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On job opportunities in the public sector for Indians, Dr Subramaniam said five to seven per cent of the 16,000 Indian applicants to date had secured employment.
The percentage of Indians employed this year is higher compared with the two to three per cent in previous years as a result of continuous discussions on the issue at the cabinet and Public Service Department levels, he said. — Bernama (NST)
| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email I heard Dr S.Subra talking about this yesterday, and its in the papers today. It seems that of the 900 seats offered nationwide to Indian youths to pursue a skills course for free, with accommodation, meals and RM100 monthly for expenditure, only 249 enrolled for its July intake (The Star). That means its about nine Indian students for each of the 26 Human Resources Training Institutes (HRTI) (a.k.a ILJTM) nationwide under the purview of the Manpower Department.
According to Dr S.Subra, opportunities were being created for Indian youths to acquire skills and secure jobs with good wages but they chose ignore it, even though plenty of advertisements are taken out in newspapers (Tamil papers too).
Dr Subramaniam said it was sad to see youths wasting their potential, energy, creativeness and power to build a better future for themselves by learning a skill.
“Indian youths must understand that foreign firms are setting up businesses in Penang, Selangor and Johor and those with innovative skills are the ones who can secure jobs with good prospects,” he said.
According to him, among the factors for the lack of interest is (i) the poor perception of skills-based employment and (ii) the fact that the youths preferred academic courses (NST).
“Maybe they are not aware that employment opportunities in the skills sector are more than in the academic sector.”
He said usually 80 to 90 per cent of ILJTM graduates were able to find work within three to four months of finishing their courses.
Dr Subramaniam said Malaysian Industrial Development Authority statistics showed that a total of 40,000 jobs were created in the first six months of the year through local and foreign investments.
He said through the courses, participants could become entrepreneurs or experts in the skills acquired.
“There are Malaysian welders who are highly skilled and have had offers and work in the oil and gas industry in West Asia and are paid well,” he said.
I guess the two factors are quite true. Coupled with lack of self-confidence, lack of proficiency in English and Malay, and possibility of unemployment also play a role in youths ignoring such jobs. Majority of the trainees in these institutes constitute of one race only, and they are assisted in securing jobs in GLCs, the enormous number of bumiputra contractors/firms, and goverment agencies. Even the Chinese youths also choose to stay away, with MCA trying hard to convince the career prospects of skills-based training.
What MIC/YSS can do is to continue its efforts, and perhaps to add value to its services by providing counseling, helping to create network between industry and the trainees so that can offer jobs faster, get some success story candidates to share their experience, and provide support group for students in the institutes so that the students don’t feel alone or ignored.
Secondly, they should target the parents. I think a segment of the parents are still in the old mindset. They don’t want their children to be away from them or to choose their own career. MIC/YSS can organise trips to these institutes for parents, or have an open day at this places, so that the community can know more about the facilities and environment there.
Thirdly, there should efforts to avoid these institutes into becoming like local universities which are slanted towards certain race and religion only. This is undoubtedly hard, but I guess this is also another reason why such institutes are shunned. Simple things like not serving beef, practicing vegetarianism, putting God images in room, etc., should not be be banned or ignored.
| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email Yup, your Sultan can issue a supporting letter to help you obtain your MyKad. This was told by a Home Ministry staff in Putrajaya to Ragu, a father of three with a sickly wife, who is without a permanent identification document.
His story is as follows:
He said his problem started when he was abandoned by his parents at the age of 4 in Parit Buntar.
The police found him by the roadside and handed him to the Social Welfare Department, where he was cared for until he was 16 years old.
“Ten years ago, the department helped me to get a birth certificate in which ‘Rajamani’ was stated as my father’s name and Bagan Serai, Perak, was listed as my place of birth,” he said, adding that he did not know the real name of his parents or where he was actually born.
With the birth certificate, he was able to obtain a temporary identification document which had to be renewed every year.
However, in 2004, the National Registration Department declined to renew his temporary document.
After visiting the NRD headquarters in Putrajaya many times in the last four years, he received a letter from the Home Ministry in July which stated that his temporary identification document could not be renewed due to the government’s instruction.
“The Home Ministry staff in Putrajaya told me to obtain a letter from the Sultan of Perak to support my application for a permanent MyKad because according to my birth certificate, I was born in Perak.
“I have sought the help of many senior politicians but no one could help me. I will wait for the Sultan.”
I’m not sure which section or rule did the staff refer to, but I’m pretty sure Sultans don’t go around issuing letters. You have to get supporting documents from village head, district officer, local chieftain etc. to prove your birth was in that area.
Ragu was met at Perak ADUN Sivanesan’s office.
…reporters had earlier asked him why he was at Sivanesan’s office with his wife and children.
“The Sultan is my last resort.
Sivanesan, who met Ragu and his family yesterday evening, said that he would take Ragu to the Perak NRD to help him apply for a MyKad.
Asked where he planned to stay until he could see Sultan Azlan Shah, he said he and his family would sleep in their car and shower at petrol stations.
“My family and I have put up with a lot of difficulties over the years… what is a few more days of hardship?”
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| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email Strong words indeed from Hindraf’s Thanenthiran!
