After Kedah’s Thaipusam controversy, minister Saravanan says MIC-PAS ties tested with Sanusi as MB
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan speaks during a press conference at the Ministry of Human Resources, Putrajaya December 3, 2020. — Picture by Miera Zulyana
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan today continued to criticise Kedah Mentri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor over the PAS-led state government’s decision to not observe a state holiday for the religious festival Thaipusam this year.
Saravanan, who is also MIC deputy president, said that the relationship between the Indian-based party and PAS has been under strained ever since Sanusi became Kedah mentri besar.
“MIC has always had a cordial relationship with PAS at all levels, but our ties with the party is tested after the appointment of Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor as the Kedah mentri besar.
“I sincerely hope that the PAS leadership will educate him on how to lead in a multi-racial and multi-religious country like Malaysia.
“A mentri besar should be a leader for all races in the state and not trample on the rights of other races for the sake of his popularity,” Saravanan said in a three-page statement issued today with the human resources minister letterhead and in both his government and party capacities.
Both PAS and MIC are part of the ruling government at the federal level.
Noting that Sanusi had responded today to his criticism yesterday over Thaipusam not being observed as a state-level public holiday in Kedah, Saravanan however argued that the Kedah leader had “missed the point in the whole controversy”.
Saravanan did not accept Sanusi’s argument that the Thaipusam decision was not meant to deny the rights of Hindus in Kedah to celebrate the festival, saying that such an explanation did not “make sense”.
Saravanan said the Kedah mentri besar should understand that Hindus in Kedah were happy after Thaipusam was declared a state-level public holiday in Kedah, with this being enjoyed over the last two years.
“Thaipusam is also a state public holiday in several other states, but no other state government had revoked it unlike Kedah under the PAS government,” he said in the same statement today.
“We in MIC are not using this issue as a tool to further our political ambition, but it is the Kedah mentri besar who is using race and religion for his political gains in the state,” he claimed.
While acknowledging that the Covid-19 pandemic fight is Malaysia’s priority now, Saravanan said that giving a public holiday for Thaipusam would not change anything under the recent lockdown.
“The mentri besar’s ‘advice’ that MIC lobbies the federal government for a gazetted national holiday for Thaipusam, is also amateurish as he surely knows the time consumed to bring about such a move,” he said.
Saravanan also challenged Sanusi to name who were the three groups of Hindus that he had claimed to have met before announcing that the special state holiday for Thaipusam would not be observed in Kedah this year.
“The Kedah mentri besar should have held a proper meeting with all the representatives of the Hindu community, including political parties, before making a decision on the matter,” Saravanan argued, adding that such meetings should not be one-way meeting without obtaining proper feedback.
Also in the same statement, Saravanan said that the ethnic Indian voters in Kedah would be important in elections despite being a minority community.
“I also wish to remind the mentri besar that although there are only 6.8 per cent of Indians in the state, this small percentage can make a big difference when it comes to the General Election,” he said.
Saravanan, who is also MIC deputy president, said that the relationship between the Indian-based party and PAS has been under strained ever since Sanusi became Kedah mentri besar.
“MIC has always had a cordial relationship with PAS at all levels, but our ties with the party is tested after the appointment of Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor as the Kedah mentri besar.
“I sincerely hope that the PAS leadership will educate him on how to lead in a multi-racial and multi-religious country like Malaysia.
“A mentri besar should be a leader for all races in the state and not trample on the rights of other races for the sake of his popularity,” Saravanan said in a three-page statement issued today with the human resources minister letterhead and in both his government and party capacities.
Both PAS and MIC are part of the ruling government at the federal level.
Noting that Sanusi had responded today to his criticism yesterday over Thaipusam not being observed as a state-level public holiday in Kedah, Saravanan however argued that the Kedah leader had “missed the point in the whole controversy”.
Saravanan did not accept Sanusi’s argument that the Thaipusam decision was not meant to deny the rights of Hindus in Kedah to celebrate the festival, saying that such an explanation did not “make sense”.
Saravanan said the Kedah mentri besar should understand that Hindus in Kedah were happy after Thaipusam was declared a state-level public holiday in Kedah, with this being enjoyed over the last two years.
“Thaipusam is also a state public holiday in several other states, but no other state government had revoked it unlike Kedah under the PAS government,” he said in the same statement today.
“We in MIC are not using this issue as a tool to further our political ambition, but it is the Kedah mentri besar who is using race and religion for his political gains in the state,” he claimed.
While acknowledging that the Covid-19 pandemic fight is Malaysia’s priority now, Saravanan said that giving a public holiday for Thaipusam would not change anything under the recent lockdown.
“The mentri besar’s ‘advice’ that MIC lobbies the federal government for a gazetted national holiday for Thaipusam, is also amateurish as he surely knows the time consumed to bring about such a move,” he said.
Saravanan also challenged Sanusi to name who were the three groups of Hindus that he had claimed to have met before announcing that the special state holiday for Thaipusam would not be observed in Kedah this year.
“The Kedah mentri besar should have held a proper meeting with all the representatives of the Hindu community, including political parties, before making a decision on the matter,” Saravanan argued, adding that such meetings should not be one-way meeting without obtaining proper feedback.
Also in the same statement, Saravanan said that the ethnic Indian voters in Kedah would be important in elections despite being a minority community.
“I also wish to remind the mentri besar that although there are only 6.8 per cent of Indians in the state, this small percentage can make a big difference when it comes to the General Election,” he said.
My answer would be, just like what Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor is probably thinking , wakakaka, hey Saravanan, MIC, what are you going to do about it ?
ReplyDeleteNeneneneneh...
no food on table still make so much noise.
ReplyDelete