Ramasamy: Indians need independent party not aligned with Harapan or PN

Ramasamy: Indians need independent party not aligned with Harapan or PN


There needs to be an Indian political party independent from the influence of Pakatan Harapan or Perikatan Nasional, said P Ramasamy.

Only then a "true course" can be charted to benefit the Indian community in the country, stressed the former Penang deputy chief minister.

"It is within the democratic rights of Indians to form a political party or NGO to advance their rights. It is a truism to state that the Indian community has been miserably left out in the mainstream of development.

"As I have remarked earlier, forming an organisation to represent Indians is one thing but to provide an effective, honest and responsible representation is another thing," the former DAP leader sad in a statement today.

According to him, MIC has some relevance but after the 15th general election, the party has been overshadowed by multi-racial representation provided by Harapan, DAP, and PKR.

"Indian representation in Harapan leaves much to be desired, especially when the genuine demands of the community have been drowned in the chorus of empty multi-racialism that invariably benefits the dominant communities.

“As witnessed in the last state elections and by-elections in Johor, the Indian desertion of Harapan is slowly but surely gaining momentum," Ramasamy claimed.


Indians will stop backing Harapan

Elaborating, the former Perai assemblyperson alleged that more Indians are going to stop supporting Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration in the coming elections, purportedly because their general and specific demands are being ignored.

However, whether or not the Indians will switch their support to PN remains to be seen, as the coalition lacks an Indian agenda, he noted.

"The need to form an Indian party or a political outfit is also felt within the ranks of Harapan Indian supporters.

"Indirectly, it is an admission that existing political parties such as the DAP, PKR, MIC and others have failed Indians in the country," he stressed.

Ramasamy claimed that a meeting of Indian NGOs in Klang today is an indication that the formation of a new party is in the works.

He claimed that the individuals behind the move were linked to Anwar, or at least had the premier's blessing for the meeting.

Need for independent party

While it is uncertain that a new Indian party could come out of the meeting, Ramasamy questioned how such a party, should it materialise, would function while clearly being aligned to Harapan.

"How can an Indian party that seeks to represent Indians to address their myriad problems still function within the orbit of the empty multi-racialism of Harapan?

"How will this new party ostensibly formed to take Indians to greater heights get out of the quagmire of subservience and dependence on Harapan or its brand of empty multi-racialism?" he asked.

Therefore, there is a need to form an independent Indian party that is not aligned with Harapan or PN, Ramasamy stressed.

"It is for Indians to decide whether they want to go along with Harapan or PN. The support is not automatic. Support will be predicated on the basis of what these alternative coalitions have to offer to Indians.

"Indians might be numerically small, but significant enough to have a say in their future well-being and welfare."

When asked if he would be behind the formation of such an independent party, Ramasamy briefly replied: "No."