Call on the Prime Minister and Datuk Seri Palanivel to present their “report card” on the 7 critical issues faced by Indian community.

Speech by M.Kula Segaran, DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat at Deepavali Function organized by DAP Sri Taman Branch, Sg Siput, Perak on Saturday, November 03, 2012

Call on the Prime Minister and Datuk Seri Palanivel to present their “report card” on the 7 critical issues faced by Indian community.

Prime Minister Datuk Sri Najib presented an election budgets expected—a budget with cash handouts and goodies aimed at winning voter support.

Of course the BN leaders would not admit that it was an election budget.

But the general public including BN leaders, members and supporters know very well that it is an election budget.

Will the Budget save the BN at the next general election? 

The answer will be known in the coming general election but I believe that with voters being more politically awakened and informed, BN will need more than just cash handouts to win voter support.

The Indian voters played a key role in causing BN to suffer its worst electoral debacle in the last general election. So there has to be some goodies for the Indian community in the 2013 Budget.

Among the goodies and allocations meant for the Indian community were: -

1. Special allocation of RM 100 million for Tamil schools;

2. RM 50 million to train 3,200 Indians students to equip them with skills in line with market demand;

3. Allocation of RM50 million via TEKUN -Skim Pembangunan Usahawan Masyarakat India 

Are these enough for the Indian community?

If these are all that BN and MIC can deliver to the community, then BN deserves to be taught another lesson in the coming general election!

Let’s not forget that BN has ruled the nation for more than 5 decades!  Why are there still many long standing problems faced by the Indian community?

The issue of unfair categorization of Tamil schools into fully aided and partially aided schools is one long standing problem which BN has not resolved. 

Presently out of 523 Tamil schools, 370 schools are categorised as partially aided. These schools suffer financially and are always having to raise funds.

Ought not all schools to be accorded the same treatment?  

Let me remind the Prime Minister and MIC leaders not to forget the 7 critical issues which former MIC president Datuk Seri Samy Vellu mentioned in 2008.

In February, 2008, the then MIC chief Dato Seri Samy Vellu said that there were seven critical issues that had caused uneasiness among the Indian community and the government must immediately take steps to address them.

The seven were:

1. an equitable participation in the share market;

2. Indian intake in public universities;

3. better employment opportunities, especially in the public sector;

4. increase the number of government scholarships;

5. greater access to entrepreneurship training and micro-credit loans;

6. an effective urban poverty eradication programme; and.

7. the establishment of a dedicated mechanism to monitor and evaluate the delivery of public sector services in a just and fair manner.

The Prime Minister and MIC President cannot pretend that Samy Vellu never mentioned such issues.

Neither should they think that the Indian voters have short memories.

If Datuk Sri Najib and Datuk Seri Palanivel are serious about wanting to woo Indian support, they must present their “ report card” on the above 7 issues to the Indian community.