08th September 2009
YAB. Dato Seri Najib Razak,
Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, By Fax No : 03-8888 3444
62502 Putrajaya. E-Mail : najib@pmo.gov.my
Y.B Dato Seri Mohd Khaled Bin Nordin
Minister of Higher Education Malaysia,
Aras 7, Block E3, Complex E,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, By Fax No : 03-8889 1952
62505 Putrajaya. E-Mail : minister@mohe.gov.my
Y.A.B,
RE : 1) The unconstitutional downgrading of the Indian Studies Department at University of Malaya and the misrepresentation by the MIC Minister that all is well (The Star 3/9/9/ page N10)
2) Historical document by Malayan-born Indian Association Penang dated 11/7/1956 on the wishes and sentiments of the then Malayan Indian Citizens that led to the setting up of the Indian Studies Department, University of Malaya
3) Indian Studies Department acts as the guardian and custodian of the 105,618 Tamil School pupils in the 523 Tamil schools nationwide and to train the 7,126 Tamil school teachers (as at 2008)
We refer to the above matter and to the Indian Studies Department (ISD) at University Malaya being downgraded (Malaysia Nanban 28/8/09, headlines, Tamil Nesan 28/8/09, front page and Makkal Osai front page) It is plain and obvious that this is done with mala fide and against the letter and spirit of the Federal Constitution and regretfully executed under the leadership of the UMNO controlled One Malaysian government.
If at all, Prime Minister Najib Razak’s One Malaysia should build on what we already have in the ISD and not downgrade the same let alone being seen to be heading in the direction of putting the ISD to extinction as had been done for many other Indian symbols in Malaysia.
In the circumstances we urge your goodselves to restore the ISD at University of Malaya as it was and approve a further grant of RM52 Million per annum from this year onwards for the further expansion and development of this said Department signifying 52 years for this department being neglected.
Further Article 12 of the Federal Constitution provides for “no discrimination against any citizen on the grounds only of race, religion, descent or place of birth. Article 12 may not specifically state about the ISD aforesaid. However the travaux preparotaries (official records of the negotiations which help clarify the intentions of a document) as is in the historically documented letter by the Malayan born Indian Association, Penang dated the 11th day of July 1956 to The Secretary, Office of the Constitutional Commission, Lake View Road, Kuala Lumpur, Federation of Malaya (copy enclosed) proves the wishes sentiments and the legitimate expectations of the then Malayan Indian citizens, the historical origins, setting up, developments and existence of the Indian Studies Department at University Malaya.
May we quote Paragraph 10 of the said letter “We submit as the majority of Indians are of Tamils, a Tamil Chair should be set up in the University of Malaya and every facility should be given to Tamils who wish to learn the language and imbibe the culture. Please take note that it was primarily on this basis that the Indian Studies Department was established at the University of Malaya. We urge your goodselves to maintain and preserve this historical Department which is also the History and Heritage of this country. The Head of this Department should be maintained from amongst University Malaya’s or other Universities’ academics who are scholars in the Tamil language.
This ISD as the one and only specialist Institution of Higher Learning in Tamil in Malaysia which would go a long way in also providing training, learning and upward mobility opportunities for Tamil school Headmasters, Senior Assistants and graduate teachers who could in turn churn out quality future human resources for the country. This Indian Studies Department should be expended and made to train all 7,126 Tamil School Headmaster, Senior Assistants and Teachers to secure their Phd, all Tamil School Senior Assistants to have at least a Masters and all Tamil School Teachers to have at least a Degree, which is to be implemented within the next six years from next year ie 2010. This would effectively mean that all the 105,618 Tamil School pupils as at 2008(NST 25/11/08 at page 7) in all the 523 Tamil Schools nationwide would all be taught by at least graduate teachers by the year 2015
This progressive step would definitely go a long way and would be on course and in tandem with Prime Minister Najib’s One Malaysia policy in actual practice as opposed to be seen as mere media propaganda as it stands today.
The sole MIC Minister but who is the Human Resources Minister and not the Higher Education Minister however has made a statement like his predecessor that the Cabinet has decided that the Indian Studies Department (ISD) of University Malaya will remain and is to be headed by a qualified Malaysian Indian “The Cabinet decided on this yesterday” (The Star 3/9/09 at page N10). He further states so in the New Straits Times on 3/9/09 at page 20. This supposed Cabinet decision is in effect yet another UMNO style political gimmick and holds no water. Why was this statement not made by the Minister of Higher Education himself but as usual done by UMNO’s Mandore.
However the New Straits Times had earlier on 29/8/2009 at page 18 reported MIC President Dato Seri S.Samy Vellu as having said that he was “informed by Human Resources Minister Dr.S.Subramaniam that the cabinet has agreed to maintain the name of the ISD after Dr.Subramaniam had raised the matter at a recent cabinet meeting. However it was after and despite this supposed cabinet decision that the Vice Chancellor of University of Malaya had decided to rename the Department to Indian and South Asian Studies Department. This violation of the cabinet decision would not have arisen had this cabinet decision been announced by the Minister of Education himself. To add to this ambiguity the Makkal Osai on 7/9/09, front page has reported that the retention of the ISD is only temporary.
It is yet again very obvious that the sole malaysian Indian representative in the Malaysian Cabinet is powerless in addressing this issue as in almost all other issues in over all these 52 years. We therefore urge that all future announcements affecting the Indian community is made by the respective Ministers and not UMNO’s mandore MIC Cabinet Minister or MIC, PPP or Gerakan Indian leaders as it most often turns out to be mere empty talk and puppet shadow play “wayang kulit” and not followed by the Universities or the government departments.
May we bring to your goodselves attention that not only has the Indian Studies Department produced top Tamil scholars in over the last 52 years since Independence but has amongst others also produced the present top most Indian police officer in the country in the person of P/Senior Assistant Commissioner 1 Dato’ A Thaiveegan.
We hereby call upon the Prime Minister and the Higher Education Minister to raise this matter at tomorrows Cabinet Meeting(9/9/09), make a Cabinet Decision and thereafter on the same day make a public announcement by either the Prime Minister or the Higher Education Minister that the ISD would be maintained as it was all these 52 years, the RM52 Million additional grant to the ISD and that the ISD would always be headed by a scholar in the Tamil language.
Kindly also issue the Education Ministry’s circular to this effect to the Vice Chancellor of University of Malaya and forward a copy of the same to us. The least that could be done by UMNO is to direct the Vice Chancellor to make a written public statement on the aforesaid proposed cabinet decision.
As the Prime Minister for all One Malaysians kindly address this unnecessary, backward moving, racially divisive and tension creating issue with immediate effect and revert to us accordingly.
Thank you.
P.Uthayakumar
Secretary General (pro tem)
Human Rights Party (HRP)
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