Najwan apologises for racial slur against PSM candidate

July 15, 2023

Najwan apologises for racial slur against PSM candidate

PETALING JAYA: Former Selangor state assemblyman Najwan Halimi has apologised for making a racial slur against Parti Sosialis Malaysia and Sivaranjani Manickam, its candidate for the Meru state assembly seat.

In a statement tonight, Najwan said he took full responsibility for his action.

He had been called out after PSM secretary-general Sivarajan Arumugam posted a screenshot of his remark “Indian estate party” in a chat group comment on a news report about Sivaranjani being fielded.

Najwan, who is deputy chief of Shah Alam PKR, was elected assemblyman for Kota Anggerik in 2018.

He said he should not have had such a “shallow perception” of PSM, which he described as a “forward-looking political party” which champions the issues of the Indian community, especially those living and working in estates.

He said he has reached out to Sivarajan to apologise to the party’s leadership and its members.

Najwan said he does not harbour any racial prejudices or biases against any ethnic groups, including the Indian community.

“I sincerely apologise to all those who were offended, and I will exercise greater caution in any statements issued in the future,” he said. “I hope that this issue can be resolved amicably, and I promise it will not happen again.”