MORE than 100,000 people have signed an online petition to demand the sacking of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy.
Addressed to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the online petition started by one Aiman Haziq has collected over 114,000 signatures by 5.40pm on the first day.
Waytha Moorthy, whose portfolio is national unity and social wellbeing, leads the charge for Malaysia to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
Malays and Muslims are generally against the convention for fear it could supersede Article 153 of the federal constitution, which provides for the special position of Malays and native communities in Sabah and Sarawak, who are recognised as Bumiputera.
The senator from Hindraf has become these groups’ punching bag.
The petition slams Waytha Moorthy for pushing for the ratification of ICERD even though the Bumiputeras were opposed to it.
The petition also brings up the minister’s remarks from several years ago when he had accused the old Barisan Nasional administration of discrimination against Hindus.
Waytha Moorthy had said that the authorities had told Hindus to convert to Islam if they wished to get government jobs, and that Hindu temples were deliberately being torn down.
He made the remarks in an interview with a Dutch TV station while overseas. The video of the interview has recently made the rounds on social media.
The petition accuses the minister of slandering Malaysia and damaging its reputation internationally.
Waytha Moorthy is also accused of failing to check racial conflicts, which is his responsibility as the national unity minister.
Waytha Moorthy’s history in Hindraf is also used against him in the petition, which states that the minister “has quite a controversial background”.
It says Waytha Moorthy was part of an illegal 2007 Hindraf rally, that his passport was revoked by the Immigration Department, and that he has links with Hindraf leaders who were previously detained under the Internal Security Act.
His older brother Uthayakumar and several Hindraf leaders were arrested under the act in December 2007.
The signatories, meanwhile, call Waytha Moorthy a liar and that he does not deserve to be a minister or even a Malaysian for what he has said about his country.
“He is a traitor to our country… he must resign immediately and his citizenship must be revoked,” one Muhammad Ashraf wrote in the comments section.
Mohammad Azri Zakaria said he had Hindu friends working in the government who had not converted to Islam.
“Plus, he (Waytha Moorthy) is in the government, he didn’t have to convert to islam, (did) he?”
Afif Hadi said Muslims in the country had never discriminated against other races.
Md Razali Miskan said Waytha Moorthy was appointed a senator merely to appease the Indian community, and that his appointment did not benefit Malaysians.
Nazmaal Khairron wrote: “This minister needs to go down… his ideology doesn’t reflect the position he is holding.”
The petition entitled “Menuntut perlucutan jawatan P. Waytha Moorty sebagai Menteri di Jabatan PM dan Senator” (Demand to sack Waytha Moorthy as Minister in the PM’s Department and Senator) is on change.org. – November 19, 2018.
Comments
Posted 7 years ago by SSY L · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Sze wee chong · Reply
The morons who signed the petition are the true racist. Don' t they understand the significance of ICERD? Imagine fools like this with herd mentality can be easily misled as umno had been doing it for the last 60 yrs.
The PH government must truly educate the malays to think wisely with their head & not heart.
Posted 7 years ago by Gabriel Chelliah · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Awang Bilis · Reply
114000 below moron level IQ
Posted 7 years ago by Watchdog Watchdog · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Danial Abdullah · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Baldev Singh · Reply
Their inadequacy is out there for all to see. At least 114,000, and counting.
In the meantime, the government should stand fast on principle, and do the right thing and stand byits Minister.
Posted 7 years ago by Arul Inthirarajah · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Rizal Harris · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Gerard Lourdesamy · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Tharan Singh · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Alex Chong · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Awang Bilis · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Lipdah Lia · Reply