Equality not guaranteed under PN, claims Pakatan MP

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan has refuted the statement that a Perikatan Nasional government will be fair to all races.

Sungai Buloh PKR MP Datuk Ramanan Ramakrishnan said the narrative used by Perikatan in the campaign did not reflect that.

The Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) chairman said PAS, in particular, had blamed non-Malays for purportedly threatening the position of the Malays.

“We do not think such narratives will convince non-Malays that their interests would be safeguarded or that they would be fairly treated.”

Ramanan urged voters of all races and religions to reject such fear tactics.

He refuted the statement by Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin that all races would be treated fairly if Perikatan came to power.

Ramanan asked why Bersatu had not openly reprimanded or stop the numerous inflammatory statements made by PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.

He said it was not healthy to use race and religion in politics, adding that Malaysians needed to vote against such politics.

“Look at political developments in the last few days. Perikatan does not even treat its coalition partner Gerakan right.

“Gerakan is supposed to represent the Chinese in Perikatan, yet it is humiliated and treated without respect,” he told StarMetro on Tuesday (Aug 8).

Ramanan was referring to the incident when Gerakan president Dominic Lau was purportedly asked to leave a PAS ceramah in Sungai Dua, Penang, recently. PAS has since apologised.

Lau is Perikatan’s candidate for the Bayan Lepas seat in Penang in the state polls.

Ramanan also questioned the committee set up by Perikatan to look at the welfare of the Indian community.

“Yet, the person heading the committee is a non-Indian, and nothing has been done to address the plight of the community.

“To even call this committee window-dressing would be a disgrace,” he claimed, adding that politicians must refrain from playing up racial sentiments to gain votes.

“Stop trying to hoodwink and manipulate the public with statements that have no substance,” he added.