Ramasamy to Loke: I’m not directionless; just that you despise me for my “don’t vote PH/DAP” stance

Focus Malaysia:

Ramasamy to Loke: I’m not directionless; just that you despise me for my “don’t vote PH/DAP” stance

IT WAS reported in Malaysiakini (May 1, 2024) that DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook made some unsavoury comments about me in relation to the Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election.

Loke apparently said that I am a person without direction for not campaigning for a political party or a candidate in the coming polls.

Alternatively, the United Rights of the Malaysian Party (Urimai) is merely asking for the voters – especially Indians – not to vote for the Pakatan Harapan (PH)/DAP candidate who happens to be a crony of DAP vice-chairman Nga Kor Ming.

Loke went on to say that Ramasamy was engaging in revenge politics because he was not nominated as the candidate in the last state elections in 2023.

I started my campaign in KKB beginning from Sunday last week (April 28). My team and I will be involved in the campaigns before the election. We want to teach the arrogant PH-led government an unforgettable lesson.

Urimai is not asking for the boycott of the election but is merely asking KKB voters to reject the PH/DAP candidate.

The reasons are simple and straightforward. The PH-led government inclusive of DAP has abandoned the Indian community particularly the poorer segments.

Anwar – despite his songs and dances – failed to live up the promised expectations of the Indian community.

A myriad of questions for Loke

Anwar had used the derogatory word “Keling” on the Indians. He personally presided over the conversion of an Indian youth to Islam, hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus in the process.

He also brushed aside the question of a young Indian student who wanted more places for Indians in the matriculation programme and admission to public universities.

The Indian community is given financial pittance whereas the Bumiputera community is accorded billions of ringgit. The Madani government went against the conventional practice of not appointing an Indian Tamil minister in the cabinet.

Where was Loke when Indians were discriminated in the country right under his nose. Did Loke speak for the Indian community in the cabinet or at the Parliament? Or was he careful not to offend the right-wing Malays in the government?

What about other DAP leaders? Did they translate their multi-racial ideology into practice?

Can Loke as a DAP leader explain whether multi-racialism exists in the party in the first place? Why are Malays and Indians used for the purpose of proving the existence of multi-racial politics?

Loke tends to suck up to Malay leaders in the government in the larger interest of political stability. He tends to nod his head to whatever decisions that Anwar adopts.

Loke should remember that he acquiesced to the Malay leaders after the last general elections by saying that the party would not impose too many demands on the government despite winning 40 parliamentary seats.

Purging exercise

In a recent interview Loke remarked that he didn’t like the MCA. However, he could embrace UMNO leaders who were once the sworn enemy of DAP.

Loke doesn’t seem to understand the difference between revenge politics and the purge conducted by DAP’s top leadership against me, Satees Muniandy, David Marshel, Charles Santiago and others.

Because of firm stand on many political issues, we became unpopular with the DAP. The appeasers in the DAP especially its top leadership wanted to politically marginalise us by denying the opportunity to contest.

Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy stepped down from DAP on Aug 9, 2023 after having been with the party since September 2005

Since I used to raise controversial issues, I had offended the right wing UMNO leaders in the government. UMNO and other Malay leaders were not happy when I called for the opening up of the civil service to the non-Malays.

I still remember that when asked by the media with regard to my comments on the country’s civil service, Loke responded by saying that DAP had a way of dealing with recalcitrant leaders. This goes to show that the purge against me and others had begun long before the decision to drop us.

Since my friends and I who were former DAP members were denied a political platform in the party, we had no choice but to resign from the party to seek a different political platform. The answer is Urimai.

The formation of Urimai is basically to continue my political struggle in favour of the under privileged and dispossessed groups and classes in Malaysia.

It is our political right and freedom to either campaign for a candidate or to campaign against the party or coalition.

It is fallacious thinking on Loke’s part that we are directionless if we do not campaign for a candidate to be elected. On the contrary, by asking the voters not to vote for the PH/DAP candidate, we are indeed setting the direction for the future national opposition to PH/DAP.

If you are unable to digest my simple reasoning, you are not fit to be a DAP leader. Is DAP in a panic mood? – May 2, 2024



Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.