KUALA LUMPUR – Indian voters appear to be stuck between a rock and a hard place, with a Pakatan Harapan (PH) source disclosing that the third largest community in the country is in a dilemma over a lack of proper leadership.
Speaking to Scoop on the condition of anonymity, the source, a former DAP MP, said that while Indians are wary of casting their ballots for Perikatan Nasional (PN), PH’s track record in terms of Indian representation is also less than alluring.
“There is no real leader to lead (the Indian community) from both sides (of the political divide). So while they (Indians) are not entirely happy with PH, they are also aware of the pitfalls and dangers of voting for PN,” the source said.
“About 75% of Indian voters will still vote for PH, not because they support or love the coalition, but because they have no other choice.”
The source also claimed that Indians view PKR and DAP leaders as “not strong” due to constraints enforced upon them by their respective parties.
“Indians on the ground feel that DAP and PKR choose or put in place their choice of Indians who are not seen or recognised as leaders by the community and are unable to really represent Indian interests and take up relevant issues.
“In fact, some of (the appointed Indian representatives) have criminal records and many are former (Barisan Nasional component party) MIC members,” the source asserted.
The source alleged that this is the reason why many Indians have lost the “respect and affection” that they once had for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also PH chairman and PKR president.
The source added that many Indians feel that MIC is still needed and relevant as it is the “sole big Indian party,” despite “leadership issues” within the party led by president Tan Sri S. A. Vigneswaran.
Indians backing Perikatan “enemies of their own race”
Besides that, DAP’s Klang MP V. Ganabatirau said that while PH might have certain drawbacks, the alternative presented by the Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin-led PN is one which Indians are unlikely to opt for.
“I’m not going to say that PH has done the best job in the world, but at least they are moving forward.
“Indian voters must remain with the unity government today as the other side (PN) won’t look into your issues; as the core of their (PN’s) existence is to champion only one race and religion,” he told Scoop.
Ganabatirau (pic), who is also the incumbent Kota Kemuning state assemblyman, added that PH should not take Indians “for a ride” by sidelining grouses raised by the Indian community, stressing that voters should be empowered to speak up on their issues.
He also lambasted Indians who attempt to persuade those within their community to back PN component parties such as Bersatu’s associate wing and Gerakan, claiming that such individuals are merely doing so “to enrich themselves”.
“There are certain quarters within the (Indian) community who are either campaigning for PN or demotivating Indians from coming out to vote.
“They are enemies of the Indians at large and are playing a game to give PN room to win (the state polls),” he said, adding that he will leave it up to Indian voters to “assess the credibility” of PN candidates.
As of press time, DAP secretary general Anthony Loke has named three Indian candidates each in Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan. The party has selected a total of 15, 19 and 11 candidates in the states, respectively.
PKR, which will be contesting in a total of 58 state seats, has five Indians on its candidate list so far – two in Selangor and one each in Penang, Negri Sembilan and Kedah.
Meanwhile, Bersatu’s associate wing and Gerakan appear to have the most Indian candidates for now.
According to the coalition’s candidate list released last night, six out of 56 candidates for the Selangor state assembly are Indians while another six Indians are set to contest in Penang, where the coalition is believed to be gunning for 40 state seats.
PN is scheduled to announce its candidates for Negri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu later today. – July 27, 2023