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THE SOUTH INDIAN FUND SHOULD NOT BE DISSOLVED BUT BE KEPT INTACT TO ACHIEVE THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH IT WAS ASSURED FOR

Media statement
by M.Kulasegaran M.P. for Teluk Intan and DAP National Vice Chairman
on 18th July , 1999
in Ipoh

The Prime Minister after opening the MCA general assembly said "the people who opposed the proposal to dissolve the South Indian fund had their own political agenda. When is it wrong to insist and demand one’s own legitimate right and privilege?

As the monies and properties in the fund were not contributed to by the government then or now what propriety and moral right has the government of the day to dissolve and take the monies. . The PM is trying to deflate the whole irresponsible manner of handling this issue by the government. The PM wants the objection to the fund closure issue to be stopped being discussed publicly, as the government is unable to justify its dissolvement.

The BN government and its coalition partner the MIC had failed to consult the relevant people who have a say on whether the fund should operate or be dissolved.

Under the South Indian Labour Fund Ordinance 1958, the meaning of "South Indian" i
ncludes:

A) whose mother tongue is, or the mother tongue of either of whose parent was Tamil, Telugu, Malayam, Canarese or Uriya: and
B) Who was born in or is descended from persons who were born in South India.

The PM further said "the opposition against this fund (being dissolved) is poltically motivated. Some people are trying to create issues although we have given serious consideration to the matter". Were those people as defined above made known, consulted or agree to the dissolving of the fund. It has to be noted not only the DAP is opposing the fund been dissolved but including many Indian NGO’s, a former Deputy Minister from MIC and many of its grassroots members and, other BN leaders.

The non-consultations in closing the fund with the relevant people can be ascertain when PM said, "what exactly is their problem?" If they have any then by all means come and discuss the matter with us so that we can settle the problem. The government has done a grave wrong by pushing through in the dewan rakyat the bill without apporiate guarantees to the above-defined south Indians. The PM should not shield the MIC president when he said ‘there is opposition to the Fund closure as it aimed at hurting MIC.’ Whenever Samy has a problem with the Indian community his big brother the PM will step in to settle!

The PM should know that the Fund has a lot of historical significance so it has to be kept intact for the people. On the 1st May 1958 (as according to the record of the legislative Assembly-hansard) K.L Devaser a former president of the MIC said while the ordinance was been debated, "I am grateful to the Hon.Minister of labour for giving an assurance to this house that after these objects have been fulfilled, government will consider using the balance for education and or land settlement"

In view of the assurance given by the Alliance government then, which is yet to be fulfilled how, can the closure of the fund be justified. The Indians are very marginalised and a minority so the BN Government can take then for granted. Thus the BN government can ignore, disregard and brush aside the assurances given! Time has come for the community to say enough is enough and say no to the dissolving of the fund.

The PM said, " There are no more Southern Indians here. We are all Malaysian". How ironical is this statement! Malaysians are divided by this very government in ethnic groups and racial quotas, let us be realistic about this!. The main political parties, which run the government is based on, race Umno, MCA MIC. Is it not?

The PM should be reminded to understand the meaning of South Indian as defined in the ordinance of 1958 and the government assurance on education and land settlements before he gives his wisdom and opinion.

Indians as defined in the ordinance have the:

1) highest drop out rate in school
2) Highest unemployment rate
3) highest illiteracy rate
4) highest alcoholic rate
5) highest criminal activity
6) highest numbers of squatters etc, etc.

What the government should do is to not to present the bill to the Senate for approval but instead set aside an initial sum of RM500 million to achieve the initial purposes the Fund was set out for.

Why should the Fund be dissolved if not for some hidden agenda of the MIC?.Are they keen in the land in Nibong Tebal which cost millions.?

When the bill was presented in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday the 12th, a group of 16 NGO’s (all Indian based) objected to the disslovement and presented a memorandum to the Deputy Minister of Human Resources and to the MIC President. The reaction of Samy was one of disbelief and anger. He cannot believe the Indian NGO’s can come without MIC help to Parliament to present the memorandum. All this while he had an ‘iron first’ over the Indian NGO’s, no more now!