The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has challenged the MIC president to show guts by seeking the forgiveness of Indian Malaysians before pursuing the release of the detained Hindraf 5.“(S) Samy Vellu should kneel and beg for (forgiveness) for his wrongdoings (against) the community if he is sincere and honest about seeking freedom for our leaders,” said Hindraf national coordinator RS Thanenthiran.
“I am sure Indians have a big (enough) heart to forgive him if he asks.”
He also challenged Samy Vellu to pull his party out of Barisan Nasional (BN) if he fails to obtain freedom for the five leaders being held under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
“If he fails to secure their release from Kamunting (detention camp in Perak), then MIC should pull out from BN. Is he prepared to do that?” asked Thanenthiran, at a northern region meeting of the movement in Butterworth, Penang, last night.
Some 100 coordinators and activists from Penang, Perak and Kedah attended the two-hour meeting.
They appeared amused by Samy Vellu’s claim that he has asked the prime minister to consider releasing the Hindraf 5. This was followed by a similar call by the Coalition of Malaysian Indian NGOs.
“Samy Vellu (left) reportedly called on the government to detain our leaders. Now he has suddenly emerged to champion their freedom when he has lost all his government powers,” scoffed Thanenthiran.
The community has largely blamed Samy Vellu for failing to improve their low standing and to deal with social and economic problems.
Their disgruntlement prompted their desertion of BN in the March general election and led to the MIC leader losing the long-held Sungai Siput parliamentary seat – and consequently his cabinet post.
Thanenthiran said the MIC president had been a lame-duck cabinet minister at the time the ministerial order had been signed to detain the Hindraf 5, following a massive street protest held in Kuala Lumpur last November.
“It’s heartening to see BN and NGO Indian leaders coming together to secure the freedom of our leaders. But are they really sincere? Are Indian leaders from MIC, PPP and Gerakan prepared to withdraw from BN if they fail to secure the release of Hindraf 5?”
Uthayakumar’s health, he claimed, was deteriorating due to lack of proper medical care. A diabetic, the lawyer is said to be suffering from a worsening heart condition and high blood pressure.
“He is exercising regularly to keep fit,” said Thanenthiran, urging the Kamunting authorities to provide quality medical care.
Uthayakumar is learnt to have isolated himself from the other Hindraf detainees, and has restricted his list of visitors to family members, his lawyer Karpal Singh and a handful of Hindraf leaders including Thanenthiran.
So, would MIC quit Bn if Hindraf is not released? I doubt it. Samy Vellu already told that they have “full faith” in the Prime Minister. So, whatever the PM says, they will have to accept.
By the way, why is Uthaya limiting his visitors and isolated himself from the other 4 detainees? No reasons given in the report.
| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email Last week, NST wrote on slavery in estates, citing the case of a family who escaped from one such estates. Then, MIC-owned YSS gave the following comments via its assistant director Vanita Ramany, who said YSS had brought cases to the police, but not enough attention was given:
She cited a case where an 18-year-old worker escaped from an estate in Bahau, Negri Sembilan, in March after enduring years of abuse.
“The girl sought our help and we referred her to the Bahau police. But till now, nothing has been done.
“She is currently under the care of a welfare home,” said Vanita, who added that she had contacted Negri Sembilan police chief Datuk Osman Salleh over the matter.
While Osman was helpful, she said some policemen did not share his enthusiasm.
Vanita also referred to one case in Malacca which was reported to the police. But the victim was arrested for armed robbery when he showed the scars on his body.
“The next day, he was released after the police realised they had made a mistake.”
Vanita said there were also six other estate workers who had sought help but they never “showed up at our office again”.
More recently, the YSS, MIC and Negeri Sembilan police had a meeting to further discuss this problem:
Police met representatives of several bodies recently to discuss how they could work together to resolve the problem of “slavery” in several estates in the country. They included the Welfare and Manpower Departments, MIC’s Yayasan Strategik Social (YSS) and state executive councillor for estate affairs V.S. Mogan.
State police chief Datuk Osman Salleh said they were committed in their efforts to put an end to such incidents and would work closely with the various bodies and political parties concerned.
“We want to get to the root of the problem and resolve it once and for all. We have yet to establish the extent of the problem as we were unable to get sufficient information from the few alleged victims who came forward.”
Osman said their investigations revealed that some such alleged cases were linked to bad debts between the workers and their employers, which carried on from one generation to another.“These cases of bad debts are prevalent in many estates and sometimes the next generation is made to work to pay off the earlier loan taken by the person’s father or even grandfather.
“However, we are determined to get to the bottom of this and put an end to such things.
“We are in the process of investigating how these debts originated and how they grew to such enormous amounts. We are also hoping that someone from the estates allegedly involved will come forward to help us.”
He said the recent call by the government for all estates to register their workers would be a great help to the police and Manpower Department as it would enable them to keep track of any untoward activities in estates.
From 2005 till now, he said police had received five reports on estate slavery, of which three had been investigated and the papers handed over to the deputy public prosecutor.
“However, these three cases were marked as NFA (no further action) after the DPP was unable to find sufficient evidence to prosecute.
“As for the two other cases, they are still under investigation.”
On the meeting with YSS and Mogan, he said the MIC had expressed its appreciation to the police for their co-operation in investigating such cases.
“The YSS and state MIC leaders are working closely with us. We assure you that such cases of slavery in estates will be a thing of the past.
“We will continue to hold regular meetings with the agencies and bodies concerned and together we will resolve this problem.”
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