Kuala Lumpur: An ethnic Indian minister in Kuala Lumpur has asked all Malaysian Indians to work together for improving racial relations in the country and unite to make their demands heard.
Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam said the community should work towards making Prime Minister Najib Razzak's '1 Malaysia concept' a reality.
"As the third largest group, we should be able to achieve success if we work with one common aim and goal," Subramaniam said.
The '1 Malaysia' concept has been mooted by Razzak, who assumed office recently, to preserve solidarity and harmony in the multi-racial country.
Malaysia's population of 27 million people comprises 60 per cent Malays and 25 per cent ethnic Chinese, while Indians make up about 7.4 per cent of the country's population.
Racial relations have been tense in the country and the ethnic Indians have alleged that their community has been marginalised.
"The minority community should be united so that the government would pay attention to their requests," Subramaniam was quoted as saying by local daily Tamil Nesan.
Subramaniam also lauded the role of the Malayalees in the country, saying that they had contributed a lot to the rubber industry.