MIC Wakes up to Indian Community Problems; Monitor & Report Temples slated for Demolitions; MIC Offensive to Explain; Rope in PPP, IFP Youths For Help

UPDATE: December 26, 2007 19:21 PM - How will Samy explain away the problems if the facts are not correct?

Samy Vellu To Hit The Road To Solve Problems Faced By Indians
MUAR, Dec 26 (Bernama) -- MIC president Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu said

Wednesday that he will traverse the country in his effort to solve problems faced by the Indian community. "I am going to go from place to place and shoot down any problems the Indians may be facing," he told reporters after opening the newly-refurbished Pagoh rest area on the North-South Expressway (southbound) near here today. Samy Vellu, who is also Works Minister, said he needed do this to counter baseless allegations made by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), a non- registered organisation, about the party. He said the MIC had identified those who had taken part in the illegal assembly organised by Hindraf in the federal capital recently and that these people would be provided with the appropriate counselling.

"We will clarify matters with them. We have already done so in Penang, Kulim and Teluk Intan and will go to all the places where the Hindraf followers are," he said, adding that yesterday such a session was held in Mantin with a group which sent some 250 people to the Hindraf rally. The group, he said, claimed that they were dissatisfied with the government for not keeping a promise made 36 years ago to resolve their housing problems in Mak Mandin, Penang. Samy Vellu said he would approach Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon to try and resolve the matter. "When they get their houses, their problem is solved," he said. On remarks by Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam that Indians were not keen on jobs in the public sector, Samy Vellu said that this was not correct as his feedback showed thousands of Indians had applied to join the civil service last year. "I will be raising this up with the Cabinet," he said.
= == = == == = = =UPDATE: December 25, 2007 19:19 PM - this clearly shows how Samy is so "out of touch" with what is happening in the Country. What a Shame for a Minster who has been with the Goernment for 29 years and not be awared of WHY & HOW the Non-Malays are being systematically being "chased out" of the so called civil service. For over a generation and more to come, the affirmative policy has ensured that those who stayed on and remained would s retired as "paupers" in the service with the more smarter and connected ones crawling over their heads. Initially, the professionals felt it and then it was all across the board that as the non-preferred retired, the chances of promotion and filling the higher post are virtually out of bounds for the nons. So by word of mouth, would these who felt "discriminated" so badly advise their children or for that matter anyone to join. Stay clear and you at least get back your dignity.

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Samy Vellu Puzzled Why Indians Lack Interest In Govt Jobs

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 (Bernama) -- Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is puzzled over a report saying that that non-Malays, especially Indians were not interested in government jobs. "I am surprised over the report," he said when commenting on a report in a Malay daily yesterday that of the 486,802 applications to work in the civil service last year, Chinese and Indians only accounted for 1.78 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively.

The report quoted Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam as saying that the situation was difficult to change although the PSD had been trying to reduce the gap between the races in the civil service. Ismail said the Government had never condoned sympathy or discrimination when hiring new staff, including those at the Diplomatic and Administration level. Samy Vellu, who is also MIC president, said he would write to Ismail for further details on employment and promotion opportunities for non-Malays, especially Indians in the public sector.

"I want to know the latest statistics after which I will prepare a detailed report to be submitted to the Cabinet," he said in a statement Sunday. Samy Vellu had recently said that he had brought to the attention of the Cabinet on the need to employ more Indians and also provide more promotion opportunities for them in the public sector. It was also reported that Indians only made up about five per cent of the employees in the civil service. Samy Vellu added that the MIC had urged the government to speed up the intake of more Indians in the civil service and also give them better opportunities to be promoted

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Malaysiakini earlier reported on “MIC tasked with temple relocations, demolitions”. Under the new approach, the government has given MIC the full authority to ensure that no temples are demolished in the future without first being allocated a suitable alternative site & Periodic reports to cabinet

ABOVE & BELOW: An Hindu Priest performing blessing rituals on devotees in a Temple

MIC Wakes up to Indian Community Problems; Monitor & Report Temples slated for Demolitions; MIC Offensive to Explain; Rope in PPP, IFP Youths For Help

