Abdul Rahim Sabri
10 Dec 2009
The Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia has once again trampled on racial sensitivities, earning it another two more police reports.
The reports were filed by MIC Youth's racial integration bureau chief MT Padmanathan and PKR Batu Youth member V Ravindran with the Sentul police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this morning.
Both parties were incensed by a column published yesterday under the heading 'Alkishah India di India dan India di Malaysia' (The tale of Indians in India and Indians in Malaysia).
Among others, the writer Zaini Hassan said Indians in India and Malaysia are "loudmouthed and always making noise."
He then zeroed in on DAP MP M Kulasegaran for 'making noise' over the special privileges accorded to the Malays.
Zaini penned: "Dia tahukah apa yang dia cakap? Tapi yang pasti kenyataannya itu cukup sensitif dan akan membuat kumpulan lain marah. Tapi seperti biasa orang Melayu marahnya tidak lama."
(Is he aware of what he is saying? One thing is for certain, his statement is very sensitive and will anger others. But as usual the anger of the Malays will not last for long).
"Tak apalah. Orang Melayu tidak seperti orang India, walaupun ada juga Melayu yang darah keturunan keling (DKK), tapi darah Melayu yang lembut banyak menguasai mereka."
(Never mind. The Malays are not like Indians, although some of them have 'keling' blood, but the 'soft' Malay blood in them is more overwhelming).
Noisy...that is their culture
In the article, Zaini also related his experience in visiting India recently, where he witnessed the hustle and bustle of the densely-populated nation.
"India tetap India. Orang India ialah masyarakat yang begitu unik. Jika kita sering tengok wayang Tamil atau Hindi, itulah budaya mereka. Kecoh, kecoh dan kecoh."
(India is India. The Indians are unique. If we watch Tamil or Hindi movies, that is their culture, noisy, noisy and noisy).
"Namun, kita di Malaysia pun ada orang India. Kecohnya pun lebih kurang sama. Mereka ini rata-ratanya terdiri daripada ahli-ahli profesional, peguam dan kini menjadi ahli politik."
(There are also Indians in Malaysia, and the noisiness is about the same. These are the professionals, lawyers and now politicians.)
Last year, Zaini had also attacked DAP MP Teresa Kok, whom he accused of ordering a mosque to lower the volume of its Azan prayers.
The issue had even led to her brief detention under the Internal Security Act.
Kok, who denied the allegation, subsequently filed a suit against the writer.
Public apology sought
In his police report, Padmanathan said the article contained elements that degraded the Indian community.
"Utusan Malaysia has crossed the line. Such statements not only ridicule the Indians, but have the potential of stirring racial unrest," he said, adding that Indian Malaysians are enraged by this.
Padmanathan urged the writer to publicly apologise to the Indian community here.
Meanwhile, Ravindran stated in his police report that the article reeked of racism and went against the 1Malaysia concept espoused by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
Also present was DAP's Teluk Intan parliamentarian M Manogaran.
This morning, Human Resources Minister and MIC vice-president Dr S Subramaniam also criticised the daily for using offensive words.
Hindu Sangam also upset
In another development, Malaysia Hindu Sangam president RS Mohan Shan also urged Utusan Malaysia to apologise over its insensitive report.
"We want a public apology," he said.
He also countered Zaini's statement that Indians here were troublemakers.
"We are not troublemakers. We are willing to work with anyone. Zaini is the troublemaker," he said.
Mohan also defended Kulasegaran as a legislator who was defending the rights of the Indian community.
"You cannot consider him as a troublemaker. He and the rest of the Indian legislators were only defending our rights."
10 Dec 2009
The Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia has once again trampled on racial sensitivities, earning it another two more police reports.
The reports were filed by MIC Youth's racial integration bureau chief MT Padmanathan and PKR Batu Youth member V Ravindran with the Sentul police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this morning.
Both parties were incensed by a column published yesterday under the heading 'Alkishah India di India dan India di Malaysia' (The tale of Indians in India and Indians in Malaysia).
Among others, the writer Zaini Hassan said Indians in India and Malaysia are "loudmouthed and always making noise."
He then zeroed in on DAP MP M Kulasegaran for 'making noise' over the special privileges accorded to the Malays.
Zaini penned: "Dia tahukah apa yang dia cakap? Tapi yang pasti kenyataannya itu cukup sensitif dan akan membuat kumpulan lain marah. Tapi seperti biasa orang Melayu marahnya tidak lama."
(Is he aware of what he is saying? One thing is for certain, his statement is very sensitive and will anger others. But as usual the anger of the Malays will not last for long).
"Tak apalah. Orang Melayu tidak seperti orang India, walaupun ada juga Melayu yang darah keturunan keling (DKK), tapi darah Melayu yang lembut banyak menguasai mereka."
(Never mind. The Malays are not like Indians, although some of them have 'keling' blood, but the 'soft' Malay blood in them is more overwhelming).
Noisy...that is their culture
In the article, Zaini also related his experience in visiting India recently, where he witnessed the hustle and bustle of the densely-populated nation.
"India tetap India. Orang India ialah masyarakat yang begitu unik. Jika kita sering tengok wayang Tamil atau Hindi, itulah budaya mereka. Kecoh, kecoh dan kecoh."
(India is India. The Indians are unique. If we watch Tamil or Hindi movies, that is their culture, noisy, noisy and noisy).
"Namun, kita di Malaysia pun ada orang India. Kecohnya pun lebih kurang sama. Mereka ini rata-ratanya terdiri daripada ahli-ahli profesional, peguam dan kini menjadi ahli politik."
(There are also Indians in Malaysia, and the noisiness is about the same. These are the professionals, lawyers and now politicians.)
Last year, Zaini had also attacked DAP MP Teresa Kok, whom he accused of ordering a mosque to lower the volume of its Azan prayers.
The issue had even led to her brief detention under the Internal Security Act.
Kok, who denied the allegation, subsequently filed a suit against the writer.
Public apology sought
In his police report, Padmanathan said the article contained elements that degraded the Indian community.
"Utusan Malaysia has crossed the line. Such statements not only ridicule the Indians, but have the potential of stirring racial unrest," he said, adding that Indian Malaysians are enraged by this.
Padmanathan urged the writer to publicly apologise to the Indian community here.
Meanwhile, Ravindran stated in his police report that the article reeked of racism and went against the 1Malaysia concept espoused by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
Also present was DAP's Teluk Intan parliamentarian M Manogaran.
This morning, Human Resources Minister and MIC vice-president Dr S Subramaniam also criticised the daily for using offensive words.
Hindu Sangam also upset
In another development, Malaysia Hindu Sangam president RS Mohan Shan also urged Utusan Malaysia to apologise over its insensitive report.
"We want a public apology," he said.
He also countered Zaini's statement that Indians here were troublemakers.
"We are not troublemakers. We are willing to work with anyone. Zaini is the troublemaker," he said.
Mohan also defended Kulasegaran as a legislator who was defending the rights of the Indian community.
"You cannot consider him as a troublemaker. He and the rest of the Indian legislators were only defending our rights."
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