COMMENT | The suffering of the downtrodden workers from India brought to what was known as Malaya more than 100 years ago continues down the generations, manifesting itself in their lack of citizenship and now, the attack on their places of worship.

In the mid 1800s, the British - earlier through the East India Company and later directly by the colonial office themselves - made mutual agreements with the rulers of many states in the then Malay Archipelago, including Malaya and present Indonesia, for defence and trade matters.

The British took great interest in Malaya, as they were keen to plant rubber. Unable to get local workers, they brought in workers from India.

The British, wanting cheap labour, began engaging unscrupulous traders, almost like slave traders, to bring...