YOURSAY 'If this is the way a Pakatan party behaves, the people will start becoming disillusioned very soon. Go wash your dirty linen elsewhere.'

Ramasamy offers to quit over 'godfather' remark

Pemerhati: Karpal's and DAP's actions are no different from that of the Umnoputras, who can break any rule or law but no action is taken against them.

Malaysians have often observed in horror that the Umnoputras can institute any unfair action against anybody who offends them in some way, or whom they want to eliminate for some reason, by getting some lackey to make a report.

Their lackeys then take action against the person and get the disciplinary committees or kangaroo courts to deliver the unfair verdict desired by the top Umnoputras.

Here DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh, who actually started the name-calling, is as guilty as or even guiltier than Penang DAP deputy chief P Ramasamy for the name-calling offence, but only Ramasamy is being hauled up in front of the disciplinary committee.

These developments indicate that when it comes to being fair and just, there does not seem to be much difference between Umno and DAP.

Milosevic: This whole talk of lacking respect for the party elders smells of feudalism.

Ramasamy should be cautioned for making statements that will hurt the interest of the party, such as undermining party unity, its rules, or fostering ethnic politicking, which could detract from the pressing challenges facing DAP and its aspiring non-racialism.

Being upset at the term ‘godfather' is simply unacceptable. Members should be able to say anything they want about their ‘superiors'. As such, Karpal smacks of arrogance.

He has fought the good fight, but he is not doing DAP or Malaysian politics a favour by his lordly style and entitlement mentality. Act on issues based on the party's platform and constitution, and not on sanctifying party hierarchy.

Punish Ramasamy's ‘warlordism' by the rules he has violated. Besides controlling such maverick behaviour, the DAP should check the emerging family structure in the party before it leads to sclerosis.

Both DAP and Ramasamy have much to reflect upon.

Keturunan Malaysia: Ramasamy, why don't you say what you mean and mean what you say the first time round? Why leave gaps to clarify later?

Yes, I agree with some of the commentators here that the so-called senior leaders, P Ramasamy included, could easily have chosen to iron out any misunderstandings without having a verbal joust in public.

You and your party are supposed to be role models and one that we are banking on to bring about a meaningful change. This sort of display is really disappointing and disheartening.

Ben-ghazi: If this is the way a Pakatan Rakyat component party behaves, the people will start becoming disillusioned very soon. Go wash your dirty linen elsewhere, but not in public.

You guys are sounding very childish. Surely you are not preparing for the GE13 this way, are you? There should be greater unity among you guys if you are all serious about taking over Putrajaya from the BN.

Proarte: This is not a racial issue even though there are concerted attempts to turn into such. After all, this battle involves Indian Malaysians.

The real issue is one of discipline and procedure. What choice did Karpal have but to chastise small-time DAP leaders who have no mandate to announce election candidates?

Now the question is whether Ramasamy did actually give an interview with the Tamil newspaper and announce potential candidates? Ramasamy's alleged action amounts to insubordination and arrogance, and is typical 'warlord' mentality.

If true, this is a serious matter and warrants censure in no uncertain terms. A party will implode if there is no discipline and Ramasamy should do the honourable thing and resign if he did breach party procedures and discipline.

Koo Boon Kiat: A lot of us Chinese are happy and comfortable with Ramasamy as he is educated and able to solve our problems. If action is taken against him, it should also be taken against Karpal for insinuating that the DCM is a warlord.

Karpal should realise that we put him where he is today and he should be democratic. He has no business acting like a thug or like former MIC president S Samy Vellu.

We don't condone such unprincipled behaviour no matter who you are. Don't be a loose cannon and spoil DAP's chances of retaining Penang.

Ipoh2: Come on Rama, don't behave like a spoilt child. And Karpal too. Thrash out this little misunderstanding among yourselves.

You both don't have to show others how powerful or how much you are needed to the party. At the end of the day, none of you wins but DAP loses. Remember that.

Sakara: I know professor Ramasamy personally as my teacher at UKM (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia). He is very humble, intelligent, brave and trustworthy.

At UKM he was very critical, willing to take the difficult path for the sake of academic freedom and the truth.

I believe he was harassed many times before his contract at the university was terminated. Anyone who only knows him through the media should be extra careful giving statements. It is largely based on assumptions and thus could lead to wrong conclusions.

He is a good man, a humble leader, and his words "I am not an ordinary man" should not be taken at face value.

In this situation, it is him who has nothing to lose, not the party. But my hope is that this small issue could be settled amicably.

Faz: Ramasamy, there is always a situation of agreeing to disagree between gentlemen. Grown-ups and intellectuals sometimes have strong characters but in the end, the intellectual faculties must win the day.

There is always a solution to anything if we care to find it.

Malaysianstudent: The attack on Ramasamy may have come from his fellow countrymen, but the origin is probably in the mismatch between their expectations from the party which Ramasamy represents and his ability to live up to the expectations because of the limited resources he has been allocated.

By this I mean he cannot really address chronic Indian issues. He can give land to a couple of schools; he can give some additional money to Tamil schools, but that is all he can do.

But what is required is a consolidation of the primary education system for the Indians. He is hemmed in by the politics of resource allocation and policies both at the state and national level.

OneTruly Malaysian: DAP has never tasted power before 2008 election. All the while, the only thing democratic about DAP is the word "democratic" in its name.

The godfathers - Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh - have been ruling DAP in a dictatorial way. The DAP elects 25 central executive council members, and after each election they elect amongst themselves the chairman, secretary-general, etc.

After that they then appoint 10 others to join them. In the last party elections, candidates like Jeff Ooi lost but were appointed into the committee.

Malaysianstudent: It is becoming clear in this episode just how fragile an Indian leader's position truly is when he does not get there on the merits of having his own constituency, but rather on the basis of being useful window dressing, to legitimise a multiracialism that is truly not.

Such leaders have to know their position or they simply get pushed out and there is very little in the form of recourse. This episode clearly shows that. The last scene of this act is soon coming in the exit of Ramasamy.

Sarawakian_3ff9: Most of us respect appreciate Karpal Singh for his steadfastness in his political stand and his personal sacrifices. But sometimes he can be such a pain.

There are too many self-important leaders in DAP who let power get into their heads.

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