What he MIC president has revealed is that it has all along been sleeping on the issues. When the temples were being demolished left and right, it acquiesced to the Government’s stand that they were “illegal” but it transpired now that many estates temple in the days gone bye were built with the permission of the estate owners who seems to have a better understanding of the basic needs of the Indians. And when these estates changed hands for development, these temples were deemed “illegal” and demolished in the name of development. Only after Hindraf highlighted them dramatically in the Nov 25 rally, now ONLY MIC is awakened to the needs of the Indians and takes an interest in these temples destruction. In his new approach to be on the offensive to try and explain things, as a start, the MIC president should explain the Miaika fiasco especially with regards to the allocation of the Telecoms shares to MIC. In the past he has dismissed such queries summarily by being evasive and on such issues. He had cried “wolves” too many times and the awaken Indian masses would no longer belief save those who have benefited from this style of rewards.

He has openly admitted in the latest TV talk show "Karuthu Kalam” that few of his reps “are clear about their duties and carry out their responsibilities accordingly” and many have reached the “fatigue stage”: including him. And he talks of new faces being introduced.
And the latest is the MIC youths are roping in the youths of PPP and IFP in its effort to understand and tackle the grassroots Indian Problems. And we can see aid being given now; last week Negeri Sembilan MIC chairman Datuk T. Rajagopalu said Computers “RM2,000 each to 75 Indian students” - cool RM150,000 from MIC

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December 24, 2007 19:40 PM
Indian-Based Parties Form Committee To Look Into Community's Needs
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- The heads of the youth wings of three Indian-based parties -- the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), the People's Progressive Party (PPP) and the Indian Progressive Front (IPF) -- have formed a special committee to look into the various demands of the community.

MIC Youth chief S. A. Vigneswaran (ABOVE, centre) said the committee comprised himself, PPP Youth chief T. Murugiah and IPF Youth chief R. Ravi Shankar. Vigneswaran said the committee would provide an avenue for the three parties to discuss claims raised by the community at the grassroots level. "We will also look into issues which the three parties cannot resolve at the divisional level and bring them up to a higher level," he told reporters here. Vigneswaran said they would also discuss appeals by the community for the government to employ more non-Bumiputeras, particularly Indians, in important sectors such as education and welfare. Issues raised by the opposition parties would also be discussed and ironed out to prevent them from capitalising on them to fish for votes in the next general election," he said.
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December 24, 2007 18:27 PM
MIC Helps Change The Face Of Indians In Negeri Sembilan

SEREMBAN, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- Negeri Sembilan MIC chairman Datuk T. Rajagopalu has urged the Indian community in the state to realise the party's contribution and sacrifices in "changing the face" of Indian estate workers to modern urban dwellers". "Many Indians lived in estates when rubber was cultivated in abundance in the past but when the rubber estates were converted into oil palm plantations, many of them migrated to the cities. It was the MIC which has been providing them with assistance," he told Bernama. He said the economic achievement of Indians in Seremban was at a satisfactory level. "It would be a lie if one were to say that the MIC never helped the Indians. It's not just the MIC, but the Barisan Nasional and wealthy Indians are also helping the poor," said Rajagopalu.

There are Indian families which have received aid of up to RM6,000 through the poverty eradication programmes under the Local Government and Housing Ministry, while 67 Indian families in Seremban and 65 more in Nilai have received monetary assistance through the Yayasan Keluarga Miskin, a foundation aiding poor families, he said. "The MIC, on its own initiative, opened a community service centre in every district, and on Saturdays from 9am to 2pm, you can see the centre providing services to the Indian community. How can one accuse the MIC of doing nothing?" he said. Rajagopalu said the Negeri Sembilan MIC also gave emphasis to education.

Last week, he added, the party handed out personal computers worth RM2,000 each to 75 Indian students who excelled in the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR). "We give importance to children's education as only through education can we bring the Indians out of poverty and raise their social status," he said. Rajagopalu denied claims that the state government had not allocated reserve land for temples. "It's true that many temples were demolished but they were relocated to reserve land. In fact, in Seremban, the biggest Hindu temple is located at Jalan Berhala and it stands on reserve land," he said.

Dec 24, 2007

M'sian govt unveils plan to protect Hindu temples

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S government unveiled a major initiative on Monday to protect Hindu temples in an apparent bid to pacify ethnic Indians who complained that hundreds have been demolished in this Muslim-majority country. Samy Vellu, an ethnic Indian minister in the Cabinet, said the prime minister has asked him to 'continuously monitor' all the temples in the country and submit reports on their status periodically. Temples: major protests' issue.

