Ramasamy berates DPM Zahid’s “blackmail” of Indian voters ahead of Sg Bakap by-election

Focus Malaysia:

Ramasamy berates DPM Zahid’s “blackmail” of Indian voters ahead of Sg Bakap by-election

By Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy

YESTERDAY (July 4), Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced the implementation of two projects in the Sungai Bakap state constituency if the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition wins this weekend (July 6) by-election.


The two projects are (i) centre for senior citizens; and (ii) completion of the Sungai Bakap Tamil school that was abandoned.

However, if the PH-led coalition loses the polls, the projects might not be implemented. Zahid never said what will happen to the projects if the PH-led coalition loses in the polls.


I think we can take it for granted that without PH-led coalition winning the polls, the projects would not materialise.



I really wonder how Zahid as the No. 2 man in the Madani government can equate winning the by-election to the implementation of both projects.

Construction of the said new school building for SJKT Sungai Bakap has been abandoned by the federal government due to shortage of funds.

Zero-sum game?

The responsibility to build the school lies with the federal government immaterial of winning or losing in the by-election.

The government has the responsibility and commitment to build the school immaterial of its performance in the by-election.

Is Zahid who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister blackmailing the voters – in particularly, Indians – that if they don’t vote for the unity coalition, they can bid goodbye to the new Tamil school?

Is this the way to solicit the support of the Indian voters? Why are Indians continuing to be blackmailed and bullied in the country?

The construction of the Sungai Bakap Tamil School cannot be postponed anymore immaterial of the electoral performance of the PH-led coalition.

After all, it was a promise made to Indians in Penang by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in which Zahid is the chairman by virtue of him helming UMNO which is the biggest party in the BN coalition.

I didn’t expect Zahid to make such a statement knowing very well that the chances of his coalition losing in the election is very high. Even if the PH-led coalition wins, there is no guarantee that the school will be completed.

Zahid should have made an announcement saying that the government would allocate a particular sum for the school. But he left this hanging in the air.

It is unfortunate that Zahid is back to his old BN era ways. He has forgotten that blackmailing and intimidating voters might not have the desired effect.

The PH-led coalition is so desperate in winning the by-election that it would stoop so low in bullying and intimidating Indian voters. – July 4, 2024



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