Shahidan Kassim has received a razor-sharp rebuke from an MIC leader, who called on the minister not to prescribe his grandmother's remedies to treat the woes afflicting the Indian community.
                      
NONESenator Jaspal Singh (left) launched the acerbic salvo in response to Shahidan's statement in Parliament yesterday that Indians should help themselves as opposed to finding fault with government policies.

Among others, the minister in the prime minister's department, had urged successful Indians to aid in the elevation of those trapped at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder.

Commenting on this, Jaspal asked: "Where did Shahidan get the idea that those who are doing well would help those who are not? Is it one of his grandmother's remedies?"

"There would be no need for governments if Shahidan's silly system could work in the real world," added the MIC treasurer.

Jaspal, who also zeroed in on the minister's argument that Indians were successful based on the high number of doctors and lawyers the community produced, dismissed Shahidan's remarks as "callous, irresponsible and tinged with racism."

"Shahidan's statements are nothing more than naive, uninformed coffee shop talk.

"If there are a significant number of Indians who are doctors, it is because Indian parents have an almost chronic obsession with educating their children in the medical profession," he said.

Jaspal noted that the majority of Indians who graduated as doctors were funded by their parents, not by the government.

"Their parents skimped, saved and sometimes sold their houses to educate their children. It has absolutely nothing to do with the overall economic condition of the Indians.

"In statistics, we would call this an outlier, an aberration, and it cannot be used to conclude anything," he added.

Statistics reveal otherwise
NONEJaspal said that as a minister in the BN government, Shahidan (right) should not be standing in front of Parliament engaging in coffee shop talk and offering anecdotal evidence.

"Precisely what economic theory is Shahidan basing his preposterous proposals on? The answer is none, of course. Shahidan appears to have been saying whatever popped into his head," he added.

The fact was, Jaspal said, Indians owned less than 1.5 percent of the nation's equity, despite forming 7.3 percent of the Malaysian population.

"Is this Shahidan's idea of the Indians doing well?" he asked.

Jaspal also pointed out that the Inland Revenue Service collected higher taxes from those with larger incomes.

"These taxes are the monies that are used to run the country. Therefore those Indians who are successful, whether they are doctors, lawyers or from any other profession, are already contributing to their less successful countrymen," he noted.

What about the bumiputera?
The MIC leader also questioned why Shahidan did not apply the same standard with regard to the bumiputera community.

"There are now many rich bumiputera, with a significant number of them being beneficiaries of the NEP. There are also many bumiputera doctors, exceeding the number of Indian doctors, educated at the state’s expense.

"The NEP (New Economic Policy) has existed for 40 years. Yet the prime minister felt it necessary to implement the BEE (Bumiputra Economic Empowerment Plan) just two months ago to help the bumiputera progress economically.

"Is Shahidan saying that the prime minister does not know what he is doing?" he asked.

Jaspal said that Shahidan had displayed great disrespect for the Indians, in particular the poor Indians in Malaysia.

"The comments he made, coming from someone who has spent his entire life living off the state, is laughable.
"Has Shahidan considered how hurt the feelings of the Indians, particularly those who voted for the BN are by his foolish comments?" he added.

The critical first step, according to Jaspal, would be to admit to the mistakes and omissions of the past which had resulted in the current marginalised state of certain communities.

"The Indians are one of those communities who have been left behind. We must acknowledge this and work together to help the community succeed," he added.

Detractors often accuse MIC of having failed in its role to effectively represent the Indian community, contributing to the current dismal state of affairs.

Apart from allegations of corruption, MIC leaders were also criticised for being kept on a tight leash by Umno, which does not regard the BN component as an equal.