LETTER | What really caused the emergence of legions of political parties representing the smallest population in Malaysia?

Indeed, opportunists are aplenty in Malaysia but can you blame them for the gaps left wide open by the government of the day or the passivity of the so-called mother party of the Indians, the MIC?

Barisan Nasional was heading in the wrong direction inheriting the oppression of the Indian community, which soon opened up a massive harvest for political parties with a renewed interest in Indians. Knowing full well the influence the Indians have on marginal seats, which according to reports, stand at nearly 50 percent of the total parliamentary seats in Malaysia.

There was already PKR and DAP ramping up Indian representatives within their ranks to trigger Indian support. Even PAS jumped on the bandwagon to court the Indians with their PAS supporters club. It is only natural for PAS to adapt to changing times and reinvent their wheels.

After the Hindraf rally took place, five men became the overnight champions for Indians in Malaysia. The publicity was seen to be rare as it took an international course. BN’s previous leader, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had caused so much anguish among the Indians that the rally shook the government.

At the same time, it is when the BN paused. Rethinking its direction and targets for the Malaysian Indians became extremely crucial. Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak soon realised that everything in regard to the Indians was fundamentally amiss. It took a huge shift.

For all these years, the Indians have been silenced by the narrative that they were problematic and failed to take advantage of the available opportunities, just to cover Mahathir’s wrongdoing. At the same time, Mahathir and his set of elite Indian cronies and passive parties benefitted from the whole lot, while the Indian loyalty was taken for granted.

A surprising route to self-interest

Najib came in and the first thing he did was to release these five gentlemen from prison. Naturally, Najib brought P Waythamoorthy into his office, to execute the needs of the Indian community and his aspirations for the Malaysian Indians. Unfortunately, Waytha took a surprising route to self-interest. Even splitting the original foundation of Hindraf, where the founders have taken a varied route, opposing each other.

Hindraf’s very same self-interest is seen again as it seals a pact with Pakatan Harapan, under Waythamoorthy’s ‘good old friend’, Mahathir. After all that in November 2007, this jump is loathsome. Hindraf is demanding to contest in the forthcoming general election, claiming to have the numbers behind them. The oppressed community is being tactically manoeuvred as pawns come GE14.

Rationally, former MP M Manogaran of the DAP and the party’s Klang MP Charles Santiago have voiced out against this demand. Hindraf has been asked to sit on the sideline and be a good cheerleader for once by their partners in Pakatan Harapan. Seats are for those who have worked tirelessly in the past five years and not for parachute candidates proposed by Hindraf.

Hindraf needs to realise that it needs to be a worthy partner. They need to show their report card of achievements over the past years. Or is it too much to ask?

Hindraf under Waythamoorthy did claim in GE13 that Indians voted for the BN because of its effective canvassing throughout Malaysia. Proof yourself now as you did before and you would be rewarded with the most precious gift of all - that is trust.

Perhaps even this new kid on the block called Minority Rights Action Party, or Mira, should humbly follow suit, and prove itself to be a good cheerleader and perhaps, if it still exists after GE14, we could talk further.

The trust here is not of the political parties or its leaders, but that of the oppressed community. The many political parties have squandered the trust of the community, again and again, with their Machiavellian politics. To all emerging champions of the Indians, first put in the effort to gain the trust of the community before shamefully claiming to have their votes.

To me, who I support no longer matters, for who does the job solely matters.