JOHOR BARU, July 30 — The Johor chapter of Umno Youth is the latest group to demand action be taken against Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran for allegedly calling Malays "pendatang” or immigrants.

Its chief Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said the group strongly protested the statement purportedly issued by Kulasegaran.

"We urge the authorities to conduct an immediate investigation into the issue.

"Although he has apologised and withdrawn his statement, we hope the police will continue to investigate,” he said after filing a complaint against the DAP minister at the Johor central police headquarters here today.

He was accompanied by 30 Johor Umno Youth members.

Kulasegaran landed in the spotlight over the remark after he was reported by Malay daily Utusan Malaysia last Friday as having called Malays "pendatang” to the Malay archipelago while Indians were portrayed as the original inhabitants during a speech in Tamil at a function in Nilai, Negri Sembilan.

The Ipoh Barat MP issued a statement of apology and retracted his use of the word this morning, which he noted had offended the feelings of some people.

He had clarified on Saturday that his use of the word in his speech on the Malay archipelago’s history and migration had been misconstrued and accused Utusan Malaysia of fanning racial tension.

The DAP national vice-chairman said he had, in the event last week, explained that Indians arrived in the Malay Archipelago 2,500 years ago and brought Hinduism with them, citing as proof the archaeological discoveries in Kedah’s Lembah Bujang area, including the discovery of Sungai Batu.

He said history showed Hinduism to be the earliest religion embraced by locals in the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago and that this was later expanded to Buddhism, before Islam was brought to the region and popularised in the 15th century.