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i'm not sure if "Malaysian Indians have shed their rubber tapper image for one of a community comprising the educated and urbanised" as claimed. Perhaps about 20 % fit the bill, while the rest may be either educated (another 20%) or urbanised (another 30%), or neither (the balance). Remember that 63% of malaysian are as said to be living in urban areas according to latest statistics. Anyway, being urbanised does not mean life is a bed of roses. Instead it will be a nightmare trying to live on a salary of RM800 in a town as compared in a kampung or estate surrounding.
Now, lets look a a bigger picture. nearly every country in the world reports healthy progress in terms of education, living standards etc, except for those ravaged by war or severe famine etc. The question is, are we on par with the rest? if not, why is it so? our fault – being lazy, complain but not intiative, begging for help; or the systems fault – discrimination, prohibitive policies, lack of opportunities etc. ?
And why keep harping on being rubber tappers? It is those jobs that helped the country and the descendents to prosper.
For MIC to gain back its name, it has to furnish statistics on all fields concerned to dispel or counter HINDRAF's claims. These statistics have to be back by its sources so that an independent body can choose to investigate if neccessary.
While I agree that not 3000 people attended the gathering as claim by HINDRAF, i am certain it is not 600 as claimed by Samy. I think it was more to about 1200 – 1600 people, as i counted the rows of people during the walk past the roundabout.
Also, even if the PM was there, would the people who gathered would have been entertained personally?
Its good that statistics on number of temples were furnished,(wonder what is the source of these figures). We have to assume that these are licensed temples. 24,000 temple for a population of 1.44 million (i assume 80% of indians are hindus) is about one temple for every 60 hindu. Quite a big number, but religion being a personal issue, a tree can also be a temple in hinduism.
I saw the speech which he gave at the HYO's assembly which was attended by about 200 people (from i saw on TV3 news). He asked if Indians are backwards, would they be sitting there in the hall and listening to him. Those who attended are educated and doing well, which he imply represents indians in malaysia.
Indians today are ‘doing well’
By : June Ramli
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Indians have shed their rubber tapper image for one of a community comprising the educated and urbanised.
MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said this was the outcome of better educational facilities and jobs provided by the government over the past 50 years.
"Those who say the Indians are backwards are mad," he said during the Hindu Youth Organisation’s annual general assembly at the Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Jalan Kasipillay yesterday.
The works minister said that if Indians were 50 years behind other communities, many would still be working as rubber tappers.
"But that is not the case. Today, all Indians are educ-ated with some doing very well."
Samy Vellu chided the opposition for sending a memorandum of protest to the Prime Minister’s office recently, alleging that the Indians had generally been ignored.
He lambasted them for claiming that 3,000 people had gathered at the Prime Minister’s office.
"First of all, there were only 600 people and not 3,000.
"And the best part is that they chose to protest on the day that the prime minister was away in Brunei on a working visit."
On the rationale behind the demolishing of several Hindu temples, Samy Vellu said this was done as they had not received approval from the authorities.
"As they have been built near drains and next to roads, these structures will definitely be brought down as they have not received approval from the authorities."
He said the number of temples had mushroomed from 17,600 in 1979 to 24,000 this year.
