The seven motions:<\/p>\n
1. Felda-like scheme involving 2000 acres of land for 200 hardcore families.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0RM10 million fund to be set up to assist Indians in small and medium enterprises.<\/p>\n
3. set up an Indian affairs bureau under the purview of the menteri besar.<\/p>\n
4. at least 10 acres of land for all Tamil and Chinese schools in the state.<\/p>\n
5. renaming Jalan Barat in Petaling Jaya to Jalan V David to commemorate the late unionist.<\/p>\n
6. seven percent discount for all poor Malaysians who are purchasing homes from the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).<\/p>\n
7. \u201cno demolition\u201d order or shifting of temples erected in the state before 2008.<\/p>\n
Number 7 was accepted with a modification:\u00a0\u00a0no demolition or shifting a temple without the approval of the executive council in charge.<\/p>\n
Motion number 1 is difficult due to land scarcity, but I believe Selangor still got plenty of land outside Klang Valley which can be utilised for agriculture. The state government can even consider reserving certain percentage for the poor Indians in any schemes being implemented\/planned.<\/p>\n
Motion 2 is not a big problem. Can easily be set up.<\/p>\n
Motion 3 is even easier.<\/p>\n
Motion 4 is noble indeed. Must be supported.<\/p>\n
Motion 5, well, not exactly top of my list. Can even consider naming some of the new projects being done by the state government instead of renaming, if its an hassle.<\/p>\n
Motion 6, totally agree. Not sure if anyone in the right mind will disagree to this.<\/p>\n
Motion 7, as it has been amended, we can hold the executive councillor in charge responsible if any demolition happens.<\/p>\n
Out of the 7, 3 are outright motions to help Indian community, while the other 4 are mixed or of no direct help.<\/p>\n
Gotta agree with the YB, this kind of motion was unheard of before this. I hope its retabled and let’s see how the state government responds.<\/p>\n
I’m not sure what the senator Barat Maniam meant by saying that MIC representatives will support the motion if BN wins Selangor. Someone need to table the motion FIRST, before you can support it. So, would MIC representatives make promise to table such a motion?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nJust days after Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers conceded that the opposition pact, which rode to victory in five states on the wave of Indian support in 2008, had failed the community, a legislator revealed that several motions beneficial to Indians had been dismissed by the Selangor State Legislative Assembly.<\/p>\n
According to Kota Alam Shah state assemblyman M Manoharan, the assembly has dismissed seven motions which he had tabled in July.<\/p>\n
He said if the motions had been passed and become law, not only would the Indians have benefited but all the poor in Selangor would have also found reprieve.<\/p>\n
Explaining the motions, Manoharan said he had moved for a Felda-like scheme involving 2,000 acres of land to be set up for 200 hardcore Indian poor in Selangor.<\/p>\n
He had also moved for a RM10 million fund to be set up to assist Indians in small and medium enterpries in the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also tabled a motion to set up an Indian affairs bureau under the purview of the menteri besar and asked for at least 10 acres of land for all Tamil and Chinese schools in the state,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The other three motions he had tabled were renaming Jalan Barat in Petaling Jaya to Jalan V David to commemorate the late unionist, a seven percent discount for all poor Malaysians who are purchasing homes from the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) and a \u201cno demolition\u201d order or shifting of temples erected in the state before 2008.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the only motion that was accepted by the assembly was the temple order.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that too they (Pakatan lawmakers) tweaked to read no demolition or shifting a temple without the approval of the executive council in charge,\u201d said Manoharan, who added that he will again table the same motions in October sitting of the assembly.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\nLand and housing<\/strong><\/p>\n
Manoharan, who was upset with the dismissal of his bids, said it was \u201chigh-time Indians enjoyed the benefits denied to them since Independence\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout one-third of the entire Indian population in Malaysia lives in Selangor.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the motions had been passed and become law, they would not only help Indians but also all those who are poor in the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked for the land so that we can teach the Indian community to cultivate it for agriculture or livestock.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis would also empower our youths and deter them from joining criminal activities,\u201d said Manoharan,who is from the DAP.<\/p>\n
On the housing issue, he said owning a house was a basic necessity for everyone.<\/p>\n
He added that PKNS was in a position to assist Indians and the low-income earner acquire homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cPKNS is an established property company and it makes money from its housing projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurely, it can help our low-income people by offering discount.<\/p>\n
\u201cBesides, the Menteri Besar (Khalid Ibrahim) is the chairman of the government-linked agency and he can monitor it directly,\u201d said Manoharan.<\/p>\n
Malay votes<\/strong><\/p>\n
Asked why the other Pakatan state assemblymen refused to support his motion, Manoharan said it could be due to fear of losing Malay votes.<\/p>\n
However, he added that even the Malay assemblymen were aware that the Indians were left behind in many areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome lawmakers did come to me after the state assembly meeting and said my ideas were good.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut when I asked why they didn\u2019t support it then, they kept mum,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
However, Manoharan stopped short of criticising the Pakatan state government, saying the assemblymen now enjoyed more freedom to table their motions unlike in the previous state government.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Indian representatives then would not even dare to table such motions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI must thank our current speaker (Teng Chang Khim) for allowing more freedom in the assembly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I am going to table the motions again in the next state assembly sitting in October. I\u2019m confident my fellow Pakatan assemblymen will support me,\u201d said Manoharan.<\/p>\n
\u2018Good ideas\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n
Meanwhile, newly appointed Senator V Subramaniam, however, supports Manoharan\u2019s motions, saying the ideas \u201cwere good\u201d.<\/p>\n
Subramaniam, however, conceded that allocating 10 acres for Tamil schools in Selangor would be tough as some schools were located in densely populated areas like Petaling Jaya where land is scarce.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, the rest of the motions are good. The (state assembly\u2019s) rejection shows that Pakatan is not sincere in helping the Indians despite riding high on the community\u2019s votes in 2008,\u201d said Subramaniam, who is better known as Barat Maniam.<\/p>\n
Subramaniam, who is Petaling Jaya MIC\u2019s division chief, said if BN wins Selangor in the next polls, MIC representatives will support the motion to improve the Indians\u2019 lot in the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ideas are in line with the 1Malaysia concept. If we win in the next polls, we will look out for the welfare of all Malaysians.<\/p>\n
\u201cBesides, that is why we are elected into the post,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Last week, Indian DAP leaders conceded that the opposition pact had failed the community after having a closed-door meeting involving 50 DAP members, including lawmakers.<\/p>\n
One DAP member said that Pakatan is doing \u201canother BN\u201d for Indians in Selangor, Penang and Kedah.<\/p>\n
Among those present at the meeting were DAP national vice-chairman and Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran, Penang DAP deputy chairman and deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, Perak DAP deputy chairman and Tronoh assemblyman V Sivakumar, Perak DAP vice-chairman and Sungkai assemblyman A Sivanesan and former ISA detainee V Ganapathirau.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n