Ramasamy was accused of having issued statements in the past that were prejudiced in nature and whose “cheap publicity stunts” had stirred controversy, Sinar Harian reported.

Penang PKR Youth information chief Abshar Nurasyraf said the latest call by Ramasamy proved that he was a liability to both the government and country.

“The predominately Malay civil service isn’t a huge issue, but he is trying to add fuel to fire merely for attention and support from a select few,” he was quoted as saying.

Ramasamy, who is also the Penang DAP deputy chairman, said the prime minister must ensure that the public service reflects the ethnic composition of this country. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government would not be entertaining such calls, adding that his administration did not see it as an issue.

Ramasamy later clarified that his call to reform the civil service was not about breaking the “monopoly of the Malays”.

“This is a blatant lie twisted and re-twisted by the media with a particular race-baiting agenda,” he said in a statement.