‘What was Sri Lankan minister doing here’

DAP leaders have criticised the government, particularly MIC leaders, for allowing the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary into the country.

KUALA LUMPUR: Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy criticised MIC leaders today for keeping mum on Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa’s visit to Malaysia, especially when the island state had killed 150,000 Tamils.

Gothabaya had told Malaysia to be wary of Tamil terrorists in the country.

Ramasamy criticised Gothabaya for making the statement at a forum organised by the Defence Ministry last week. The report was carried by a daily in India, The Hindu.

“I’m baffled by Gothabaya’s statement. Since the Tamil Tigers are not present in Malaysia, we can assume that the phrase was used to refer to local Tamil community, said Ramasamy in a press statement today.

He said Gothabaya’s visit was an embarassment to Malaysian Indians because the Sri Lankan government had killed nearly 150,000 Tamils in the island in its 26-year military campaign which ended in 2009.

Gothabaya is the brother of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

DAP MP M Kulasegaran urged the government to explain the motive of Gothabaya’s visit to Malaysia.

“Why did our government keep his visit a secret?” he asked.

Sungkai state assemblyman A Sivanesan criticised MIC president G Palanivel and his deputy, Dr S Subramaniam, for keeping mum on the matter.

“I am sure Palanivel and Dr Subramaniam are aware of Gothabaya’s visit since it must have been discussed in the Cabinet meeting.

“Being ministers representing the Indians, the duo should have objected to the decision,” he said.