Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email This article interests me for three reasons:
1. Proposal by MIC to set up a government agency for Indians. Now, this may be possible since there’s such department for Orang Asli community. However, there’s severe lack of funds for government, so I doubt this proposal will be a reality. Then the other communities like Chinese, Siamese, Indian Muslims, Peranakan Melaka etc. will be requesting their own departments. Maybe a middle path would be some sort of project monitoring office set up for the duration of the 10th Malaysia Plan. The question of its membership would also be a problem. One can imagine it to be crowded with MIC-affiliated people, which will reduce the credibility. If such a department does materialise, it should have non-partisan members, preferably multi-racial. However, I still think its wishful thinking.
2. The second thing is the statement by Samy Vellu that “progress had been made as many of the party’s recommendations were implemented by the Government in the Ninth Malaysia Plan”. I wonder how to prove this statement. Was the intended outcome achieved? “Many” of the recommendations may be implemented, but how well and how effective?
3. I still don’t agree to a measly 3% equity. We should put a higher target of at least 8%. That will create a sense of urgency on the seriousness of the problem.
The MIC has proposed the setting up of a Malaysian Indian Development Agency (Minda) to monitor and implement government initiatives for the Indian community, especially in the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP).
The proposed government agency is expected to complement the Special Cabinet Committee for the Development of Indians chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the party had proposed that Minda be made a government agency.
He told reporters after chairing a special MIC Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting here yesterday that Minda would ensure that the party’s recommendations for Indians under the 10MP would be implemented.
Samy Vellu also said that the party would be submitting its recommendations later this month. The recommendations include setting up a cooperative for Indians to be run by the Government with an initial capital of RM100mil, identifying the actual number of poor Indians, developing a Youth Visionary Programme with a government grant of RM100mil for school dropouts and the unemployed and having yearly allocations for Tamil schools.
Samy Vellu said the party’s recommendations would also be discussed at the next meeting of the Special Cabinet Committee for Indians.
“Within the next five years, the equity participation of Indians must be increased so that we can reach the target of 3% by 2020,” he said.
To a question, Samy Vellu said progress had been made as many of the party’s recommendations were implemented by the Government in the Ninth Malaysia Plan.
