MIC To Propose Formation Of Special Agency For Indians

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- The MIC is to propose to the government to set up the Malaysian Indian Development Agency (Minda) to monitor and implement the government's initiatives for the Indian community, especially under the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP).

Party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Minda would be a government agency and would complement the Special Cabinet Committee for the Development of Indians chaired by the prime minister.

"Minda will also ensure the implementation of the recommendations by the MIC to the government for inclusion in the 10MP," he told reporters after chairing a special MIC Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting to discuss the 10MP at the party headquarters here Thursday.

The 10MP (2011-2015) is expected to be tabled in parliament in June. Samy Vellu said the MIC would be submitting its recommendations for the 10MP to the government later this month after fine-tuning them.

The recommendations include the setting up a cooperative for Indians to be run by the government with an initial capital of RM100 million, a Youth Visionary Programme with a government grant of RM100 million for school drop-outs and the unemployed, and the yearly allocation for Tamil schools.

Other proposals include speeding up the issuance of birth certificates and identification cards to Malaysian Indians without the documents, identifying the actual number of poor Indians, drawing up a strategic programme to reduce Indian involvement in crime, more opportunities and loans with special interest rates to own a house.

The setting up of a village security and development committee in Indian settlements to ensure the implementation of the programmes and initiatives for the community, expediting the intake of Indians into the public sector to reach the 7.4 per cent quota, setting up of a mechanism within the government to monitor the number of Indian applicants for government jobs, and offering a 10 per cent quota in projects of government-linked companies (GLCs) for Indian contractors.

Samy Vellu said the party's recommendations would also be discussed at the Special Cabinet Committee for the Development of Indians.

He said Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and some 75 non-governmental organisations had worked with the MIC to finalise the recommendations.

"Within the next five years, the equity participation of the Indians must be increased so that we can reach the target of three per cent by 2020," he said.

He said the MIC would also request the government to increase the allocation for Yayasan Tekun to give more business loans for Indians.

He said many of the party's recommendations had been implemented by the government under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, "and we have seen major improvements".

Samy Vellu said he was confident the government would be able to implement the party's recommendations.

"For the next five years, we want to create a high-performance community," he added.