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Tuesday 24 April 2012

Unfulfilled promises on Indians in civil service

By P Sivakumar ,

Recently the media has trumpeted that Premier Najib Abdul Razak has fulfilled all his promises to the people.

Perhaps the nation's top executive, needs a gentle reminder of one major promise to the Indian community.

In 2008 he promised the Indian community that the Indians will be represented in the civil service to the tune of 7.4 percent from a estimated 2 to 4 percent in 2007.

It's more than four years since BN made its first pledge in November 2007 by the former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi just the following day after the arrest of the five Hindraf leaders after the Indians poured onto the streets demanding equal opportunities, and an end to the demolishing of temples.

This pledge continues to be sidelined despite hundreds of reminders from all quarters including from both sides of the political divide.

Civil service jobs are among the highest aspirations of the Indian community and today it has become a social concern of rights denied as everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.

The Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) was one of the organisations that was represented at the meeting of the 13 Indian NGO's invited by then PM Abdullah to hear the "truth".

Recent mega road shows by Special Indian Task Force which though must be given credit for its efforts, still needs to be transparent and open on the results of the Indian numbers that were offered civil service jobs and jobs in GLC's especially at the staff units.

If after four years of promise after promise the executive is still not able to deliver then there should be other measures taken by direct political interference like making it compulsory for a quota to be in place at the Public Service Commission's board level and monitored until the government's directives are met.

Members of the PSC should also be represented by capable and talented individuals rather than political appointments in order to bring about a competitive and effective public services delivery system.

It has been alleged that Iskandar Malaysia has around 300 staff members but only two Indians, and when GLCs take over an entity they get rid of the non-Malays first.

The private and public sectors recruitment should be non-racial and based on merit and talent.

Miba wishes to state that its demands for the quota is temporary until the 7.4 percent target is met.

P SIVAKUMAR is president of the Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba).

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