P Waytha Moorthy said historical records, namely the financial reports of the Federation of Malaya in 1956, showed that 89% of Malaya’s income that year had depended on rubber and tin exports.

“Can you imagine if the Indians and Chinese had left Malaya then?” Waytha, who leads the Malaysian Advancement Party, asked in a statement.

Under colonial rule, labour was imported from India for rubber plantations and China for tin mines.

The former national unity minister went on to say that British Colonial Office records showed that almost three million Tamils were recruited to man the rubber industry and to build roads, railways and government buildings, including hospitals.

Of the sum, over one million “perished on Malayan soil”, he said.

“Hundreds of thousands more died due to malaria, dengue, snake bites, and wild animals attacks while toiling for its economic growth. Many Indians were malnourished and had a short life span. Hence, there was a need for more imports of labourers to replenish Tamil workers who had died.”

Waytha also said assimilation was never considered by the British and the nation’s founding fathers when discussing Malaya’s independence.

Rather it was agreed upon that all three races would unite for the continued progress and prosperity of the nation, he said.

Mahathir questioned the loyalty of Indians and Chinese in a recent interview with Thanthi TV, a Tamil news channel based in Chennai, India, drawing brickbats from various quarters including ministers, political parties and a former minister.