Posts Tagged ‘MIC’

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Dilemma on coalition or seat in Hulu Selangor

April 15th, 2010
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Looks like comments from Khairy hoping for “youthful”  young candidate is not appreciated by MIC in Hulu Selangor.  As a public, I feel BN have a chance of winning the seat if BN leaders minus the PM put a lid on their talks. Nearly every other word mentioned end up creating more problem for everyone else.

Today MIC had their CWC meeting at night. Not sure what is the outcome. Earlier, a number of Hulu Selangor MIC branches said will quit or close shop. Even other division leaders in Selangor are unhappy with interference by UMNO.

So, what is the option here? Stick with Palanivel which was the only option given by MIC to BN? That would mean respecting coalition partner’s choice. Or put another candidate (Mugilan says he would quit if nominated) which will be an insult to MIC? What BN values more? Coalition partner’s decision, sentiment on the ground (which may be conflicting as no one has done a proper and thorough survey), or chance of winning? If BN can win the seat by putting someone else, would they do it?

I also wonder if this just some drama being played, so that later can “patch up” and show how strong the coalition is. I for one, don’t trust politicians, especially those who tend to speak half-truths and no-truths before GE12. Before election, everything have to be taken with a pinch of salt.

I think it will be Palanivel after all.

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Closure for Babu

February 12th, 2010
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Closure for lock-up death case, P Babu. Family not doing second autopsy, so nothing much to speculate or investigate.

Even after his death P Babu whose body was found hanging in a police lock-up caused a bit of confusion over why his second autopsy was off the books for his family.

In the first instance, the allegation was that the family gave in to police threats of action under the emergency ordinance if they went ahead with their plan, so they collected his remains from the mortuary last Saturday and holding the funeral the same day.

Earlier, the family has refused to collect his remains from the morgue when he was found dead in the Jempol police lock up on Feb 1 at about 4am after he surrendered himself in connection with a robbery case.

When contacted, Malaysia Alternative Action Team president Kalaivanar, said:

“The police threatened to book his friends and family members under the emergency ordinance if they continued their efforts to publish the case in the media and go for a second post mortem.”

He also said that this is among the reasons why the family claimed the sawmill worker’s body.

“However, there will not be any second autopsy, as the first post-mortem was done perfectly.

“There were no marks of self defense or bruises in his body except for his neck,” he added

Kalaivanar, who is also the former Jerai PKR division chief and whose help the family sought after Babu’s death, said still police will be sued for negligence.

MIC Youth Assistant Secretary, A Premnath said:

“We would definitely condemn the act of police threatening the family of the deceased and a senior police officer should look into the matter immediately.”

He also asked Babu’s family members to approach the MIC for help, if they need any, particularly legal assistance.

Babu’s uncle, M Mahadevan, however, contradicted Kalaivanar, denying that the police threatened them.

“It was a bit troublesome and furthermore waiting for the second autopsy seemed quite long.

“So, I agreed to the funeral. Kalainavar also advised me to go ahead with the funeral,” he added.

He confirmed that there will no second post-mortem.

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Department for Indian Development?

February 12th, 2010
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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.

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Yet another temple demolished in KL

February 9th, 2010
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Yet another temple demolished. That phrase is becoming common even though it was not supposed to be. This time, in KL, a place were the Deputy Minister Saravana pledged that no temples will be demolished without proper relocation plan or or solution. DBKL also has a committee consisting of MHS officials (well, not sure if the committee still exists or not). And yet still got temples being demolished. Interestingly, the DBKL officials say they have authority to demolish new structures built illegally. If that’s the case, then need to provide proof that the structure is new and the place was not a temple prior to this. But the followers say its a 60 year old temple. So, which is which? Maybe it is 6o years old, and the new structure was built to replace an older (and most likely smaller basic) one?

Anyway, this will make Deputy Minister Saravanan hot under the collar as its his head is on the block now.

A Hindu temple in Air Panas, Setapak was demolished by the Kuala Lumpur city council (DBKL) yesterday morning, leaving local villagers crying foul.

