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Can Malaysian Indians really count on MIC?
After reading the news over here, I’m now wondering whether can Malaysian Indians really count on MIC after a few series of temple demolitions took place, body snatchings, lock-up deaths, discrimination and marginalisation in workplace and universities, religion-based issues in schools, high rate of suicide cases and so forth?
Some of Samy Vellu’s quotes adapted from the news linked above:
“Although only a certain section of people who claim to represent the Indian voice are involved in such actions, we represent all Indian Malaysians. We hear them. We act on their grievances.”
“Those behind their downfall will blame us (the MIC) for the Indians’ failures. But at the end of the day, the Indians can always count on the MIC.”
“I can say that the MIC and I have done our best, but I feel and believe that more can and should be done. Come what may, I will fight on and nobody can stop me.”
“Their anger is due to inadequacy: when 50 people apply for a (government) job, and if only one gets the job, it is not only they that get angry.”
GOPIO’s Letter to Malaysia’s PM Regarding Malaysian Indians
Thanks to “Nala999″ for sending this article via email.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Honorable Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of Malaysia, Global Organization of Persons of Indian Origin (GOPIO) International expressed its continuing concern of the hardships faced by Malaysians of Indian Origin. The entire letter is reprinted below.
February 22, 2008
Hon. Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Sub: Malaysians of Indian origin
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
Indians were brought to Malaysia during the British rule to work on rubber plantations, and since then, they have been contributing to the economic growth and prosperity of Malaysia. Today, there are two million Malaysians of Indian Origin who constitute about eight percent of your country’s population. But these Malaysians of Indian Origin lack fair and equal treatment in educational resources and job opportunities. Consequently, a significant number of them work as plantation and/or urban underpaid laborers, and hence majority of them are poor and continue to face undue social and economic hardships.
It is well known that Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has been an integral part of your government’s ruling coalition and that the MIC must be claiming to represent the interests and aspirations of their ethnic community. However, Time Magazine reported in 2000 that Indians had the lowest share of the nation’s corporate wealth: 1.5%, compared to 19.4% for Malays and 38.5% for Chinese. The highest rate of suicide of any community is among Malaysians of Indian Origin, and gangsterism and violent crime are largely associated with that community. Some 15% of the Malaysians of Indian Origin in the capital of Kuala Lumpur are squatters. Since then, these statistics have not changed much. Obviously, MIC as your Coalition partner has not been able to get fair share for their minority community as their role as coalition partner appears to have been rendered ineffective or irrelevant.
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