Indians are impatient for change and Indian leaders are pressured by Indians to bring about changes.

I think that it is important to recognise a problem in all its dimensions. The Indian problem is complex. It is about a group of people who came to Malaysia as indentured labour.

They were placed in labour lines whether in the estates or wherever there was manual labour to be done – from the clearing of jungle, the tapping of trees, the building of roads, railway, transmission lines, telegraph poles.

They died in the thousands. The British had no reason to pay them sensible wages or educate them beyond their intended station.

Independence did not bring them their just reward. The new rulers of the country continued with the earlier arrangements of the colonials. Poorly equipped schools and daily wages continued.

And then came fragmentation and foreign labour. The displaced Indians moved to the towns and became the urban poor – living in squatter colonies where gangs replaced families and the community.

Government policy concerned itself with only the Malays. The Malay agenda became the overriding policy of the government. Indian leaders betrayed the Indian poor by failing to stand up for their rights and the past 50 years has seen the disintegration of the Indian community and the disintegration of the Indian family.

Of course, there are poor Malays and poor Chinese. They should be helped too. But we should recognise that the Indian problem has become entrenched and is more complex to manage and solve. The disproportionate number of Indians in prison is a manifestation of this complexity.

I grieve for the people of Sabah and Sarawak who are also victims of the betrayal by their leaders.

As has been said, more could have been done if the government had been more competent, more efficient and less corrupt. Many policies of the government were fundamentally flawed.

I agree that a major development in recent months was the coming together of all races and what appears to be a rejection of race-based politics and policies. That is a good thing.

Continuance of previous policies would have resulted in further polarisation and in time, with disaster. Look at Sri Lanka and Somalia and the so many other examples. Beware the politicians who stir up racial and religious feelings.

The BN has not become irrelevant. But it must change. Race-based parties must go. Champions of particular races must be replaced by people who champion the truth, fairness and justice for all regardless of race.

The ‘alternative government’ must demonstrate very quickly how it is different. Open squabbles only serve to indicate a lack of coherence and an absence of an agreed way of doing things.

It also indicates an absence of a mature leadership amongst them as well.