Press Statement by M Kula Segaran, DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat in Ipoh on 25thApril, 2017


The Indian community certainly has every reason to doubt that the Blue print launched on Sunday is but just a political eyewash

The Prime Minister Najib Razak launched the federal government’s Blueprint for the Indians last Sunday. He described the blueprint to uplift Indians in Malaysia, with an allocation of more than RM1 billion, as a serious document and not just “empty talk”.


He also said that the launch of the blueprint was not related to the general election.
But with BN government’s record of only announcing nice to hear measures whenever election approaches, the blueprint is definitely launched to woo voter support for the BN which may face its worst ever electoral debacle in the coming general election.


If the BN government had been sincere, committed and effective in helping the Indian community, the Indian community will not still face so much long standing issues in the economic, educational , social , housing employment sectors. The stateless Indians issue could have been resolved long ago.


In fact, in 2000, TIME magazine has carried an article about the Malaysian Indians, describing them as a "disgruntled underclass" with many of them feeling like "third-class citizens" in the country and the "real losers" since the introduction of the New Economic Policy in 1970.
17 years later, are the Indian community better off and what has the government done?


If the government wants the support of the Indian community, it should be able to produce results and achievements that it has helped them since the last election.
Be that as it may, how can the Prime Minister ensure that the Blueprint can really be effectively implemented to benefit the Indian community?


Speaking at the opening of MIC's 70th annual assembly on Oct last year, Najib said an Indian blueprint was necessary because his past initiatives for Indians had not effectively trickled down to the community's grassroots.


So does not this mean that the launch of the Blueprint is a reflection of the government’s past failures to help the community?


A blue print should be an outcome after a parliamentary select committee had been commissioned. This would have been comprehensive and holistic as inputs from a wide spectrum of the society would have been obtained. Subsequently thereafter a report of the progress and achievements made should be tabled to Parliament annually. This would ensure a check and balance on what has or has not been done and would be made available to all and sundry!


Najib said that the blueprint’s implementation would be watched over by an executive committee chaired by MIC president Dr S Subramaniam.
Such announcement does not inspire confidence. We had the Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) under him for 4 years. What's the outcome? Nothing tangible has trickled down to the community.


The Indian community certainly has every reason to doubt that the Blue print launched on Sunday is but just a political eyewash. This is definitely nothing more then an election gimmick!!

Comments