Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak`s decision to pick Hindraf chairman P Wayathamoorthy as a Deputy Minister in his office has been questioned by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim who called the Hindu rights group an extremist party.
"Waythamoorthy has previously rejected some of the core points of the country`s Constitution and his party is basically the Indian version of Perkasa," the opposition leader said, pointing out that both Perkasa and Hindraf were "extremist parties".
Anwar said that instead of Waythamoorthy, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should have appointed "a Bangladeshi deputy minister instead" in reference to claims by the opposition that groups of Bangladeshis and other foreigners were brought in to vote for Barisan Nasional during the general election, Star said. Anwar said he would protest the results of May 5 general elections.
"I have had a meeting with the opposition coalition leaders and we have decided to claim our rights and protest the elections results," he said, adding that the opposition had evidence to prove there were discrepancies involved.
"We will not give Barisan Nasional five more years," he said. Waythamoorthy, chairman of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), was appointed a deputy minister in Prime Minister`s office after the May 5 general elections in which the ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional won majority.
Waythamoorthy`s appointment is seen by political analysts as a reward for his role in ensuring ethnic Indians to return to the ruling coalition.
PTI