Why question loyalty?

AWANG is genuinely puzzled by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's statements in an interview with an Indian satellite TV station.

He claimed that the Indian community in Malaysia is not entirely loyal to the country because they are 'still attached' to their home country.

Certainly, he meant that the Indian community still practices their culture, and many speak their mother tongue.

Awang finds it peculiar because these statements come from someone whose ancestry, as we know, traces back to Kerala, India.

It's no secret that a significant portion of the country's population (excluding the Orang Asli and the original inhabitants of Sabah and Sarawak) comes from all corners of the Archipelago, India, China, the Arabian Peninsula and various other places.

According to the constitution, some are considered bumiputera and some are not. But their rights are equally protected by the constitution.

As far as Awang knows, the principle of our unity is 'unity in diversity.' From the beginning, we adopted an integration policy, not assimilation, unlike Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and other countries.

This was decided by the founders of our nation.

That's why our people can preserve not only religion, culture, customs but also their original names.

Questioning the loyalty of our third or fourth-generation citizens in 2024 is undoubtedly unfair.