I was flabbergasted by the Bernama report yesterday of what the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said in Chennai on Friday, as follows:
January 23, 2010 18:48 PM Najib Visits Chennai To Thank Malaysian Indians For Nation-Building By P. Vijian CHENNAI, Jan 23 (Bernama) — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, who made a historic trip to Chennai, said it was to honour Malaysian Indians as a vast majority had cultural bonds with Tamil Nadu from where they originated. “My trip ends in Chennai, it is not coincidental but intentional because Chennai, Tamil Nadu is the original state where many Malaysian Indians originated from. “Eighty-five per cent of Malaysian Indians are ethnic Tamils and my visit was to recognise the Malaysian Indian contributions to the development of Malaysia,” said Najib. Speaking at a special dinner held in conjunction with his visit to the city, Najib said it was important to recognise those who contributed to nation-building, irrespective of their ethnic background. “So, this visit is important…for 52 years, we have no (Malaysian) prime minister who visited Chennai, I am the first one to visit,” he added. He also assured Malaysian Indians that their plights would be addressed and the government had taken and would continue to purse policies to help those in need. “We have heard your call, Malaysian Indians have some dissatisfaction with the Malaysian Government in the past, but we are going to do more for the Indian community,” he said.
It raised eye-brows all round and provoked many questions, such as:
My advice to Najib – thank Malaysian Indians for nation-building with deeds in the country by ending their marginalization and status as the new underclass and not go to Chennai to make beautiful-sounding but meaningless tribute.
Let Najib make a true and real beginning by announcing a New Deal to end the marginalization of the Malaysian Indians which is part of a National New Deal in the Tenth Malaysia Plan to end the marginalization of all Malaysians who have been left out of the mainstream of national development after nine five-year development plans, whether Malays, Indians, Chinese, Orang Asli, Kadazan or Iban.