Posts Tagged ‘Politicians’

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Minnal FM interview with Senator Murugiah

August 2nd, 2008
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I managed to hear about 20 minutes of the recorded interview of Senator T.Murugiah (PPP) who is a Deputy Minister in Prime Minister’s Department. It was between 2 and 3pm on Minnal FM.

His interview was very candid and off the cuff. I’ve can’t remember other previous interviewees in the slot (like Saravanan and S.Subramaniam) talking like that.

Among the things he said:

1. He managed to settle SJKT Ladang Kulai Besar’s land title issue in just 6 days. The PIBG chairman called to thank him. It was dangling without solution for last 10 years.

2. He is in-charge of 5 departments under Prime Minister’s Department. Among them is the Biro Pengaduan Awam (Public Complaints Bureau) or BPA. He said all problems will receive personal attention from him. He urged Indians to put forth their complaints on about any public service problems to the agency. He said so far, after a publicity to the Indian community, most complaints that came in are on Tamil schools. He said PM personally told him to improve the BPA. BPA is at http://www.bpa.jpm.my and the public can contact them via telephone, letter, fax, and email.

3. He said not many Indian applicants for government jobs. He asked all candidates to forward a copy to him personally (to his office) so that he can track the application with SPA. He said many candidates don’t turn up for interview or are unprepared. He is planning to create a briefing team to help candidates to prepare for interview.

4. He touched on Tamil School Foundation initiative that he started. He said we should be more like the Chinese community who are using funds to support their schools. He said that if one person contributed RM10, it will be in millions since there are more than a million Indians. The money can be used for extra classes, study trips for students, seminars, and even support those who have financial problem via scholarships. He said Tamil schools are the soul of the community and it is very important to maintain the schools. He said more people should send their children to Tamil schools.

5. He said he is not after name and fame. Those who cheat others and live on others suffering won’t be happy. He said he don’t even own a house after being taken away from him (not sure what that means).

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Prof Ramasamy rebuts yet again

August 2nd, 2008
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We are seeing a repeating pattern here. Prof Ramasamy or the state government’s handling of Indians is condemned by the certain Indian groups, and he rebuts. First time was in April, then June, and now in July.

This time, Prof says that the claims of “Penang Indians sidelined” are untrue (refer Malaysiakini). He gives the following reasons:

1. it is unfair to expect drastic improvements to the lot of ethnic Indians less than five months after the March 8 election.

2. Within his own parliamentary constituency of Batu Kawan, Ramasamy said
Indians were appointed to head five village security and development
committees (JKKK).

“This had never happened under the
Barisan Nasional in Penang. In the last (Gerakan-led) state government,
only one Indian had been appointed to head a JKKK.

3. The DAP-led Penang government has also ensured Indian representation in
the state executive council as well as city and municipal councils.

4. awarding of land to two Tamil schools, two Hindu temples and groups of goat and cattle breeders. (Which schools and temples?)

5. A state-level committee was also set up to look into the plight of Tamil schools.

6. youth groups have been established to alleviate the problems faced by the Indian poor.

The reason Prof Ramasamy mentioned the above is because of recent complaints by HINDRAF, Pemaswa, and HAN on the “indifferent attittude of Pakatan Rakyat governments” in the three states of Penang, Perak, and Selangor.

The Prof also ups the ante by saying that the “small disgruntled group” is unhappy because these people failed to secure their own appointment as local councillors and members of a certain state religious body.

“We
can accept criticisms, but not mere attempts to discredit the Pakatan
governments. Why don’t they come and meet the state government
representatives to raise these issues?” he asked.

Prof Ramasamy also rejected calls for a special state Indian council as requested by the group. He repeats that Unlike Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Rakyat is not
merely a coalition of parties that represent exclusively the various
ethnic communities.

“I’m helping the Chinese and Malay communities as well. I’ve given financial aid for suraus
and Chinese temples. If they want state Indian councils, then should we
also set up state Malay councils? What about state Chinese councils?
What about state councils for Orang Asli?

“This is not the Pakatan formula. We are a multi-racial coalition and we work for all races,” he stressed.


Well, I’m interested to know, for a start, why the local council cancelled the land for SJKT Azad? Perhaps the good Prof can help to investigate or get his Education Exco to do it.

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How many RM3 millions for Indians?

July 31st, 2008
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Today, Star reported that TEKUN has allocated RM3 million for young Indians (reproduced at the end).

The Government has allocated RM3 mil to provide financial aid to young Indian entrepreneurs, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.

He said that assistance would be channelled through Tekun Nasional, a body under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives and the MIC-owned Social Strategic Foundation (YSS).

On 4th June this year, Samy Vellu mentioned that TEKUN had allocated RM3 million as well. Is it the same RM3 million? At that time only 10 out of 300 students from INSKEN had applied for it.

