‘His act clearly shows that he is an immature candidate for any political post and betrays the mandate and trust given to him by the people.’

On DAP Perak rep U-turns hours after quitting

A Concerned Voter: I am deeply appalled and perturbed. His act clearly shows that he is an immature candidate for any political post (including as the state assembly person) and betrays the mandate and trust given to him by the people of all races in the just-concluded general election. If he wants to quit from the DAP just because the party has assigned only one executive councillor’s post to an Indian, then he is obviously very short-sighted. Has the DAP not facilitated his being elected as a state assembly person and has DAP not been fighting for the Indians' interests all along?

As an elected member of the DAP-PKR-PAS coalition state government, he should have thought of the implications to the coalition government (which only won with a thin majority in Perak) and to the democratic campaign of the people which has just started. His attempt to resign sets a dangerous precedence that any elected member could issue a threat to his party for his own gain and ignore his responsibilities and accountability to the voters who voted him in.

Ikram: I think this is the kind of politician that should not have been allowed to stand in the election in the first place. I believe the real reason why he quit is because he was not selected as one of the state exco members. He should have thanked his lucky stars that he was selected to stand in the last election and won. But to attempt to leave his comrades after not being appointed an exco member shows his true colours. This is a person who puts his self-interest above his party and voters’ interest.

I also can speculate that he wanted to join BN hoping that if another assembly person from the DAP-PKR-PAS coalition jumps ship, he will get the exco job once BN takes over the state. The right thing for him to do is to resign from being a assembly person so that a by-election can be held.

Don't Be So Childish: It is not wise for newly-elected Buntong state assembly person A Sivasubramaniam to quit DAP. He should not presume that less Indians in the state exco means that the interests of Indian will not be well taken for. The 12th GE was about the birth of multi-racial politics in Malaysia. If representatives from opposition parties still have this mindset of 'only my race can represents the interests of my race', than the victories achieved by them have no meaning at all.

A Sivasubramaniam should look at Malaysia as a whole, not just Perak only. His attempt to quit is unfair not just to DAP, but also to PKR, PAS and voters who supported him. Please think again for the sake of all communities, not just the Indian’s only.

CSY: Honestly, politicians are a waste of time! They spend time quibbling on racial issues again instead of serving the rakyat . This assembly person - who hasn't even shown the nation that he can perform - now wants to argue that not enough Indians are represented in the state exco.

Did we not vote for the opposition because we believed that you all will make the difference? Right now, with the way things are going, it goes to show that it doesn't matter which party gets in as there is nothing to show for it - just stupid disagreement over racial issues. Will two Indians in the Perak exco be able to make Malaysia a better nation? It is a unified effort from all Malaysians. Come on, it is your work that counts not your colour.

Poon Kai Chong: I really, really pity the people of Buntong who elected A Sivasubramaniam to be their state representative under the DAP’s ticket. I am wondering whether he consulted the people of Buntong before he attempted to quit.

I don’t think he wanted join PKR or PAS. Maybe he wanted to stand as an independent. If he does join BN, he will be a real disgrace because it is because of race he quit. He is going back to the old argument – racial politics!

Quitting for not having been given a state exco post? Who said Indians cannot be represented if they have only one exco post? What was his selfish agenda actually? Will the people now trust him if he is fielded as a candidate the next time?

Colour Blind: We are now entering the era where race holds no relevance. By attempting to resign, I am sad to say that A Sivasubramaniam is still living in the past. Many of the victories won by the Barisan Rakyat were due to voters voting for a new Malaysia where we no longer bother about race. We want to be colour blind. Your glorious victory over your opponent is one of such. To go and say what you have just said is simply disappointing.

R Venugopal: The assembly person Sivasubramaniam should realise that the people of Buntong - regardless of race - elected him and it is his duty to serve the constituents. Remember that you did not win solely on Indian votes and there were Chinese and Malay votes too. Show the people who elected you that you are worthy of their votes and do not indulge in fighting for positions.

A good leader stands and fights for his constituents and does not crave for positions. It shows you did not come in to politics to serve people but are seeking positions and wealth. You are no better that the clowns in MIC. How can people trust you now no matter which party you elect to join later?

Arianna: The Perak exco have not even warmed their seats, and this Buntong wakil already wanted to betray the mandate of the people who voted for him in the PRU12. A Sivasubramaniam should have thought twice before he offered himself as a wakil rakyat for the Indian community (and it looks like for that community only).

Would more state exco posts help the Indian community? Or is it a dedicated wakil rakyat who fulfils the people's aspiration and hope? Must an assembly person hold an exco post in order to effectively serve the people? If Siva thought so, then he should not be a wakil rakyat in the first place.

