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Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email The earlier statistics implied that Indians are doing well, as mentioned by the minister.
However, as pointed out by P Gunasegaram of the Edge Daily, statistics are showing a different picture. Perhaps we can extend the comparison to MP7 or MP6 to see the change in poverty rate and mean income. » Read more: Proof that indian community is marginalised
| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email – indian sentiments divided due to HINDRAF
– Lingam-gate
– Cost of living increasing – foodstuff/toll/raw materials
– "Free" schooling fiasco
– Increase in crime rate statistics
– Nurin and Sharlinie cases
– Chua Soi Lek DVD
– FDI behind few other countries in ASEAN
– Growth rate also behind few countries in ASEAN
– corruption issues
– racist and/or sexist MPs
– PKFTZ scandal
– Mazu statue
– Mat Rempit
– use of ISA
– banning of Catholic buletin
– "close one eye" case
– BERSIH rally
– Bar Council walk
– 3 rallies planned before end of February
– Politician assassination
– umno youth condemning indian newspaper vendors
– no bonus for civil servants (yet)
– altantuniya case
– and many more (just in the last 6 months!)
Who in their right mind will call for election now?
maybe one who knows that:
– rakyat have no (better?) choice
– rakyat only worries on local issues – fix the road, put up a surau, give out angpow (land title/house key etc)
– rakyat easily forget
– selfish mentality of individual : as long as my wellbeing is taken care, I have no worries.
– minority votes won't affect the results.
so, when is it? PM refuses to tell 🙂
Pak Lah keeps ’em guessing on elections
MADRID: The guessing game is still on as Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi refuses to give any clues as to when he may call the coming general election.
“It can be between now and March and it can be between now and March 2009,” the Prime Minister said in reference to the Barisan Nasional mandate which will end in March next year. “I am thrilled to hear that everyone seems impatient for the general election,” he told reporters accompanying him on his visit to Spain.
Political parties have been in full gear anticipating the elections in March, with Barisan having conducted election dry runs in several states. Election pundits have been predicting the polling date as around early March as Abdullah has not made any overseas travel plans in February.
After attending the Alliance of Civilisations Forum here this week, the Prime Minister will travel to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum at the end of this month. He told a press conference late Monday that he would attend the Organisation of Islamic Conference summit in Senegal in March as he would be handing over the chairmanship to the host country.
Asked if the elections would be held before or after the OIC summit, Abdullah replied with a laugh: “I have not made any preparation for the general election.”
However, the Prime Minister said everyone should be prepared for the polls. “Whatever it is, you have to prepare. Normally, you still have one year, one year before we complete the mandate, it is a full year to prepare for election. That has been the way all these years.” The coming polls will be the country’s 12th general election.
| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email Yesterday marked the 31st day or one month since Indians in Malaysia took to the streets to protest against marginalisation and discrimination against them. As a mark of respect for Christians who celebrate Christmas, I decided against writing about the significant milestone (unlike some who organise the General Assemblies on religiously significant public holidays and have the gall to complaint about newspapers not being delivered!).Even though 20,000 to 30,000 people were physically present, there seemed to be much, much higher number of support from nearly 1.8 million Indians and also other Malaysians who understood their predicament. From my experience, very few of the people I met talked negatively on the rally, perhaps less than 10%. From relatives to friends to acquaintances, there was words of support for the organisers, HINDRAF and the rally participants, and volleys of condemnation againsts MIC, the police and certain segment of the government.
What is clear is that the Indians are using the newly found spirit and camaraderie to jump-start their lives, with or without the millions from the British government. For the last 30 days, HINDRAF have been a topic over thosais and teh tariks, at home and office. There is a new born awareness against discriminative policies and citizen rights.
But how long will this last? The main leaders are behind bars, and HINDRAF is clearly not a political party will millions to spend.
The torch is seen to be taken over by MIC and a handful of NGOs who before this were quite invisible. The ordinary Indian is left wondering where were this folks when bad things happened to them. Again, how long the torch is carried by the newly self-election champions is left to be seen.
The government had taken initiative to spew statistics, make promises (without the word “promise” in it) and set up committees and panels; all the usual stuff expected of a government. Nothing out of the ordinary happened.
All the players are playing their cards now. The trump card is still with the Indian community. How well would they remember the water canons and tear gases in another 30 days? More importantly, how well would they remember the last 50 years when the candidates come knocking on their doors?
What can the Indian community learn from the rally and subsequent voice of discontent raised by themselves? How can they make use of this energy to improve their lives and to ask for their rights? What is the role of the individual? Can this rally be used to turn the youths into better persons, the women into equally important contributors to economy, the men into educated and matured citizens?
Can the community force a reduction in crime statistics, suicide percentages, and school dropout rates? Can they work together, with or without HINDRAF to make this country a better place to live?
HINDRAF has set the pace. It is now the responsibility of the Indian community to ensure the sacrifices made by the group is not forgotten and left to rot.
Let’s see how things are after the 100th day.
| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email "Is the opposition really worried about the state of affairs of the Indians, or is it trying to win support for the coming elections?"
[ the same can be asked of all political parties. That's why they exist, no?]
