Recalling the Hindraf rally in 2007, Santiago said it was sparked by dissatisfaction with the Barisan Nasional government, even as MIC assured leaders that “everything was fine” despite growing marginalisation within the Indian community.

He warned that history could repeat itself after Ramanan’s claim that PAS was courting Indians because the current government’s emphasis on inclusivity left “no race or group marginalised”.

“This is not about inclusivity forcing Perikatan Nasional (PN) to reach out. The reality is that non-Malays are not satisfied with the government’s performance,” Santiago told FMT.

Santiago said yesterday that Ramanan’s “misdiagnosis” could lead to flawed solutions as the general election draws near.

He also said that PAS and PN were widening their outreach because “they can smell Putrajaya now”.

Speaking today, he accused Ramanan of sending the wrong message.

“If you say everything is hunky-dory, then we are not learning from history. Wake up and smell the burnt coffee, that’s all I’m saying.”

Responding to PKR central leadership council member A Kumaresan, who had dismissed his criticism as a cheap publicity stunt, Santiago said his detractors were “shooting the messenger”.

Kumaresan had defended Ramanan by listing initiatives for Indian entrepreneurs such as Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia’s PENN programme and Bank Rakyat’s BRIEF-i financing scheme.

But Santiago rejected this defence, saying that loans alone would not address the systemic issues faced by the Indian community.

“You’re applying a Band-Aid, a plaster, when the community is dealing with cancer. That’s exactly what you are doing.”