BY: CHRISTOPHER FERNANDEZ
From time to time, there are mischievous individuals and organizations that question the contribution of non-Malay-Muslims to nation building, although there is overwhelming evidence that the three major races combined to build this nation.
Each of the major races, the Malays, the Chinese and Indians did their part to help Malaysia grow, develop and mature and history books must not be revised and rewritten but the truth should prevail and be told for posterity.
Malaysian Indians have to be singled out for their sacrifice in shedding blood, sweat and tears to build this country where most Indians, the majority, were Tamil labourers indentured by the British to work on the rubber estates.
Their contribution led to the Malaysia that is in existence now, which would be non-existent if Tamilians did not tap rubber, work hard to build roads and the railway lines including the notorious ‘Death Railway’ where many of them died.
Not only Tamilians, but other Indians such as the Malayalees, the Punjabis, Bengalis, Gujaratis and Telegus all combined to put in hard work and effort to prosper this nation and to give everyone a brighter, better future.
In no uncertain terms must the sterling contributions of the Indians to nation building be doubted, and instead, Malaysian Indians should stand tall and proud and should rightly and justly now participate in a partnership of equals with the other races.
-THE MALAYSIA VOICE
** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher
