Government must respond to Waytha's allegations - Ramon

The resignation announcement of Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P Waythamoorthy (pix) on Saturday has put the spotlight on allegations that the government has failed to fulfill certain promises, especially for the Malaysian-Indian community.

These allegations, according to said Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) chairman and Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI) director Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, must now be explained by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his government.

“I think the government owes an explanation to all Malaysians and especially Malaysian Indians,” Ramon told Astro AWANI, Sunday.

Ramon said that the allegations that the government has not fulfilled its promises were "very serious" and a "quick, satisfactory response" is needed in order to safeguard its integrity and good governance.

"More than anyone else, the Prime Minister and the government have to live by their promise, otherwise public confidence would deteriorate even further,” he said.

On Saturday, Hindraf, or Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia, announced that Waythamoorthy will resign from all government posts, including his Senatorship, by Monday.

This was later confirmed by Waythamoorthy himself. Waythamoorthy, a founding member of the Hindraf, was appointed senator and then deputy minister after the May 2013 general election.

Prior to that, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the government which split Hindraf into two, one group considered pro-Pakatan and the other, headed by Waythamoorthy, pro-BN.

Meanwhile, Ramon also questioned why Waythamoorthy had resigned after serving so many months, which had initially given the public an impression that he was quite happy.

“He has told side of the story, now government has to explain. We want to know the truth. First of all, what did he ask for? What were those proposals? What did the government promise to deliver? And lastly, what and where are the gaps in failures in delivering?”

“This is particularly urgent in view of the coming elections and the need for the people of all races to be assured that the government’s promises can or cannot be taken seriously. We then adjust our attitudes accordingly,” he said.

“We talk about Nambikei (trust). Can we trust or can you not trust? Waythamoorthy has now put up a challenge that shows, from his point of view, that he is absolutely frustrated without any sense of hope. This was done in apparent protest and disgust. What is he going to do next?”

On Saturday, Hindraf secretary P. Ramesh announced Waythamoorthy’s resignation, citing the alleged failure of the government in fulfilling its promises.