The destruction by authorities of Hindu temples, deemed to be illegally built, was one of the main grievances of impoverished ethnic Indians who poured onto the streets on Nov 25 in an unprecedented anti-government rally. 'As temples are sensitive matters, a new approach is necessary to resolve' the problem, Mr Samy said in a statement.

'I will scrutinise all matters concerning temples ... to ensure that no temples are demolished in the future.' The violent street protest stunned Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's administration, unused to such public displays of anger, and raised fears of ethnic and racial tensions in this normally peaceful country. Indians, who are mostly Hindus and make up about 8 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people, also complain that they were denied economic opportunities, government jobs and places in universities because of an affirmative action policy for the majority Muslim Malays. Malays make up 60 per cent of the population and control politics and the government, a coalition dominated by Mr Abdullah's party.

The Indians are represented by Samy, the sole ethnic Indian Cabinet minister who heads the Malaysian Indian Congress party. Mr Samy said in the statement he will travel nationwide soon to report on the number of temples in the country and their problems. 'We will identify the illegally built temples first and check on their status. We want to know if there have been any moves or notices to demolish or relocate them,' he said, adding that the prime minister 'specifically wanted' a list of all temples that are to be demolished for whatever reason.
Only illegal temples

The government maintains that it demolishes only temples built illegally on state or private land. But Indian community leaders say many of the temples were built on plantations during British colonial rule, with permission from the then-owners. They say that after independence in 1957, the government failed to legalise the temples or list them as national property even though all mosques were given that privilege. If temples have to be demolished, 'suitable alternative sites must be allocated so that Hindus can continue to worship,' Mr Samy said. 'No temples, either legal or illegally built, will be demolished without a thorough check and discussion with the MIC,' he said. – AP

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December 24, 2007 16:23 PM
MIC To Submit Report On Hindu Temples To Cabinet
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- The government has asked MIC to continuously monitor all Hindu temples in the country and submit a report on their status to the cabinet periodically. MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wanted the MIC to forward to him and the cabinet the list of temples that may have to be demolished for various reasons. "As temples are a sensitive matter, a new approach is necessary to resolve the issue and the MIC will take over completely this task," he said in a statement here on Monday. Samy Vellu said he would travel to all the states soon to enable him to prepare a report on the number of temples in the country and their problems for submission to the cabinet. "We'll identify illegally-built temples first and check on their status.

We want to know of any move to demolish or relocate them," he said. Samy Vellu, who is also Works Minister, said he had asked Federal Territory MIC chief Datuk M. Saravanan and Selangor state executive councillor Kamala Ganapathy to organise meetings involving temple chiefs in their respective states. He said among the objectives of such meetings were to verify the status of the land on which temples were built; to secure land reservations in all new housing development areas and to seek the registration of all temples. "What's more important is that suitable alternative sites will have to be allocated first before any temple is relocated," he said, adding that the Federal Territory and Selangor meetings would be attended by 780 and 870 temple chiefs respectively. Samy Vellu said similar meetings would be organised in other states, with the third meeting scheduled to be held in Perak. He will be chairing all the meetings.

"I will scrutinise all matters pertaining to temples with a view to ensuring that none is demolished in the future. And if they have to be demolished, suitable alternative sites must be found so that Hindus can continue to worship," he said. He added that no temples, either built legally or illegally, should be demolished without prior discussion with the MIC.

= == = =December 22, 2007 18:29 PM
MIC Fielding New Faces In General Election - Samy Vellu
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 (Bernama) -- MIC will introduce some new faces in the coming general election, its president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said. He said some of the MIC's elected representatives have reached the "fatigue stage" and would be replaced. "Looking at the situation, I am going to do many changes. This is sure to happen," he said when interviewed in RTM's Tamil talkshow "Karuthu Kalam" or "Opinion Forum" aired over RTM2 today. Samy Vellu spoke about wide-ranging issues from when he entered politics and the challenges being faced by the party and the Indian community. The Works Minister said: "Normally, I introduce new faces in elections and I assign them special tasks.

