PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim strongly objects to the statement made by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, asserting that Malaysian Indians are still not completely loyal to the country.

Anwar describes the statement as irresponsible, emphasising that Dr Mahathir, as a former prime minister with extensive service, should refrain from making such remarks against the Indian community or any other race in the country.

“His statement is entirely baseless, but he is known for making such remarks, like calling the Malays lazy – except for himself – while suggesting that Indians and Chinese are considered less loyal unless they are his cronies.

“We must respect the rights of all communities, whether majority or minority and unite to address core issues. Statements like these seem to divert public attention from the government’s efforts to combat corruption and uphold good governance,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after the launch of the “AI Untuk Rakyat” (AI for the People) programme at Universiti Putra Malaysia in Serdang today, with Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli also in attendance.

Earlier in his speech, Anwar described the former prime minister’s remarks as a form of old-fashioned thinking that could harm the country.

Dr Mahathir, in an exclusive online interview with an Indian satellite TV channel Thanthi TV recently, claimed that Malaysian Indians were still not completely loyal to the country as they were still “inexorably tied” to their country of origin. – Bernama, January 16, 2024.