MORE than 10,000 people have signed an online petition supporting Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy to retain his cabinet post.

The internet appeal started by Maruthai Mani has collected 10,508 signatures by 5.45pm today, and comes after an earlier petition yesterday calling for the sacking of the minister over his push for Malaysia to ratify a United Nations pact to end racial discrimination.

That rival petition has collected more than 100,000 signatures.

Maruthai said that the reason for the petition is to help Waytha Moorthy continue his service to the nation and to protect him from slander.

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).

Malay and Muslim pressure groups are 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.

Earlier, Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Nizham Hamidi said Waytha Moorthy’s push for the ratification of ICERD is aimed at promoting the Hindu Rights Action Front’s (Hindraf) agenda.

“Waytha Moorthy was an activist before this. You can see that every approach he made once he became a minister is aimed at this agenda,” Nizham said today after making a police report at the Dang Wangi police station today over an interview Waytha Moorthy gave to Dutch media in 2011.

He had said Hindus and Indians were discriminated by the Barisan Nasional government of the time.  

The signatories said that they need a man like him in the governemt to fight for justice.

Selva Kumari Gunaratnam said Waytha Moorthy took a huge risk for Indians in Malaysia when faced exile for about five years, abroad and she is proud of him so why not he retain the post.

Prabakaran Rajah Thiagarajah said Malaysia needed good and transparent leaders who cut through barriers of race and religion.

Sean Lim said a country should not prioritise a single race. – November 20, 2018.