"Since I work long hours, I can't be monitoring them all the time. That will affect my job," he said. He said he could tell them about their responsibilities during the MIC's monthly central working committee (CWC) meetings. "Few are clear about their duties and carry out their responsibilities accordingly (but) some have reached the fatigue stage," he said. Samy Vellu said he entered politics in 1957 "with a view to change the condition of the Indian community". "That was one of the main reasons for me to join politics. It was permanently in my mind. I kept thinking for ways and means to create a better situation to upgrade the condition of the community. "When I became President of MIC in 1979, I realised that only by transforming the community into an educated community, we would be able to compete and be on par with others," he said. Samy Vellu said in his 29 years of service as a Minister, "I think there was never a day I have not fought for the community".

"I have talked everything. I can tell one thing to those who ask on what I've done. I can't reveal what I've talked, what I've fought in the Cabinet. "We have taken an oath of secrecy and we should not reveal anything that have been decided in the Cabinet because those Government documents are classified as official secrets," he said. He said he came from a lineage which always raised problems clearly and without fear. "I have never been afraid of any situation," he quipped. To a question, the MIC chief said not all the requests made by the MIC were put aside by the government. "During the 29 years, when we request for 20, we get 10. So we have always benefited. We can't say we didn't get anything. I have records on what we have got. I know how the Government has been channelling the assistance," he added.
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December 22, 2007 21:59 PM

MIC To Adopt New Approach In Handling Criticisms

PENANG, Dec 22 (Bernama) -- The MIC will adopt a new approach in handling criticisms levelled against the party that it is not doing enough for Indians in the country. Its president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said that from now on, MIC will no longer keep quiet but will answer each and every criticism with clear explanations as to what the party had done about them all this while. "If people make wild accusations or spread false news about us, we will fight back. In the past two months we just kept quiet and some saw this as a weakness on our part and went to town mocking us," he told reporters after holding a meeting with Penang MIC division and branch chiefs here today.

He said that all this while, MIC leaders had gone about their work without trying to attract publicity but the time had come for a change in strategy. "They (detractors) often say no progress has been made by the Indian community in the country over the last 50 years, but the fact is, in that time Indians achieved 60 per cent progress," he said, adding that the party was working very hard to reduce the remaining 40 percent gap. Samy Vellu said that he had records of all that the MIC had done and was doing including newspaper clippings about issues raised by him with the government especially on matters like education, schools and socio-economic needs of the Indian community. An example, he said, was the income of estate workers which now was far better than before and paid on a monthly basis unlike daily previously. "If you don't believe go and ask Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn (Human Resource Minister), who brought the matter up to the Cabinet?," he said. He added that the party would set up service centres in all MIC branches throughout the country to widen its reach to members of the Indian community in need of help.

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December 22, 2007 01:07 AM

Opposition Taking Advantage Of Situation – Vigneswaran

KLANG, Dec 21 (Bernama) -- The Indian community must realise that the activities of the group behind the illegal assemblies in the federal capital last month has allowed the opposition to take advantage of the situation. MIC Youth chief S.A. Vigneswaran said this was among the negative effects of the group's activities where the opposition had exploited the situation by causing confusion among the Indians, in its attempt to fish for votes in the coming general election.

In light of this, he said, the MIC Youth could not keep quiet but to be more proactive in controlling the situation. Vigneswaran, who is also Parliamentary Secretary to the Youth and Sports Ministry, called on all the divisional MIC Youth leaders to go to the ground. "They must study the unsolved problems of the Indian community and hold discussions with Indian groups in their respective areas. "I want a more aggressive and effective network of cooperation in the MIC Youth," he told reporters after holding a special meeting with Selangor MIC Youth here tonight.

The two-hour meeting was attended by about 200 MIC Youth members including their leaders in the 19 divisions in the state. The tour undertaken by MIC Youth to explain to the Indians, current issues affecting them and to study problems faced by the community, began today. Vigneswaran said all races had their problems but the government did not practise favouritism and would strive to maintain racial cooperation and unity in the country. "The prime minister has said that all problems should be resolved through discussions in the BN spirit and based on its struggle," he said.

More pics coming

= == = =Watch Video Clip Samy Vellu & A. Vigneswaran

last ditch efforts after having woke up to the Indian Problems

= == = = == and Coming the ISA Arrest, Protest & Habeas Corpus action