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Deputy minister: Indians better off than Malays
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There is lower poverty among the Indians compared to the Malays and the former also enjoy higher household incomes, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
He said this was a five percent improvement for the Indians compared to 1999 when their household income was RM2,702. He said the poverty rate and hardcore poverty in 2004 among Indians was at 2.9 percent, 8.3 percent among Malays and 0.6 percent among the Chinese. This was also an improvement for the Indians from 1999, where the rate was 3.5 percent. “Because of this, we must hold on to the true facts and figures and not allow emotions and tall tales to influence the people,” he said. Explain to Hindraf “Let’s explain this issue to (Hindu Rights Action Force) Hindraf in this august House where the ethnic Indians are situated… and the number of professionals (among Indians), isn’t their percentage high in comparison with other groups?” asked Wan Hashim. “Millions are living comfortably (in Malaysia). It is as if they are in Nirvana compared to the circumstances in Tamil Nadu.”
Hindraf organised a rally on Nov 25, and managed to gather about 30,000 protestors in Kuala Lumpur. The movement has also filed a class- action suit against the British government for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years. |
According to Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Zainal Abidin Osman (BN-Nibong Tebal), the monthly household income for Indians in 2004 was RM3,456, while it was RM2,711 for Malay households and RM4,437 for Chinese. 
Wan Hashim was referring to claims by Hindraf, a group advocating rights and better treatment of Indians, who they claim have been discriminated, marginalised and exploited. 
