At the launch of the Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party ( MMSP ) yesterday, its President Thanenthiran had proclaimed Najib as "Wira Makkal Sakti" and said: "Our decision to support BN is due to Datuk Seri Najib Razak's leadership, especially his 1Malaysia concept which is in line with our party's struggle. He also said that within four months of his leadership, Najib has shown great promise in improving our community's lot and has captured a place in the heart of every Indian in the country."
For a party that " sounds like MIC, looks like the MIC but is not the MIC", Thanenthiran 's sky high praise for Najib did not surprise anyone. That has always been the style and language of MIC leaders who always feel subservient to UMNO"s leadership.
But Thanenthiran has betrayed the origin and cause of the political awakening of the Indian community when he hijacked the Makkal Sakti slogan. Yesterday he delivered the greatest insult to the Makkal Sakti awakening when he proclaimed Najib as the Wira Makkal Sakti.
If he felt thankful that his party's application to register itself could be speedily approved by the Registrar of Societies and that the Prime Minister was willing to launch his " " sounds like MIC, looks like the MIC but is not the MIC" party, he could proclaim Najib as Wira Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party. But Wira Makkal Sakti is certainly and totally unacceptable. In fact, I think Najib himself would feel embarrassed to be bestowed with such a title.
Let me remind Thanenthiran that while he himself may have short memory, the Indian community will never forget why Makkal Sakti power and spirit came about. The most important factor that gave birth to the Makkal Sakti power which led to the political tsunami at last year's general election is simply because the BN government had failed the Indians!
Speaking at the launch of the Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party ( MMSP ) yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that the government under his leadership will always be guided by the 1Malaysia philosophy in drawing up programmes that would do justice to all segments of Malaysian society.He said since taking office, the government had strived to help the Indian community in many ways, including providing a RM100 million allocation for Tamil school development, RM15 million in micro-credit for Indian businesses, skills training for 2,635 Indian youths and a 15 per cent allocation in Amanah Saham 1Malaysia.
Before he continues to blow trumpet about his assistance and contributions to the Indian community, let me remind him and MMSP of the independent report released by Centre for Public Policy Studies in 2005. The report says:
“Malaysian Indians are increasingly being marginalized, economically as well as socially. More than 30% of Indians do not own a house; over 300,000 Indian poor have been evicted from their plantation livelihoods and residences; and there were 21.1 suicides per 100,000 Indians a year 2005, the highest rate amongst all communities. Indians also have the lowest life expectancy at birth amongst the major races.”
Is the new Prime Minister brave enough to say that he has done enough for the Indian community who have been long marginalised by the BN government?
Comments
Post a Comment