Ramasamy ‘not surprised’ by Bung Mokhtar’s toddy and Hitler remarks
"It's a racist joke, that Indians drink toddy... (And) coming from an MP like (Datuk) Bung Mokhtar Radin, it's not surprising."
That was how Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Prof P. Ramasamy reacted to Bung Mokhtar's (pic) remark that Ramasamy "just drank todi" in a highly publicised Twitter exchange over his controversial "long live Hitler" tweet early this morning.
Bung Mokhtar's original tweet in reference to Germany's 7-1 trouncing of Brazil in the World Cup football semi-final match which ended at about 5.45am Malaysian time had raised a storm among members of the public.
The tweet read: "Well done...Bravo...Long live Hitler..."
Speaking during a break in the state executive council meeting in George Town today, Ramasamy said Bung Mokhtar, who is the Kinabatangan MP, has a record of making racist jokes, comments on women and other "obnoxious remarks".
Bung Mohktar had replied to a netizen who had quipped that the politician was "sniffing glue early in the morning" by tweeting: "Maybe you are like P. Ramasamy, just drank todi."
Ramasamy added that he concurred with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng that Bung's reference to Hitler was racial and that he could be jailed if such a statement were made in Germany.
Lim stressed that Bung's tweet was an insult to the Germans and expressed concern over the effect such a public remark could have on investors to Malaysia.
"We are shocked by this slur. We don't want Germans to get the wrong impression," he said, emphasising that Germans are not pro-Hitler.
"German investors are among the biggest in Penang. You mention Hitler and they will run away,” he said.
Lim called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to reprimand Bung for his "inconsiderate remarks”.
"The prime minister should take a stand and ask him to withdraw it,” Lim added.
In the meantime, The Star Online reported that Bung had defended his tweet, saying that people who attacked him on social media had done so because of who he is.
Bung said that as a fan of the German national team, he was very happy with the 7-1 humiliation of Brazil in the semi-finals.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with people sometimes. Hitler is part of history and the German team fought like how he did,” Bung told the news portal. – July 9, 2014.
