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Ramasamy: Mandor system should not be blamed but those behind the system of subservience
THE Malaysian Indian People's Party (MIPP) deputy president S. Subramaniam has suggested that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim heads the Indian Community Action Committee (ICAC) rather than appointing Indian mandor from PKR or the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition.
Editor's Note: On Monday (June 16), a source told Malaysiakini that Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan would be appointed chair of a newly formed committee to look into the interest of Malaysian Indians.
The mandor system was used by British planters during the colonial period in which Indians mandor or supervisor were appointed to manage the labour affairs.
The mandor might be a South Indian Tamil but he took instructions from the white managers in managing labour affairs in the plantations.
Unlike the Chinese kepala who had the material interest of Chinese labour, the Indian mandor functioned on behalf of the plantation bosses.
My book on plantation labour describes in detail that Chinese contract labourers earned higher wages than Indian labourers because the former who operated under the kepala system provided better material incentives than the mandor system.
'Blame non-Indians elites'
The political relevance of the analogy of mandor system was first used by the HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force) leaders to describe and belittle Indian leaders who functioned on behalf of the Chinese and Malay leaders in DAP and PKR.
The use of the mandor analogy is to show that Indian leaders in the PH-led coalition have no real power but are subservient to the non-Indian leaders.
Subramaniam might be making a valid point by saying that Indian leaders in the government have no real power as it is being wielded by the Chinese and Malay leaders.
However, I differ from Subramaniam on the point of Anwar himself heading the ICAC to channel financial benefits to the Indian community.
While Subramaniam blames the Indian mandor, he has discounted the notion that the mandor phenomenon in the government is the consequence of the government adhering to the racist majoritarian policies.
In other words, the Indian mandor is not the real problem but those non-Indian elite who manipulate the subservience of these leaders for their particular interests.
Even if Indian leaders or mandor are not appointed, the result will be no different. It must be remembered that the crux of the problem is not the mandor system but those non-Indian leaders in power who make use of Indian leaders to camouflage the majoritarian racial and religious system for political expediency.
Political camouflage
Indian leaders or mandor are used by the non-Indian elite to impress upon the community of the existence of Indian representation. However, such a projection is nothing but a political farce.
Unfortunately, this Indian representation in the form of Indian leaders playing second fiddle to non-Indian leaders does not augur well for the economic and political well-being of the Indian community.
The pliant Indian leaders in the ruling coalition are a disgrace and humiliation to the Indian community that has immensely contributed to the nation in blood, sweat and tears.
This is the reason why the Malaysian Rights Party (Urimai) makes it a point to chart an independent political course for the Indian community without being entrapped by the vicious mandor system that prioritises the interest of the elite of the majoritarian community at the expense of ordinary Indians and others in the country.
At the core of the political struggle of Urimai is that Indians should be led by Indian leaders who are in a position to articulate the broader concerns of the community.
Urimai definitely does not want to exchange one form of domination to another form. Urimai is open to coalition building but such an effort will be predicated on independence, integrity and dignity.
It is not enough to decipher the vicious nature of the political system that has parallels with how plantation labour was controlled and exploited under the mandor system.
The present Indian mandor leaders are no different from their earlier counterparts but serve different masters under different political circumstances. – June 20, 2025
Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
