Not all Indian Muslims think like Gepima and Kimma. I certainly do not want to sell my identity for a few extra ringgit. My parents migrated to Malaysia in the 1960s and I was born on this soil in the 1970s.

I used to be ashamed to be an Indian Muslim because in this country, race was related to religion whereby a Malay was equated with Islam, a Chinese with Buddhism and Indian with Hindu and I did not see where I fit in.

But as the years passed by, I realised the beauty of my own ethnic identity. I am now proud to speak Tamil. This is my mother tongue and I cherish its beauty. I love Indian food, cinema and songs. My father put himself as Malay in my birth certificate but I changed it myself back to 'Indian' in my identity card.

Hence, what Gepima and Kimma did was a source of great humiliation for me. How could both these groups claim to speak for all Indian Muslim Malaysians? And do they lack basic common sense?

Religion can be changed. It is a state of the mind and heart. But how can you change your genetic identity? It is in our DNA, for god's sake. If we are born Indian, we cannot change to become a Malay or a Chinese as and when we like just because we want to get certain rights and privileges as well.

I look like an Indian. I sound like an Indian. Therefore, I am an Indian. And I am proud of it too. My plea is for Gepima and Kimma not to claim to represent me and those who think like me.

As far as I am concerned, even if I am the last Indian Muslim standing, I will stand proudly, for God made me what I am and I do not suffer from any so-called low self-esteem as claimed by Gepima.