Deputy minister lashes out at 'jokers and clowns'

Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ramanan Ramakrishnan lashed out at ‘jokers and clowns’ for raising issues along racial lines.

“It is a joke that I need to reply to this. There are two people who are clowns from the Indian community. I don’t know what these two think or want.

“Their only work is to incite the Indians,” Ramanan said at a MITRA event held in Sungai Bakap today that was also attended by PKR candidate Dr Joohari Ariffin.

“They raised the issue regarding BRIEF. There were two issues regarding Indian restaurants that applied but did not have halal certification so the application was cancelled.

“Why do I call them jokers, clowns? What else can I call them as? Even (MITRA committee chairman P) Prabakaran refers to them as ghosts.

“The application has just been open for 10 days and 114 food and beverage industry applications were received. It is the highest application for BRIEF.”

Though he did not name the ‘jokers and clowns’ it is strongly believed that he was referring to Urimai deputy chairman David Marshel and secretary general Satees Muniandy.

He further said that they are playing up racial issues and warned them to refrain from doing so.

“When they play up this issue as a racial one, do they want Indians to be backwards? Do they want Indians to run business only among Indians?

“They are jokers, real jokers. This is my last warning. After this I will lodge a police report.”

He also advised Indian restaurant owners to obtain halal certification.

Early on he also denied that he was there to secure Indian votes since the government has been dishing out various forms of financial assistance for the Indian community.

“There is Mitra with RM100 million. Recently the announcement on Bank Rakyat Indian Entrepreneur Financing (BRIEF-I) from Bank Rakyat is RM50 million, Tekun aid is RM30 million with Spumi plan, AIM has aid worth RM50 million especially for Indian women.”

Nomination for the Sungai Bakap by-election is tomorrow and the polls would be held on July 6.