"You mean, for 50 years, the MIC did not do anything?
[more likely the last 30 years its been downhill as compared to the 1st 20 years]
MIC acknowledged that the community had some chronic problems, such as in the area of education opportunities and also the relocation of estate workers.
[ aik! I thought everytime they said life is rosy and everyone is happy. Now, the community have some chronic problem???]
He said the MIC was trying to resolve these problems, but nothing could be done overnight.
[ 50 years is not overnight. Even 30 years is not overnight. If can convert one school every year to fully aided, we would have extra 30 schools to the 180].
"We also need more statistics on the problems facing the Indians so that we can bring them up with the government. This is now a priority for us."
[ Why not use YSS to gather statistics? They seem to look more capable. But really, now only want to collect statistics??? Never had monthly reports from divisions on poverty, unemployment, education etc? Only have statistics on voters and voting trend is it? Err…what was your priority before this?]
youth wing wanted to compile a list of problems in every area so that relevant action could be taken.
[ yeah..compile and add to the pile of neverending reports.]
"I have told all youth members to go on to the ground and gather all the information they can get and fax it to state youth secretariats daily."
[who pays for the fax cost? Can we also fax information?]
Comedy Time with MIC Youth! 🙂
KLANG: Opposition politicians have hijacked the Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf) and are now proclaiming themselves as saviours of the Indians, a senior MIC official said.
"They have hijacked it and are going around throwing all kinds of accusations at the MIC and the government," said MIC Youth chief S.A. Vigneswaran.
"Is the opposition really worried about the state of affairs of the Indians, or is it trying to win support for the coming elections?"
Speaking at the start of a nationwide roadshow by the MIC Youth movement here on Friday night, Vigneswaran said the opposition kept saying the MIC had not done anything for the Indians.
"You mean, for 50 years, the MIC did not do anything?
"If this is true, why didn't these so-called heroes do anything all this while?"
The roadshow is to explain to the youth members the current issues and what needed to be done.
Vigneswaran said the MIC acknowledged that the community had some chronic problems, such as in the area of education opportunities and also the relocation of estate workers. He said the MIC was trying to resolve these problems, but nothing could be done overnight.
"We also need more statistics on the problems facing the Indians so that we can bring them up with the government. This is now a priority for us."
He said the youth wing wanted to compile a list of problems in every area so that relevant action could be taken.
"I have told all youth members to go on to the ground and gather all the information they can get and fax it to state youth secretariats daily."
| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email I suppose this is to counter the damage by Mr Siva from JIBA.
1. 9 million for past "several years" for 70 schools. Let's assume several years is 5 years. (9,000,000 / 5 / 70 = RM25714 per school per year.)
2. "RM2mil was allocated last year to build new Tamil schools, renovate classrooms and buy equipment." That should read as "build new buildings for existing Tamil schools".
3. "12 new sites for such relocation, including in Taman Tun Aminah (2ha) and Permas Jaya (2.4ha) and a piece of land in Kulai valued at RM9mil.". Obviously land in JB side is expensive and if the school is not located next to sewerage ponds, it should be costly.
4. " Johor had 70 Tamil schools and all of them received aid from the government". This is provided under law. But what are the efforts to convert them to FULLY-AIDED status?
5. "He said the state government had recently allocated RM500,000 for the construction of a Hindu crematorium at Kebun Teh here." This is funny indeed! Of course crematorium is by govt. We don't want people contributing to open burning by cremating the dead in public areas, do we?
I feel something is not right. The way the information is given, it sounds as if the people are living here due to some hospitality or charity of authorities. But things like education, burial, housing are responsibilities, not charity to be given when liked.
MIC rep: Johor always meets needs of Indians
JOHOR BARU: The state has never marginalised the Indian community and has given attention to their educational, religious, social and cultural needs, Johor MIC liaison committee chairman Datuk K. S. Balakrishnan said.
He said the state had granted RM9mil over the past several years for the development and modernisation of Tamil schools while RM2mil was allocated last year to build new Tamil schools, renovate classrooms and buy equipment. The allocation was the result of the request made by Johor MIC and the work was carried out by the district offices, he said.
Balakrishnan, who is Unity, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman, said the state government had also provided alternative sites for the relocation of Tamil schools when their existing sites had to make way for housing and industrial development. He said the state government so far provided 12 new sites for such relocation, including in Taman Tun Aminah (2ha) and Permas Jaya (2.4ha) and a piece of land in Kulai valued at RM9mil. Johor had 70 Tamil schools and all of them received aid from the government, he said, adding that these schools also received tuition aid from the Johor Education Foundation.
Balakrishnan said the aid provided by the state government proved untrue the allegations of marginalisation of Indians by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).
He also said that the state government had so far provided 19 alternative sites for Hindu temples that had to make way for development. He said the state government had recently allocated RM500,000 for the construction of a Hindu crematorium at Kebun Teh here.
On housing, he said the state government had reserved 10% of the units in low and medium cost housing schemes for the Indian community but was prepared to raise the quota to 50% in places such as Labis and Chaah where there were many Indians. – Bernama
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