Malaysia’s former PM Mahathir slams critic as ‘racist’ in latest swipe at ethnic minority groups
- Former PM Mahathir Mohamad says staunch critic P Ramasamy’s loyalty to his ethnicity shows that he is racist
- Mahathir previously triggered fierce backlash after saying ethnic Chinese and Indian citizens were ‘not completely loyal’ to Malaysia
Mahathir last week triggered a fierce backlash from ethnic minority groups, after saying in an interview on Indian broadcaster Thanthi TV that Malaysian citizens of Chinese and Indian descent were “not completely” loyal to the country as they insisted on “identifying themselves with their countries of origin”.
“If the absence of ethnic Indians in cabinet is seen as unfair, the reason [Ramasamy deems it unfair] clearly is that Ramasamy is still loyal to his Indian ethnicity,” Mahathir, 98, said in a statement. “This means Ramasamy is a racist who fights not only for Malaysia but also for ethnic Indians.”
Mahathir’s latest swipe at ethnic communities, however, is a clear attempt at a political “comeback” after an embarrassing defeat in the 2022 national polls, according to a deputy minister.
M Kulasegaran, who had served as a minister during Mahathir’s second term as prime minister, said the attacks were a calculated attempt at shoring up support from among the Malays at the expense of the nation’s values of unity, diversity and inclusivity.