If we go back to 3rd March this year, RM3 million is part of a special allocation by Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister’s department. This RM3 million had been used as a revolving micro loan fund with Yayasan Tekun. I didn’t say that, Samy Vellu did.

In December 2007, Samy says this: “the Government provided business-training programs to Indian youths through the National Entrepreneur Skills institute while RM3mil has been allocated for business loans for Indians through the Tekun foundation”.

The RM3 million was first mentioned in July 2007 – “The government will also provide a special loan fund totalling RM3 million through Yayasan Tekun for 500 Indian youths to obtain micro business loans”. Yup, by Samy Vellu.

Hmmm…that’s quite a number of “RM3 millions”. Hope they are not the same. If not, it is the same RM3 million being rerun for last one year. But if not many applied, then it doesn’t make much difference does it?

According to TEKUN head Abdul Rahim, Tekun, which was set up in 1998, has already disbursed RM90 mil to bumiputras to develop their business and was expanding it to provide assistance to the Indian youths. He said a decision of the applications would be made within 14 days if all the documents were in order, compared to the previous period of three months.

Tekun would request additional allocation from the government if the RM3 mil allocation was inadequate.

The rest of the articles as follows:

Speaking to reporters after a briefing by Tekun managing director Datuk Abdul Rahim Hassan here Thursday, he said loans of RM10,000 each had been approved for three applications to develop their businesses so far.Samy Vellu said Indians below 40 should use the opportunity to seek the financial assistance from Tekun to upgrade their businesses.

“No one should come and say that the government has not done anything for the Indian community. There are opportunities available,” he said.

Samy Vellu said the MIC and YSS would also organise workshops in the respective states to disseminate the information on Tekun to the youths over the next two months.

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SJKT Azad land allocation cancelled by municipal council

July 30th, 2008
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The report in Nanban, carried by the Star says the Penang Municipal Council retracted the land it once allocated to the SJKT Azad Tamil school in Bagan Jermal, Penang. This retraction was done after the general elections, while the allocation date was not mentioned. We can safely assume that it was before elections.

Here’s the flow of events:

The school, which began operating in 1946, is presently “squatting” at the Penang Indian Association building and had submitted numerous applications to the state government for allocation of land so that new premises with proper facilities could be built. The school does not have enough classrooms. There is also no computer laboratory, science laboratory and library.

Previous government under chief minister Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon and former state executive councillor P.K. Subbaiyah had approved the land near a Hindu temple in the Waterfall area that was identified by the school parent-teacher association in 2005.

The Penang Municipal Council, which owns the land, had also approved the allocation for the school.

MIC president and former Works minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had also obtained the necessary funds amounting to RM750,000 from the Federal Government to build the new school.

The Penang Municipal Council cancelled the land allocated to the school after the recent general election.

So, what happened?

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MIC wooing Hindraf

July 29th, 2008
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Well, the word “woo” reminds me of marriage. And surely we remember Samy Vellu’s statement on MIC and Indian community are like husband and wife, which he made before elections. After that, the divorce happened.

Now, MIC wants to get married again 🙂 To Hindraf, no less.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the party had been holding discussions with Hindraf youth leaders in Kedah, Perak and Selangor, which he said went well. He said the meetings went well as the Hindraf leaders realised that the MIC was also fighting to upgrade the living standards of the Indian community.

“Whatever happened in the past, especially in the March polls, is history. We must work together for the betterment of the community,” he said, claiming that some of the Hindraf leaders also regretted their decision to support the opposition.

However, the overtures were rejected outright by the intended bride.

Hindraf national event co-ordinator Kannan Ramasamy, when contacted, said he was baffled by Samy Velu’s claims as none of the movement’s 10 coordinators had met any MIC leaders.

“Hindraf does not have a membership roll. It is led by P. Waythamoorthy who is assisted by 10 coordinators and as far as I know, none of us had met anyone from the MIC,” added Kannan.

Both Thanenthiran and Kannan advised Samy Vellu to back off and concentrate on rebuilding the MIC.

Rebutting Samy’s claims that some Hindraf leaders also regretted their decision to support the opposition, Kannan said Hindraf has never regretted convincing the Indians to vote for the opposition in the 12th general election as the move had brought much improvement for the community in some parts of the country. “We have noted that a lot of improvement has taken place for Indians in the five states led by the Pakatan Rakyat coalition since the election,” he said.

Hindraf national coordinator R.S Thanenthiran concurred and added the best thing that happened from supporting the opposition was the awareness created that Indians mattered in the country. “For the first time ever, it has been made known to the minority Indians that they had the power to bring changes through the ballot box,” he added.

So, will the wedding take place?

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