MIC to raise RM5 million to help needy Indians

/* October 2nd, 2011 by poobalan | View blog reactions 1 comment »
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On one hand, this is a good start as those affected folks can access funds in a faster (hopefully) manner with less bureaucracy. However, I think at least 10 times that amount would be needed, as cost of living and healthcare is quite high. We read about patients needing tens of thousands (or more) ringgit  for surgeries. Not sure if MIC is able to collect any fund, given that the track record is less than impressive, to put it mildly.

Anyway, with RM10 mil (if government gives matching grant of RM5 million), MIC can possibly help 1000 people if each get average of RM10,000. Something’s better than nothing.

On the other hand, it may be an indication of how bad things are until political parties have to start collecting donations because government of the day is unable/unwilling to provide the necessary support.

 

The MIC is raising RM5mil to help underprivileged members of the Indian community meet their basic daily needs and medical care.

Party president Datuk G. Palanivel said MIC would seek another RM5mil from the Government, once it succeeded in raising the amount.

As a first step, he and Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam have each contributed RM10,000, while other party officials had made donations of between RM3,000 and RM5,000.

“We’ll do our part in assisting the underprivileged,” he said, noting that assistance from welfare and related bodies was either unavailable or slow in coming.

Palanivel, who is minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, was speaking to reporters after handing out Deepavali goodies to about 500 elderly people and single mothers at a function organised by the Sepang MIC division here Sunday.

He said the party was also committed to assisting the underprivileged from other communities, adding that it would guide them in starting small businesses or seeking employment. – Bernama

source: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/2/nation/20111002183712&sec=nation

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police report over video clip by Namewee

/* October 2nd, 2011 by poobalan | View blog reactions 1 comment »
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I’m sure you have read about newspaper article condeming the rapper Namewee’s movie due to his earlier activities. In turn the rapper, in his usual obscenity implied style, made a video hitting back at the newspaper.  The paper took offence and made a police report. The reason cited:

  • “abuse of multimedia facilities” to disparage Utusan’s image
  • “extreme accusations” against Fauziah for her article ‘Bukan Nasi Lemak 2.0, soalnya Namewee’ (Not Nasi Lemak 2.0, the problem is Namewee),
  • “negative” public comments against the newspaper and the journalist.
  • seen as (trying to) lowering the dignity of the journalist and Utusan Malaysia as racists, stupid, pulling down the image of the company, and containing extreme accusations and containing profanities,”

I guess the same can be said of articles in the newspaper. Now that they got what the deserved, these people go and make police report.

Anyway, are the above reasons valid enough to be investigated by police? If feel hurt, the paper or the individual can sue him la. Or complain to MCMC or Youtube.

Note: the video has been taken private.

The editorial department of Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia has lodged two police reports against rapper-film maker Namewee over his tirade against the newspaper and its journalist Fauziah Arof following their criticisms of his latest movie ‘Nasi Lemak 2.0’.

According to an Utusan report dated Oct 1, the reports follow what it said were Namewee’s “abuse of multimedia facilities” to disparage Utusan’s image and “extreme accusations” against Fauziah for her article ‘Bukan Nasi Lemak 2.0, soalnya Namewee’ (Not Nasi Lemak 2.0, the problem is Namewee), was appeared on Sept 21.

Fauziah had written that that although many had given the thumbs-up to Namewee’s latest offering, she is not interested in watching it even if she were offered a free movie ticket.

She then recounted several video clips made by Namewee, which she said had offended many people and insulted Muslims in the country, including the controversial Negarakuku.

Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, had in turn blasted Utusan and Fuziah in his video in which he spews a liberal dose of profanity amidst colloquial Malay.

He also argued that all the songs composed by him are patriotic in nature and that Fauziah’s accusations to the contrary may stem from her inability to understand the lyrics.

Namewee then raps the ‘brainless’ Fauziah for writing her article without watching his movie first.

According to Utusan’s legal advisor Mohd Jefri Daman, Namewee’s video measuring 2:43 minutes also contains “negative” public comments against the newspaper and the journalist. 

