ALOR GAJAH, April 9 (Bernama) — The position of the Indian community in the country has been improving under the Barisan Nasional (BN) government which looks after the interest of all races, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that based on his observation and visits abroad, many students from the community were endeavouring to improve their position and becoming professionals, thus bringing benefits to the country.
“I had met with Malaysian students in Bali and 80 per cent of them were medical students who were of Indian origin. It was also the same in Sulawesi and the University of Crimea in Ukraine.
“They were all sponsored by the MIC. The position of the Indian community is improving from time to time,” he said at a gathering of the leader with the people during the campaign for the by-election for the Machap state seat in Tebong, near here tonight.
Najib said although some of the Indian community were satying in the estates, they could be developed through the education system provided by the government to improve their standard of living.
“Thus, the (Indian) community must continue to vote for the candidate who would always champion their cause, namely Lai Meng Chong from the Barisan Nasional and not the candidate who only knows how to speak but cannot provide any assistance,” he said.
Najib, who is also the BN deputy chairman, believed that the Indian community, right from the days of the Alliance up to the BN, had given their undivided support to the ruling party.
“Can people like Nallakaruppan (who is now a leader of the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat) help us? Let us not listen to issues which have nothing to do with us,” he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister said any problem should be referred to the elected representative, and subsequently to the state government, and then to the federal government or himself to be resolved.
There are about 1,403 Indian voters in the Machap state constituency with the majority of them living in Tebong, in the oil palm plantation.