Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email While MIBA was busy arguing about YSS’s initiative, its interesting to note that EPU have not done anything (at least that we know of) on the previous recommendations by MIC/YSS nor after PM met the NGOs early this year. And EPU is directly under PM’s department! And I still think the community should aim for 10%. Who in the first place set the meagre 3% target?
9MP review: EPU should call Indian NGOs
http://malaysiakini.com/news/80757
RK Anand | Apr 2, 08 1:43pm
The Economic Planing Unit (EPU) in the Prime Minister’s Department should call Indian-based non-governmental organisations for a dialogue and briefing on the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).
Such a move would reflect the government’s seriousness in wanting to do more for the Indian community, said Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) president P Sivakumar.
He noted that the government – in the 9MP – is committed to increasing the corporate wealth of the Indians to three percent from its current dismal 1.2 percent since 1970. The 9MP (2006-2010) is the first Malaysian plan unveiled by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration.
Sivakumar was responding to recent media reports that Yayasan Sosial Strategik (YSS) – the social arm of MIC – is planning to hold a roundtable discussion on the 9MP mid-term review on April 10.
YSS has invited 25 Indian-based NGOs, several guests from the EPU and other relevant government agencies. “In actual fact it is the EPU that should be calling the NGOs,” said Sivakumar.
“It is in a better position to make adjustments or recommendations for the Indian community in the review in explaining their effort, resources and money already spent and any hopeful re-designs of new steps or measures. “We don’t think there is any quarter in the Indian community that has the concrete data to show the progress of the Indian equity increase to three percent under the 9MP,” he told Malaysiakini.
Enough paperwork
Sivakumar stressed that Miba is making this request to the EPU to avoid the situation where another private group meeting becomes nothing more than a planning process – in which another round of findings, reports and recommendations are submitted but yield no effective changes.
“We think that the time has come to say enough to more paperwork. What we want to see are results,” said the Johor-based businessman.
“The EPU can provide a detailed view of how the lower level segment of the Indian community can benefit and the next stage of implementation for the Indians to improve their economic standing.
“This is in line with the promise made by the prime minister who announced ‘we will do more for the Indian community’,” he added.
Sivakumar said the community’s economic setback is now a national issue especially after the Nov 25 street rally organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf). The rally drew some 30,000 disgruntled Indians to the streets in Kuala Lumpur and subsequently paved the way for the detention of five Hindraf leaders under the Internal Security Act on Dec 13.
Following this, Sivakumar said, the prime minister invited the heads of 13 Indian-based NGOs for a discussion on the community’s woes. “He understood all the issues that were raised and promised to do more for the Indians. He agreed that the policies were good but the implementation did not go downwards,” said the businessman who also attended the meeting in Putrajaya.
He said those present had pointed out to Abdullah that the New Economic Policy (NEP) had failed in its delivery as far as the Indian community is concerned.
Multiracial team
In view of this, Sivakumar said, Miba is suggesting to the prime minister and government to recruit a more multiracial professional team at all the state EPUs at the planning, implementation and delivery stages. “This will ensure that the poor of all communities benefit from the national policies of the government with an independent monitoring mechanism set up to ensure check and balance on the deliveries and uniformity in the levels of gain and the success of the policies,” he added.
Reiterating the importance of the EPU taking the lead in this matter, Sivakumar said Malaysians have the right to be served by the right department. “So it is the Indian community’s right to be served by the EPU,” he added.
YSS: ‘Don’t bite our fingers’
http://malaysiakini.com/news/80793
MIC’s social arm Yayasan Sosial Strategik (YSS) is surprised that it is being criticised for being ‘more inclusive’ regarding its roundtable discussion on the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).
Several quarters want the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) in the Prime Minister’s Department and not YSS to take the lead in this endeavour if the government is serious in wanting to achieve the three percent equity target for the Indian community.
Contacted today, YSS executive director Dr Denison Jayasooria said the April 10 discussion is the foundation’s own initiative and will be a low-key affair. “We have not been asked by the EPU to do this, nobody asked us to do this. We are doing it on our own. We wanted to get input from a cross section of groups and that is why we invited 25 civil society groups and others.
“We categorically stated we do not want political groups. In the past, we were accused of not being inclusive,” he added. He said YSS has invited even the more critical voices in the community, including Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) coordinator RS Thanenthiran to the discussion.
Following this, Denison – who is also a commissioner with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) – said he received queries on whether MIC now recognises Hindraf. “It’s not a question of who is calling for the discussion. It’s a free world, the groups invited have the right to accept the invitation or not. If they want, they can come and provide us with input,” he said.
‘Don’t bite our fingers’
On the same note, Denison said these groups are also free to organise their own discussions or make efforts to get the EPU to spearhead the review. “There can be multiple approaches. But don’t bite our fingers when we are reaching out. On our side, whether they like us or not, we have been working on the ground over various issues and many people have benefitted from this,” he added.
Denision said YSS has conducted numerous roundtable discussions in the past and several more concerning youths are in the pipeline.
Elaborating more on the 9MP discussion, Denison said it is being carried out with the foundation’s own budget. “It is being held in our building (the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur). There’s no budget even for a hotel. Only chapathi, tea and vadai will be served,” he quipped.
Earlier, Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) president P Sivakumar told Malaysiakini that the review should be handled by the EPU and not YSS. Such a move would reflect the government’s seriousness in wanting to do more for the Indian community, he said.According to him, the EPU is in a better position to make adjustments or recommendations for the Indian community in the review.
“We don’t think there is any quarter in the Indian community that has the concrete data to show the progress of the Indian equity increase to three percent under the 9MP,” he said.
His call was supported by Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) president Pardip Kumar Kukreja and Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam, Selangor (Cassa) president Dr Jacob George.
