“Is one not good enough despite his achievements, academic credentials and qualifications just because he has a different skin colour? We need to start afresh after 60 years of Merdeka, by going back to basics on what it means to be a Malaysian when we achieved Merdeka in 1957,” he said.
And Malaysians could start by recognising Chandran Rama Murthy’s success with Malindo and wish him well, he added.
The DAP secretary-general was commenting on Umno Youth and Perkasa questioning the ownership of Malindo Air, and seeking an explanation over the acquisition of a 46% stake in the company by Chandran and his wife.
Lim said some would ask what the fuss was all about and they would be right as it wasn’t wrong for a Malaysian Indian to own a controlling share in an airline.
Especially so, he said, after Prime Minister Najib Razak’s “emotional speech” to do away with Indian poverty during the launch of the Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB).
“Clearly this so-called Indian blueprint is a sham when Indians cannot even get blue ICs and a Malaysian Indian’s ownership of an airline is questioned.”
He said less than two months after the launch, there were taunts and demands for an explanation by both Umno and Perkasa who were irked that an Indian was doing well.
Saying this was deeply worrying, the Penang chief minister added that Malaysians needed to “go beyond this racist game that ruling politicians play”.
“Instead of equal opportunities, competency and fairness, the current system of favouring an individual or group based on race and religion is politicised to maintain the status quo of those in power. It is time to stop playing these dangerous racial games of those in power. Should we be envious of a Malaysian’s success and wish him ill just because he is not from a particular ethnic group?”
Lim noted that between 2006 and 2016, a total of 56,576 Malaysians had renounced their citizenship.
According to a World Bank report in 2011, the number of skilled Malaysians living abroad rose 300% in the last two decades, with two out of every 10 Malaysians with tertiary education opting to leave.
Lim said: “Minorities leaving the country regularly cite discriminatory practices and policies as reasons for moving abroad.
“Despite Malaysia’s brain drain reaching a critical stage, we still have rampant racism displayed, whenever possible, in the country. Ruling politicians and even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, seem to give these racist rants a tacit endorsement by keeping quiet.”
Lim asked why, after 60 years of Merdeka, Malaysians were still questioning each other, “not on the basis of who we are but where we come from?”.
He added: “Questioning Chandran is no different from Umno suddenly questioning the Indian origins of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s ancestors (even though that never became a problem when he was prime minister for 22 years), to the extent that Umno even confused his grandfather with his father.
“A government that continues to question its citizens’ background is not fit to be a government.”
However, he said, there was still hope for Malaysia as there were still people such as ex-Malaysia Airlines chief executive officer Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, who, commenting on Chandran’s share ownership, had said: “He is Malaysian. That is all that matters.”
Lim added: “Celebrate or criticise Malindo on merits, not on the basis of who owns the airline!”