YOURSAY | ‘Colour blindness should be the connective tissue binding this government. ‘

ADUN SPEAKS | Only one Indian for minister? Harapan can do better

Kilimanjaro: I was about to write over the silence of Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy on the new cabinet ministers, but as always, Ramasamy had made his point. Is the problem with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim or was he advised wrongly?

Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto on corruption was hard and unrepentant. Maybe it was written on the basis that Harapan would come out victorious as a single party with a simple majority.

Well, that did not happen, so Anwar has to "break" the rule, so to speak, by extending a stretching hand to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Umno. That cooperation that ensued led to a government, together with GPS and others. We are indeed celebrating emerging victorious in forming a government.

When Anwar can “break” the rules on such an important part of Harapan's manifesto, such as corruption, why is he sticking to a lean cabinet as the same rules seem to apply in both? Is he selfish and a hypocrite? It certainly looks that way, isn't it? When newly appointed Digital Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil justifies the appointment of Zahid as deputy prime minister a deal done as a unity government rather than a Harapan government, it sounds so hollow.

It diminishes his standing amongst the non-Malays. When these people want to cut corners, the "ultimate sacrifice" has to come from the non-Malays. Losers seem to be better off than non-Malays because these losers who are Malays have been made cabinet ministers. How else can we see this? Or now that Anwar and PKR have Umno and GPS with them to support, maybe it does not need the support of the non-Malays, particularly Indians.

Sun: While I'm not a fan of Ramasamy's, I have to agree with him here. We are not past racial politics by any stretch of the imagination. Every group that has vied for positions in the administration is representing their race or region. The statement being made by the prime minister’s choice of candidates can also be seen through this lens.

So, until those who are leading can change through their example, and the country is free of racial politics, it is completely fair to expect to be represented. Indians have made enormous sacrifices for everyone else by adapting to their wishes whenever convenient for them. Enough.

MS: All sanctimonious prigs who are suddenly exhorting everyone not to think in terms of Indians, Chinese and Malays, should have loudly told Anwar Ibrahim that fair ethnic representation in the cabinet should not be a criterion for the selection of members. Instead, the only criterion should be portfolio competence and integrity.

They should also have petitioned the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah that his choice of prime minister should not be restricted to Malays but as per the Federal Constitution, all Malaysians should be considered based only on competence and commitment.

Taking it a step further, this same lot should push PKR, Umno, DAP, Amanah and GPS to stop considering only Malays as party leaders and actively enable any Malaysian to assume leadership positions.

Colour blindness should be the connective tissue binding this government. Then perhaps we can demand Ramasamy to think as a Malaysian and not as an Indian leader representing his community's interests.

Justice Pao: Ramasamy, you are a real hypocrite when you are supposed to be colour-blind and represent a multiracial party and you still think like the DAP is a coalition of parties of different races like BN. When most of us voted we do not look at the colour of the skin of the person or their religion.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has already said that DAP supported Anwar unconditionally and not to curry cabinet positions instead of playing into the hands of Perikatan Nasional, especially PAS which was insinuating that DAP with the largest number of seats will control an Anwar-led government.

It looks like you prefer to be under the way former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin led the government by inflating the number of cabinet-level positions to make all parties and races happy when the country can ill afford to pay more cabinet ministers just to get their support. Ramasamy, think like a Malaysian!

Cogito Ergo Sum: I am rather shocked at Ramasamy’s comment. In this new epoch, we have just ushered, we are all Malaysians. Is that not what your party, the DAP, purportedly is premised on - Malaysian Malaysia? You have become a grumpy old man who has become as racist as some of the most bigoted politicians in the past and present.

I suggest you keep an elegant silence like your party leadership. Do not destroy from within what it took so long to achieve. Think about the nation first. Not party or that despicable word, race. Do not say anything anymore.

R.Venugopal: What have the Indian ministers done for the community in the last 60 years? Especially those Indian ministers from BN never uplifted the socio-economy of the Indians other than giving money to the temples. Let us look at former human resources ministers M Saravanan and M Kulasegaran. Let them state their claims of fighting to improve Indian livelihood. Race politics must end.

Anonymous12345: Politicians, please stop your useless and needless race rhetoric. The whole world is preparing to brace for an impending global recession that is predicted by The Economist to hit in 2023, which is only one month away.

Malaysia is a country that is not self-sufficient and even in relatively normal times, there was an egg and chicken shortage. So please focus on the most important issues at hand.

LoveMyCountry: I simply do not understand Ramasamy. I am an Indian myself and I care two hoots about whether there is an Indian minister or not. What's important for me is that the government takes care of all Malaysians.

Honestly, by complaining about it, the writer himself is being racist. Tell me what past Indian ministers have done for Indians other than enriching themselves. Stop complaining about wanting Indian, Chinese and so on ministers, start talking about efficient ministers, please.

Vijay47: Ramasamy should stop complaining. On behalf of Malaysians - Indians and others - he should look at things from the higher, more noble perspective, that the Cabinet appointments, whatever the racial make-up, are for the greater national good.

When all government-linked company heads are Malays, don't complain. After all, these heads are Malaysians also. When the government service is made up of 96 percent Malays, when placement in choice university courses are given to Malays who hardly qualify, when scholarships state and federal are given to 95 percent Malays, yes, don't complain.

Yeah, think of the greater national good. How fulfilling to be an Indian!

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