FMT:
Rama hits back at ‘racist’ claim over DCM II post
The former deputy chief minister says Penang’s chief minister has always been Chinese, while the DCM I has always been Malay.
Former Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy said the position was created to ‘honour Indians who fought for themselves’ following the Hindraf movement.
GEORGE TOWN: Former Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy has hit back at his successor’s claim that it is “racist” to say the post should be reserved for Tamils.
Ramasamy, who quit DAP recently, said the chief minister had always been of Chinese origin from DAP, while the deputy chief minister (DCM) I had always been a Malay from PKR.
“Is that racist?” he asked.
He defended his contention that the DCM II post should be reserved for Tamils, reiterating that the position was created to “honour Indians who fought for themselves” following the Hindraf movement.
He told FMT that Tamils should be recognised.
Earlier today, Jagdeep Singh Deo, the newly appointed DCM II, said he wanted to “refresh the role” by serving all, and not just the Indian community and minority groups.
Jagdeep also dismissed the notion that the post should only be held by a member of the Tamil community, adding that such calls were “petty and racist”.
He said although the role, conceptualised by his late father and DAP stalwart Karpal Singh, was to advance Indian interests, it was “never reserved for a Tamil alone”.
But Ramasamy said Jagdeep was not in the picture in 2008 when the post was created, and while Karpal might have raised the matter, the rest was a “figment of Jagdeep’s imagination”.
“I played a crucial role in the creation of the DCM II post that was subsequently adopted by the party,” he said.
He also said he had served all communities during his three terms in office, especially those in the lower socio-economic group, and that the only drawback he had was the lack of family connections “that is very much part of the DAP establishment”.
“Jagdeep should not be deluded into thinking that I only served the Indian Tamils in Penang and not others. I could easily level the same allegations against him.”
Ramasamy also dismissed Jagdeep’s claim that he qualified as a Hindu if one were to follow the 1906 Penang Hindu Endowments Ordinance.
He said the ordinance was created to primarily manage Hindu properties, and was an administrative body, not a religious one.
“The inclusion of Sikhism doesn’t automatically qualify a Sikh to be termed as a Hindu. Both the religions are different, just as Islam is different from Christianity.
“It is simplistic for Jagdeep to invoke the ordinance and say that a Sikh is no different from a Hindu,” he said.
GEORGE TOWN: Former Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy has hit back at his successor’s claim that it is “racist” to say the post should be reserved for Tamils.
Ramasamy, who quit DAP recently, said the chief minister had always been of Chinese origin from DAP, while the deputy chief minister (DCM) I had always been a Malay from PKR.
“Is that racist?” he asked.
He defended his contention that the DCM II post should be reserved for Tamils, reiterating that the position was created to “honour Indians who fought for themselves” following the Hindraf movement.
He told FMT that Tamils should be recognised.
Earlier today, Jagdeep Singh Deo, the newly appointed DCM II, said he wanted to “refresh the role” by serving all, and not just the Indian community and minority groups.
Jagdeep also dismissed the notion that the post should only be held by a member of the Tamil community, adding that such calls were “petty and racist”.
He said although the role, conceptualised by his late father and DAP stalwart Karpal Singh, was to advance Indian interests, it was “never reserved for a Tamil alone”.
But Ramasamy said Jagdeep was not in the picture in 2008 when the post was created, and while Karpal might have raised the matter, the rest was a “figment of Jagdeep’s imagination”.
“I played a crucial role in the creation of the DCM II post that was subsequently adopted by the party,” he said.
He also said he had served all communities during his three terms in office, especially those in the lower socio-economic group, and that the only drawback he had was the lack of family connections “that is very much part of the DAP establishment”.
“Jagdeep should not be deluded into thinking that I only served the Indian Tamils in Penang and not others. I could easily level the same allegations against him.”
Ramasamy also dismissed Jagdeep’s claim that he qualified as a Hindu if one were to follow the 1906 Penang Hindu Endowments Ordinance.
He said the ordinance was created to primarily manage Hindu properties, and was an administrative body, not a religious one.
“The inclusion of Sikhism doesn’t automatically qualify a Sikh to be termed as a Hindu. Both the religions are different, just as Islam is different from Christianity.
“It is simplistic for Jagdeep to invoke the ordinance and say that a Sikh is no different from a Hindu,” he said.
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