Some points mentioned by Xavier:

– RM2 had been set aside for a  programme to address the high failure rate among Tamil school pupils in urban and rural areas. state govt will work together with NGOs to help pupils from Years Three through Six to reduce failure rates.

– state government had been offered two parcels of land to build the state-sponsored hostel for children of estate workers to complete their secondary education and to remove them from the estate atmosphere so they could grow as individuals. The building plans should be approved by year-end and the hostel should be up within two years. 100 students expected annually.

– He blames NUPW partly for the sad situation of estate workers.

Full story in the Star:

THE Selangor government will work with Indian non-government organisations (NGOs) to implement a programme to address the high failure rate among Tamil school pupils in urban and rural areas.

State health, plantation workers, poverty and caring government committee chairman Dr Xavier Jayakumar said about RM2mil had been set aside for the purpose.

“Constant attention is given to achieving As in the UPSR but the major concern is that many Tamil schoolchildren fail the exam and become dropouts.

“Instead of waiting for the children to fare poorly at the end stage, the state hopes to tackle the issue early by enlisting the help of NGOs and working with these pupils from Years Three through Six,” he told StarMetro.

Thorough check: Manipal Alumni Association of Malaysia member Dr.T. Selvamalar checking A. Saraswaty, 31, who was accompanied by her six children to the free medical camp.

Xavier had earlier launched the Manipal Alumni Association of Malaysia free medical camp at the Bedford Estate in Tanjung Sepat, in the Kuala Langat district, on Sunday.

He also said the state government had been offered two parcels of land to build the state-sponsored hostel for children of estate workers to complete their secondary education and to remove them from the estate atmosphere so they could grow as individuals.

“The building plans should be approved by year-end and the hostel should be up within two years. We hope to take in 100 students annually,” he added.

Xavier went on to say that medical camps like the one organised by the Manipal Alumni Association of Malaysia fulfilled the health needs of a forgotten and neglected lot.

The lifetime alumni association member also chided estate owners for continuing to employ foreign workers and said the foreign employment figure was now around 40%.

“The state government has continuously instructed estate owners to give priority to locals. This should be put into practice now, more than ever, in view of the current economic downturn,” he added.

On why the number of locals willing to toil in estates was steadily dwindling, Xavier said the low wages and the lack of initiative shown by the National Union of Plantation Workers (NUPW) in addressing the issue were the cause.

“I have been to estates where I’ve been shown payslips with average monthly incomes of RM250. The NUPW should be doing something about this because strong will at the top will help propel change at the bottom,” he said.

Xavier said one of the conditions imposed by the state government concerning land status conversion was that approval for estates larger than 40ha would only be sanctioned if the landowners agreed to provide housing for the displaced estate workers.

“The luckiest lot come from the Bukit Raja Estate in Klang where they recently signed the S&P with Sime Darby for terrace houses costing RM70,000 each but valued at RM150,000,” he said, adding that Coalfield Estate workers in Subang also successfully fought for their cause.

Meanwhile, Manipal Alumni Association of Malaysia president Koshy Thomas said the medical camp was an annual initiative that began in 2007.

“Our previous camps were at the Bukit Rotan Estate in Kuala Selangor, but this time, our 40-odd team includes general medical examiners and specialists like a paediatrician, opthalmologist, oral surgeon, gynaecologist, radiologist and ear, nose and throat surgeon,” he added.

“We also brought some high-tech equipment and dispensed free medication. Those requiring serious medical attention were referred to the government clinic and hospital in the area,” Thomas added.

Estate worker R. Rathakrishnan, 53, who suffers from asthma and back pain, said he was grateful for the opportunity to get a thorough medical examination done.

More than 300 workers from Bedford Estate and neighbouring estates visited the camp that was held from 9am to 3pm.