KUALA LUMPUR – Klang MP Charles Santiago believes police discrimination against Indians in Malaysia is real.
What’s more disappointing, he told The Vibes, is the fact that this negative perception against Indians does not stem from other races, but from within the Indian community itself.
“In other words, Indians tend to discriminate or stereotype other Indians as well.
“I think the perception problem is not only among other Malaysians but also within the Indian middle class.
“But even middle-class Indians can be jailed just because they have a darker complexion and thus, are perceived to be prone to gangsterism,” he said.
The MP said compared with other races, Indian involvement in gangsterism is high, something he attributes to poverty.
“Whatever race you may be, poverty has a way of pushing you to become a criminal.
“We have to look at the bigger picture. We need to have a holistic view that the Indian problem has a certain history, going back to the plantation sector.
“Therefore, it needs a different way of solving the problem,” he added.
As to whether the time is ripe for Malaysia to start a similar movement to #BlackLivesMatter in the West, Santiago said: “I think I would rather say: yes, Indian lives matter – but so do Chinese and Malay lives.”
Ex-IGP disagrees
Meanwhile, former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Musa Hassan believes that the police force does not discriminate against Indians.
“Where is there discrimination? Police will never discriminate against any race in this country,” he told The Vibes.
As for the recent national interest on deaths in custody among the Indian community, Musa said that there are more deaths among Malay detainees.
“For me, deaths in custody must be investigated, because it is a very serious problem. When police place people in custody, they have to ensure they are in good health. If they die in custody, police have to investigate the cause of death.
“There are also other races who die in custody. There are more deaths involving Malay detainees,” Musa said.
On Indians who felt they are being discriminated against, for example, when being pulled over on the road, Musa said: “There is no perception problem. In this country, there are a lot of illegal immigrants.
“So, maybe, they (police) have to check whether they are illegal or not. They even stop Malays because they suspect them of being illegal immigrants.”
A third point of view
Indian community leader for the Subang Jaya state constituency Baranitharan Latchimanan said that a healthy relationship between police and the community can remedy discrimination issues.
Citing Subang Jaya as an example, he said members of the police force cooperate well with constituents and provide support in various forms.
“Personally, I have worked with police in my community for many years and have never come across issues of discrimination.
“In the Subang Jaya community, I have never seen any instances of discrimination, even among Indians, as the community here works together with the police force closely,” Baranitharan said.
However, the community leader does acknowledge that deaths in custody is an issue requiring urgent attention.
“If we don’t do something about it now, like amending the law to afford more protection for detainees, this will be a problem for future generations, too.” – The Vibes, May 4, 2021
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