Ridhuan Tee is amazing, says MIC man

A MIC leader is amazed at how controversial academic Ridhuan Tee Abdullah is able to sink to a level which, he claimed, would be an impossible feat for others.

“Whenever I think he cannot go any lower than he already has, he surprises me with his unenviable skill of lowering the bar several more inches,” S Vell Paari told Malaysiakini.

The MIC central working committee member was responding to Ridhuan’s comments on the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) modules, which contained erroneous information on Hindus and Sikhism.

Asking critics not to be emotional, the academic had suggested that the slides be sent to an expert to determine if the contents could be accepted as a form of knowledge.

He also wanted the person responsible for the slides to be given a chance to defend his or her work.

However, Vell Paari said if Ridhuan needed an expert to determine if Hindus learned cleanliness from Muslims, as mentioned in the slides, then the latter too should be sent for expert evaluation.

“We need an expert to evaluate how this person is capable of making such moronic statements and be regarded as an academic at the same time.

“I am not sure what he teaches, but I am certain he would make an excellent geologist lecturer since his comments indicate he often has his head buried in the sand," he added.

Meanwhile, Vell Paari also questioned if the person responsible for the slides was attempting subtle preaching by casting other faiths in a negative light and placing Islam on a pedestal.

Although the MIC leader welcomed UTM’s move to initiate an internal investigation, he reiterated that nothing short of a dismissal would suffice.

“This person resorted to using false claims or outright lies in a module for educational purposes. As I said before, it can only come from a bigoted mind,” he added.

Vell Paari also suggested that a separate committee be formed comprising representatives from the Malaysian Hindu Sangam, Sikh religious bodies, MIC and Indian educationists to sit together with UTM to get to the bottom of the matter as well as to vet modules to ensure there were no erroneous claims.

“This is not an issue which can be forgotten with a mere apology.

“As it concerns the younger generation of Malaysians and those entrusted with disseminating knowledge to them, the future well-being of the nation is at stake.

“So a strong and clear message must be sent to deter such episodes from recurring,” he stressed.