By quitting DAP and becoming an independent assembly person, this would not help his predominantly Indian constituency who voted for the DAP because they wanted change and because they rejected MIC and BN who had failed them again and again. Did he think by being an independent wakil, he could do a better job?

What kind of assembly person refuses to give his own party and his own government a chance to serve the people? What kind of assembly person thinks that only by holding an exco post (and not through dedication and sincerity) he can serve and help the Indian community? What kind of assembly person thinks only about serving only one race and not Malaysians as a whole?

I can only conclude that this kind of assembly person has his own agenda. And to him and his kind, away from us. We don't need you.

Nimi: This is quite stupid. This guy needs a talking to and he must seek to embrace values higher then just race. Stop thinking along racial lines. If the Indians prosper under PAS or PKR, so what will be the issue then? It does not need to be that Indians alone can help Indians.

Ramki: Sivasubramaniam is a bold politician, he has openly exposed the attitude of DAP towards the Indians. Before the elections, Lim Kit Siang said the Indians were the king-makers in 62 constituencies. So is this the right way to reward the Indians?.There are six Chinese exco members out of ten to represent the Chinese community but only one Indian rep out of the ten - a glaring discrimination of race politics. Why blame Siva for his outburst?

Danny: Of course, Sivasubramaniam has a right to feel aggrieved. The question is, does the DAP leadership (particularly in Perak) feel it has to represent Chinese interests only? Where has the subject of human rights and fair play gone to? Those of us who have been hoping and praying for a sensible and united opposition again see the possibility of our dreams of a Malaysian Malaysia evaporating into thin air because the leaders of the opposition parties are political pygmies and blinkered like the BN leaders.

Sathiyamoorthy Ramasamy: Sivasubramaniam's actions are, of course, not acceptable to the rational thinker. However, instead of castigating him, look at his point of view. He feels that he represents a constituency which is largely Indian. These people have been marginalised for 40 years. During the run up to the elections, they were promised better representation. All that is being asked for is for the elected representatives to keep to their promises. The political reality is of course different; it is not always possible to keep all promises, especially those made during campaigning.

To those who have been marginalised for so many years, this new turn of events, with just one Indian exco member, seems to be a continuation of the previous government's actions. A heightened sense of need, tinged with extreme bitterness has been created. The solution is to find ways to meet those needs, rather than to pass comments of racism or short-sightedness. The new DAP-PKR-PAS government has to meet these needs and assuage the pain felt, not just in Perak, but in all states where they now govern.

Selvamratna: A Sivasubramaniam had made the right move even though he has retracted his resignation. Hats off for the gentleman who had to send the correct signal to the Barisan Rakyat, notably the DAP, which has failed to recognise and feel the pulse of the Indian electorate.

BR is just parroting the BN in denying the rights of the Indian community to have a fair share of the exco seats in Perak. It makes me to wonder why Lim Guan Eng and Ngeh Khoo Ham have overlooked this issue. Please do not ignore the Makkal Sakthi.

R Rama Chandran: Hello Anwar, Lim Kit Siang and other Barisan Rakyat (BR) leaders. The cracks are beginning so soon with the attempted resignation of state assembly person A Sivasubramaniam from DAP. This is not what the rakyat wanted of BR. We wanted a fair, corrupt-free, and people- oriented government. Anwar, Kit Siang & Co have so far managed race relations in the various states quite equitably. Why did they allow greed to creep in on the formation of Perak exco? We don’t want to talk about race in multi-racial parties. But it cannot be just ignored if the distribution is not fair and equitable.

The country goes roughly with 60% Malays, 30% Chinese and 10% Indians. We have to discreetly adhere to this composition in whatever we do otherwise we cannot see harmony in the country. Let Anwar, Kit Siang & Co decide the composition as 5 Malays, 3 Chinese and 2 Indians from amongst BR excluding the Malay MB. We can have a Chinese DMB from amongst the 10 exco members. This should be acceptable by all. Let this sink into the local leaders heads. Please start working for the people if you all want to be re-elected for the next round in five years.

Job Dhanaraj: So this is the way Barisan Rakyat works? Any difference from BN? We got whacked, sprayed with acid-laced water and tear-gas fired at us and some of us have been sent to ISA detention. I dare say that no other race had the guts to break the thick-walled dam of oppression built by you-know-who.

But not even a month has gone by and you have forgotten what the first line soldiers did. You very wisely suggested that our new union would not be based on anyone calling himself an Indian, Malay or Chinese. But what is this sad turn of events? Please explain dear Anwar – we believed and still want to believe in your promises that all would be treated fairly.

You simply cannot say that A Sivasubramaniam is overreacting to the set-up of the Perak exco members appointment. It is downright ungratefulness not to recognise the role of Indians. It is now your turn, dear Anwar, to heal the new wounds inflicted on us by Barisan Rakyat.