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Hindraf, said to be aligned to an opposition party?
I thought HINDRAF supports BN? At least that's what a few of their banners/posters mentioned.
He said of the 523 Tamil schools in the country, 180 are fully-aided schools, while the remaining were partially-aided, of which 66 schools have been rebuilt through government and private funding.
523 schools in 2007. How many have been closed down? How many in process of relocation? How many have been rejected when approached for relocation? One school rebuilt via private funding is SJKT North Hammock in Setia Alam, due to estate being redeveloped as housing area. Out of 180 schools, how many were turned to fully-aided schools in the last 10 years? in the last 20 years? When will the rest (343 schools) will be converted to fully-aided? Is there a timeline or plan? Rather than looking at schools as physical infrastructure, they should also look at overall education improvement in the last 50 years in Tamil schools – number of students, dropouts, passing rates, facilities (library,science lab, computers, internet, tables/chairs) available at all 523 schools, student-teacher ratio, promotion and career prospects for teachers etc.
“We are going to rebuild another 160 Tamil schools with the help of the government,” he said.
What is the time frame for these 160 schools to be rebuilt? 20 years? 50 years?
On temples, Samy Vellu said only temples that were built or extended on private land without government approvals were demolished and not hundreds of temples as claimed by Hindraf.
If temple already existed before indepedence, can application be made after building constructed? How many application has been made and rejected so far? What happened to the committee to monitor temple issues under DBKL and Perak govt?
On allegations of mistreatment of estate workers, Samy Vellu said the number of Indian estate workers had dwindled drastically, with only about 20 per cent still engaged in the plantation sector, while the rest have migrated to urban areas. “The MIC has been helping these people to get jobs and houses in towns,” he said, adding that in Kuala Lumpur alone, out of 5,000 squatters, the MIC, with the help of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, has secured 2,000 units of houses.
according to latest statistics, 63% of malaysians are in urban areas – meaning more migration and also transformation of rural areas into urban areas through redevelopment. That's why we have more urban poors now. Did they focus on reskilling these migrating or displaced groups so that can adopt to new environment? Anyway, HINDRAF made comparisons on what other community gets as compensation and what the Indians get as compensation. Everyone get house, but what house and where? And how about the issues where some estate folks don't have IC, marriage certs, and are illiterate?
Perhaps the comparisons and facts should be linked with similar statistics of all communities so that we can get a fairer picture?
Samy Vellu ready to meet Hindu NGO to iron out community problems
BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR, Sun.:
MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is willing to meet the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), a non-governmental organisation, to iron out Indian community issues and unresolved matters.
He said he was ever ready to meet any individual or organisations who were unhappy with the alleged shoddy treatment accorded to the Indians or wanted to resolve the community’s problems.
“I am always ready to listen to their views and explain to them the efforts taken by the government in resolving the woes of the Indian community,” the Works Minister said when asked by reporters if he was willing to meet Hindraf officials.
Hindraf, said to be aligned to an opposition party, submitted an 18-page memorandum to the Prime Minister’s office last Sunday on what it alleged as the marginalisation of the Indians by the government.
It also called for an end to the special privileges given to the Malay community.
While stressing that Hindraf had not approached him for a meeting, Samy Vellu said he was willing to meet them to discuss only matters concerning the Indian community.
Samy Vellu also rebutted some of the allegations made by Hindraf that the government had neglected Tamil schools and demolished hundereds of Hindu temples.
“There is no truth to such thing and I have the figures to substantiate them. Please do not make wild allegations,” he said.
He said of the 523 Tamil schools in the country, 180 are fully-aided schools, while the remaining were partially-aided, of which 66 schools have been rebuilt through government and private funding.
“We are going to rebuild another 160 Tamil schools with the help of the government,” he said.
On temples, Samy Vellu said only temples that were built or extended on private land without government approvals were demolished and not hundreds of temples as claimed by Hindraf.
“There is a limit to accusations. We must have an open mind and see things clearly,” he said, adding that the MIC has sought fresh applications for government grants to build and rebuild more temples.
On allegations of mistreatment of estate workers, Samy Vellu said the number of Indian estate workers had dwindled drastically, with only about 20 per cent still engaged in the plantation sector, while the rest have migrated to urban areas.
“The MIC has been helping these people to get jobs and houses in towns,” he said, adding that in Kuala Lumpur alone, out of 5,000 squatters, the MIC, with the help of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, has secured 2,000 units of houses.