“Namewee’s action is seen as (trying to) lowering the dignity of the journalist and Utusan Malaysia as racists, stupid, pulling down the image of the company, and containing extreme accusations and containing profanities,” Mohd Jefri was quoted as saying in Utusan Malaysia.

source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/177489

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MIC committed to relocation of low enrolment Tamil schools

/* September 27th, 2011 by poobalan | View blog reactions 1 comment »
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 I hope MIC’s commitment becomes a reality, and not remain just a commitment. I wonder where’s the plan (if there is one) which details the timeline for relocation of the under-enrolled schools.  I’m sure we would like to know the roadmap or timeline for relocation of each and every school mentioned, the budget applied/allocated/received/spent, plus the status progress so far. Tha would be a good indication of “commitment”.

 

MIC is committed to relocating Tamil schools with low enrolment to new areas with many Indian residents.

MIC deputy president Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said there were 14 schools which had fewer than 10 pupils and 69 schools with fewer than 25 pupils.

“We have told Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that MIC needs a big financial allocation to tackle the problem.

“I have also raised the matter in the Cabinet that no Tamil schools are to be closed but only relocated,” he told reporters after a party seminar themed “Energising Indian Cooperatives”, which was opened by MICpresident Datuk G. Palanivel here yesterday.

Subramaniam said MIC was identifying suitable sites to relocate some Tamil schools and was confident this would cause the enrolment to rise.

He also denied a Tamil newspaper report saying that Sekolah Rendah Tamil Horvad, in Gurun, Kedah, would be closed because of poor attendance. He said a suitable site was being identified for the school.

He was confident that the Indian community would continue to support MIC to ensure Tamil schools continued to exist.

It is estimated that there are 107,000 pupils in 523 Tamil schools nationwide.

Subramaniam conceded that there were weaknesses in the process of improving and constructing additional buildings for Tamil schools.

“The financial allocations for Chinese schools are given straight to the school organising committees but it is a different case for Tamil schools,” he said.

source: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/25/nation/9571598&sec=nation

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Job application rejected by hospital and police because mother is Chinese?

/* September 27th, 2011 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »
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 This is a really absurd story. I can’t believe such excuses can be given. If the reason the girl’s application was rejected is due academic or professional requirements, fair enough. But to reject job application on the basis of the parent’s ethnic background is totally unacceptable.

The girl, who is a Master degree holder in field of Forensic Science from an Australian university, applied for a job at KL Hospital. It seems the application is rejected and to get a job, the mother has to die or divorce the father! She applied to Perlis Police Academy, and was rejected because the mother is a Chinese. These are government based organisations, mind you and they give such a reply?

So core problem for these organisations – mother is Chinese and father is Malay?

Are these people that dumb? What kind of moron will say you can get a job if you parent dies or divorces?

I seriously hope this story is not true.

The applicant has written to PM’s wife’s secretary, DPM, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Sharizat Jalil, and also BM Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin. No reply yet.

 


source: http://203.115.192.117/thesun-epaper/thu/22092011/index.html#/8/

You can access the PDF file of the paper here => thesun-student-job-reject

 

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Hindu Sabha in Buntong rejects multi religion crematorium plan

/* September 27th, 2011 by poobalan | View blog reactions 2 comments »
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It seems there are some conflicting views on this. One view is that the Sabha is a caretaker of the land and is not authorised to handover the cemetery land to state authorities. Secondly, questions arise why a public crematorium for all is to be utilised on land belonging to the Hindu community. The land was gazetted to be used for Hindu cemetery,  it seems.

Another view is that its the responsibility of the state government to identify a suitable location and not take the land from one community for this purpose.

I think that if its common good, there there’s no harm in allowing the other faiths to use the crematorium. Unless of course it is prohibited in Hinduism to have such public multi-faith crematoriums in the cemetery. It can even be used as a source of minimal income to maintain the cemetery.

If the crematorium is going to take up part of the land (0.2ha), then proper compensation should be provided to the Sabha.

Or the Sabha should come up with an alternative plan to make use of the land for the benefit of the community.

The Hindu Devastana Paripalana Sabha, the administrators of Ipoh’s largest Hindu cemetery, unanimously rejected the state’s proposal to build a multi-religious crematorium at its extraordinary general meeting.

Malaysia Nanban reported that Sabha chairman M. Dhamodaran said they would inform the state government of the EGM’s decision and would make concrete proposals for the construction of the new Hindu crematorium.

Perak executive councillor in charge of non-Islamic affairs Dr Mah Hang Soon, in a letter, had directed the Sabha to surrender 0.2ha of the land to the state for it to build a modern crematorium for use by all non-Muslim communities.

source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/21/nation/9537546&sec=nation

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Posted in Indian, Religion

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