KUALA LUMPUR: Two former members of parliament have taken Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to task for what they described as "hate filled rants" over his remarks on Indians in Malaysia being "not completely loyal."
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago, responding to remarks made by the former prime minister during an interview with Chennai-based Tamil news channel Thanthi TV, said both the Indian and Chinese communities have contributed to Malaysia's socio-economic and political development.
Dr Mahathir, he said, should be "ashamed of himself for such venom."
"Mahathir's comments are divisive and harmful in a multiracial society like ours," Santiago said in a post on X.
He also accused Dr Mahathir of undoing his positive contributions in the past with his comments.
"He knows this is incitement. He is also encouraging bigotry and hate. But he doesn't care about the consequences of his actions.
"Is he trying desperately to stay relevant? Especially in his twilight years? Then he must know we are fed up with his hate-filled rants. Malaysia doesn't belong to a select few, but to all Malaysians," he said.
Santiago urged the authorities to take action against him for making divisive statements that are potentially harmful in a multiracial society.
Meanwhile, former Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto said Dr Mahathir should be "the last person to talk about loyalty."
"He should be the last person to speak about what loyalty means, and especially about roots and heritage. I am a proud and loyal Malaysian, and unlike you, I work hard to see Malaysia at her best. You were the setback we never deserved," she wrote on X.
Dr Mahathir, in the interview, had said that Indians in Malaysia must remember they are Malaysians more than they are immigrants from other countries.
Asked by the interviewer if this meant that Indians should fully assimilate and "become Malay", Mahathir agreed.
"They want to say that this country belongs to them. They should become (Malay).
"In the past, we've had a lot of people of Indian, Pakistani, Arabs, and African origin who are now 'Malays' in the sense that they speak at home the Malay language and their culture is Malay," he said.