Mahathir claimed that Indians in Malaysia have not been entirely loyal to Malay culture and the country as a whole
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has sparked controversy and hurt sentiments within the Indian community in Malaysia with his recent remarks on their loyalty. In an online interview with a TV channel, Mahathir claimed that Indians in Malaysia have not been entirely loyal to Malay culture and the country as a whole, according to a report by republicworld.com.
Mahathir emphasized that Malaysia belongs to its founders and implied that Malaysian Indians need to align more with Malay culture to be considered truly Malaysian. He suggested that the Indian diaspora should adopt the Malay culture and identify as Malaysians rather than maintaining a strong connection with their country of origin, India. Mahathir argued, “They (Indians and Chinese) are different from the original people (Malay) who founded this country.”
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In assessing the contribution of non-Malays to nation-building and the economy, Mahathir claimed that they have been “fairly compensated.”
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He acknowledged Malaysia’s political landscape allowing the involvement of individuals not fully identifying with the Malay identity, who still held positions in the federal administration
During the interview with Thanthi TV, Mahathir pointed out that Malaysian Indians often speak Tamil at home instead of the official language, Malay. He stated, “If they want to be Malaysians, they must also remember that they are Malaysians more than immigrants from other countries.”
When questioned about the assimilation of non-Malays into Malay culture, Mahathir insisted on the importance of identifying with the indigenous people of the country to claim belonging. However, he contradicted himself when asked about the rights of the Orang Asli, the indigenous people of Malaysia, disagreeing with their claims.
Attempting to distance himself from his Indian identity, Mahathir stated, “No, I’m not an Indian. I’m a Malay because I do not know the Indian language, and that was a long, long time ago.” He further expressed his expectation that all Malaysians should follow a similar path of complete identification with the country to claim it as their own.
In assessing the contribution of non-Malays to nation-building and the economy, Mahathir claimed that they have been “fairly compensated.” He acknowledged Malaysia’s political landscape allowing the involvement of individuals not fully identifying with the Malay identity, who still held positions in the federal administration.
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