International - India & World   

Ethnic Indians are not enemies: Malaysian PM

SINGAPORE: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Saturday affirmed that his country’s ethnic Indian citizens “are not our enemies” and “in our 50 years of independence we never had any problems with the Indians.”

Speaking to reporters, while on tour away from Kuala Lumpur, Mr. Badawi condemned the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) for spreading a “blatant lie” about an alleged “ethnic cleansing” of Malaysian Indians.

The HINDRAF, an umbrella group of non-governmental associations, had organised a protest rally in Kuala Lumpur on November 25 to turn the international focus on the alleged “marginalisation” of nearly two million Malaysian Indians. Tear gas and water cannon were used to disperse the protesting crowds.

Mr. Badawi, in his condemnation of the HINDRAF, said: “Ethnic cleansing is like what happened in Bosnia when the Serbians killed and did everything to wipe out Bosnians from the country. We didn’t do such things here … In Malaysia, there are no problems with Islam and Hindu religions … There are no sectarian clashes here. Why [then] such things [as the alleged ‘ethnic cleansing’] are being raised?” The HINDRAF campaign “has racial undertones, aimed at disrupting the prevailing peace.”

Even as Works Minister and President of the Malaysian Indian Congress Samy Vellu reaffirmed the steps being taken to address the problems facing the community, the HINDRAF wanted the process to take place at the Prime Minister’s level.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Polls a vote of confidence: Putin
Musharraf warns against agitation during poll process
Looks like one more cancer factor
LTTE bunker line breached, says Army
Shahbaz’s nomination rejected
Iran seeks to head off calls for tougher sanctions
Ethnic Indians are not enemies: Malaysian PM
Making life light for the polio-affected in Thailand
No external interference: Hamid Albar

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu