the longest serving prime minister of the country, forgets he was the prime architect of the divisive racial and religious policies that kept the ethnic groups apart.
"On one hand, he bemoans the lack of integration or assimilation, but on the other hand, he forgets that the divide and rule policy in the country was his making.
"It is unfortunate that the cancer of divisive racial and religious politics could not be reversed by other leaders who came after Dr Mahathir.
"Even the so-called 'philosopher' Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim lacks the statesman qualities to steer the country away from the racial and religious divide," he said today.
Ramasamy, the current United for the Rights of Malaysians (Urimai) interim council president, asked how could the Indians be considered as "first class citizens" when they are discriminated against and marginalised.
He said if Dr Mahathir thought that Indians were not completely loyal to the country, then the actual situation was completely the opposite.
"Whatever Dr Mahathir thinks, based on his convoluted logic, Indians (and for that matter, the Chinese) are loyal citizens of the country.
"It is just not the national identification, but they have contributed immensely to the development of the country. Can Dr Mahathir deny this? He and other narrow-minded nationalists might not give credit to Indians, but this is the sad truth.
"He claimed that Indians were not loyal because they had not fully identified with the Malays in terms of speaking their language, Bahasa Melayu, adopting their customs and religion. Is he saying that the absence of complete assimilation with the Malays means Indians are disloyal?" he further asked.
Ramasamy said that more than 85 per cent of Indians were Hindus and of Tamil origin.
"However, if they are discriminated against in the public service and in government employment, then the problem is not them, but the government policies and measures that keep the races divided.
"After political independence, racial policies were introduced to create distance between the Indians, Chinese and Malays.
"It is the government in power that wants to prolong the separate, cultural and religious identity of not just the Indians but also the Chinese.
"Indians are loyal to the country. However, it is politicians like Dr Mahathir who continuously question and ridicule the loyalty of Indians and Chinese" he added.
Elaborating, Ramasamy said if the Indians were constantly reminded of their inferior political status in the country in respect of the Malays/Bumiputera community, who then was responsible for preventing the full and complete participation of the non-Malays in the mainstream of Malaysian society.
"In fact, Dr Mahathir should be ashamed of himself even to suggest that Indians and Chinese are disloyal to the country. His ancestors from Kerala, India, might have assimilated with the Malays. But why should this formula be applied to others?
"Finally, the cat is out of the bag. Dr Mahathir has admitted that loyalty for him means nothing less than complete assimilation with the Malays, in terms of language, culture and religion.
"It is strange that the assimilation theory which has been rejected and thrown into the dustbin of history is being invoked by Dr Mahathir.
"To him, as long as Indians and Chinese maintain their separate identities, they cannot be fully loyal to Malaysia. Here, loyalty is equated completely with identifying with the Malays.