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Friday, 15 October 2010

Government effort to win back Indian voters

Senator S. Ramakrishnan, 

Special task force headed by Datuk Dr S.Subramaniam gives direct access to government departments and agencies like national registrations, social welfare and skill development programs, socso and Tekun National reports the media. They have registered thousands of people in need of help in Ijok, Sepang, kulim and other areas. While these developments said to be winning back voters to BN, but at the same time creating ripples and tension in MIC circle between Palanivelu and subra factions in view of the fact that MIC long term president has finally agreed to step down in January, 2011. So what may be benevolent for the Indian community may not be the same to MIC itself. Let’s take a deeper look at the caring and concerned effort of MIC. Those who seek help may not be BN supporters.

First of all, the approach taken by government shows the level of marginalization and neglect of Malaysian Indians from the main stream of government services. Few hundred thousand Malaysian Indians still having red identity cards despite being born in Malaysia since 1957. Many from rubber estates forced out of estates resettle in urban fringes in all major West Malaysian towns and cities without any skills. Many also are quite old having toiled the rubber estates and squeezed like sucked oranges with no social support. They need social welfare support. Their children have fared no better than their parents and are no help to their aged parents. Those who have met with accidents during work, make many trips to SOCSO offices with problems not solved. Then the poor Indians give up hope after encountering many disappointments with government departments. These frustrations forced for the first time the majority of Malaysian Indians to vote against the BN government.

When Malaysian Indians don’t vote BN, they come down to solve our problem. Might as well don’t vote for them at all. They will be always sensitive to the needs of Malaysian Indians. I would like to remind the prime minister that the approach he has taken confirms that the doors of government service are closed to Malaysian Indians. Malaysian Indians can only access government services through special doors created through the special task force. Malaysian Indians are forever marginalized and sidelined in Malaysia. MIC and the other BN component parties allow Malaysian Indians to be marginalized and sidelined for their own survival. Instead of integrating the Malaysian Indians into the main stream, MIC wants to segregate and create a role for itself in between. UMNO then conveniently outsource Malaysian Indian’s problem to MIC which can’t solve any of it. Racial politics only benefit the majority. Minorities need the support of opposition to highlight the grouses. The Minorities need to remain relevant to be taken seriously. For this to happen we need a two party system which the voter has to decide. We cannot blame anyone for our problem. We did not vote wisely in the past therefore we suffer now. Let’s change now and make the political system relevant for the next generation.

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