According to Om Sri Maha Kaliaman Alayam temple caretaker Ravi Shankar, about 20 DBKL enforcement officers came with bulldozers to demolish the more than 60-year-old temple without any notice.

DBKL officials however refuted the allegations, stressing that the building was in fact a new structure.

“We have the authority to demolish any new structures that have been built illegally, without notice,” said Sadiaah Hashim, administrative assistant of the DBKL squatter division.

Ravi has since made a report against DBKL at Sentul Police Station. He said that worshippers were praying at the temple at around 9am when a team of DBKL enforcement officers moved in to demolish the structure. “We did not try to stop them. We were taken by surprise and scared.”

MIC information chief, P Kamalanathan confirmed the incident and said that DBKL should have offered an alternative site before demolishing the temple.

“It should not havehappened. They should have consulted the local community leaders before demolishing the sacred place,” he said.

Lawyer P Uthayakumar who assisted the caretaker in making the report said: “According to the principles of Article 11, the temple should not have been demolished just as people do not demolish mosques.”

The Human Rights Party (HRP) have also submitted a letter to the prime minister, federal territories minister and Kuala Lumpur mayor to condemn the demolition and demanded that all Hindu temples be gazetted.

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MIC recommendations for 10th Malaysia Plan

February 8th, 2010
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While MIC diligently does its usual act – delivering memorandums, proposals, requests, and invitation, among others, I hope the results of recommendation for 9th Malaysian plan is published for public viewing later.  It will be interesting to know how the recommendation was implemented and the results of those implementation. Anyway, the current recommendation has been developed based on input by NGOs and UM, so hopefully its given due attention.

Anyway, who else sends recommendations to federal government on behalf of Indian community? HINDRAF’s documents ends up in you-know-where. Perhaps MAICCI and MHS are the only others who have some resemblance of rapport with government.

MMSP and IPF? I think they are preoccupied with something more down to earth.

So, its not like the community has much choice.

The MIC will submit its 12 recommendations on the Indian community’s “Agenda for Development” to the Government before the end of this month for inclusion in the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP), party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.

He said the recommendations would be discussed at a special MIC Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Thursday.

Samy Vellu said the recommendations were drafted by the MIC with the cooperation of 75 Indian-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and University Malaya’s Ethnic Studies Department.

“We have prepared a comprehensive report that took us more than three months,” he told reporters before handing out cheques to 825 Tamil school students who obtained 7As in last year’s Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination here on Sunday.

He said the recommendations, among others, included special initiatives for Indians in the education, economic, training, housing, employment and women’s affairs fields.

Samy Vellu said it was the first time that the MIC had sought the views and proposals of many NGOs and an institution of higher learning to prepare its recommendations.

“Before this, the recommendations (for the Malaysia plans) were drafted by experts and academicians roped in by the MIC but this time we wanted the ordinary people to give their input and feedback through the NGOs,” he said.

Samy Vellu said he hoped that the Government would study the party’s recommendations and make the necessary adjustments to the 10MP, which was expected to be tabled in Parliament in June.

On the MIC’s rejuvenation exercise, Samy Vellu said the results had been “very positive”, with more Indians seeking the assistance of the party for various problems.[I think the concept of access to public service via political party channel is a factor for the assistance seeking.]

“We now get between 100 and 200 people coming to the MIC headquarters daily to seek our help, and if this is to be used as a yardstick to gauge the support of the Indians for the MIC, then we are on the right track,” he said. [This is expected as  MIC is the bridge to access federal government and departments- in terms of financial help, TEKUN loan, education, welfare, contracts, etc.]

Samy Vellu said with more Indians seeking the party’s assistance, he had decided to reintroduce his weekly meet-the-people session every Tuesday at the MIC headquarters beginning next month.

He also said that the party had launched the “People First Programme” in all its 3,600 branches nationwide where at least one major programme involving the community had to be carried out by the branches every month.

“We have started to monitor the branches and soon we will be evaluating them through a high-level score card, key performance indicators and star ratings,” he added. – BERNAMA

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