When I challenged him to justify the closure of the fund in parliament he said " My dear friend I’ve been in Parliament before you were born. I’m never afraid of speaking in parliament I represent the Indians better than anybody else" Samy did not attend Parliament when the Bill was debated to justify its closure. This shows the interest he has on the Indian community.

The PM and the BN Government should realise the fund is an integral, important and historical part of a community which has done much to the progress of this nation. As the assurances of the Government on Education and land settlement (now low cost of houses) has not been fulfilled why then the closure?

Samy did not attend Parliament when the Bill was debated to justify its closure. This shows the interest he has on the Indian community.WHY? Emmmmmmmmmm

DAP to take up in Parliament the case of transferring responsibility for the welfare of estate workers from the Human Resource Ministry to the Rural Development Ministry

(Klang, Sunday): During the Parliamentary debate on the Royal Address in April 1992, I spoke at length on the educational and socio-economic plight of the depressed Malaysian Indians and urged the Government to do justice to the Malaysian Indiansby ensuring that they enjoy a rightful place in the mainstream of development in the country.

In that speech, I tried to communicate to the Government the cry of the Malaysian Indians to end their marginalisation in the educational and socio-economic advancement of the country by referring to a very eloquent Malaysian Indian perspective as to why Malaysian Indians felt very left out and alienated by the booming national development.

At that time, a former top former civil servant who had reached the high position of a Ketua Setiausaha had just presented paper in a seminar on national unity, where he outlined the educational and socio-eonomic plight of the depressed Indians in the country, which he summarised as follows:

The Malaysian Indian: -

1. Constitutes the smallest of the large minorities.

2. Has not gained as much as the Malays and the Malaysian Chinese from Malaysia’s rapid economic growth.

3. Is losing out relatively to the other races in terms of poverty alleviation, incomes, social status, equity ownership, education and future opportunties to advance.

4. Feels relatively neglected by the government, as compared to government’s assistance to rural Malays, while the Malaysian Chinese have gained indirectly from rapid economic development, and government contracts through the use of their longer experience and enterprise in business and their connections.

5. Considers that their sense of deprivation is more serious since the Malaysian Indian leadership has been too occupied with its own internal problems and personal preoccupations. Consequently the Malaysian Indian leadership has not been able to do much to improve especially the unfortunate plight of the Malaysian Indian estate worker in particular and the Malaysian Indian in general.

6. Accepts the objective of Vision 2020 and appreciates the vigorous efforts being undertaken by government to modernise and industrialise the country, but fears that Malaysian Indians will be forgotten in the modernisation process and would drift down the national socio-economic ladder.

7. Feels a sense of hopelessness in the estates and has no alternative but to move out and engage in low productivity jobs in the urban areas.

8. Expects their depressed lives and low standards of living in the estates to continue indefinitely from generation to generation, in a resigned and fatalistic way.

These were the conclusions he reached:

Under these circumstances of relative neglect, a perceived indifference to their poor plight and a lack of hope and direction, it is difficult to inspire a spirit of Malaysian unity and pride among the majority of Indians and especially the Malaysian Indian estate workers. This will be true of any race or people, anywhere in the world, under similar circumstances.
The majority of Malaysian Indians especially in estates therefore just ‘exist’, and live from day to day without hope or expectation, of progress and prosperity, unlike the other Malaysian races, that enjoy a greater sense of hope and confidence in the future.
The Malaysian Indians therefore cannot contribute much to national unity, as they are isolated, feel excluded and even alienated from the mainstream of Malaysia’s proud record of overall socio-economic achievement and progress.
Had the cry of the depressed Malaysian Indians been heard by the government and had the educational and socio-economic plight of the marginalised Indians in Malaysia improved in the last five years?

The sad fact is that the past five years were five wasted years in terms of ending the marginalisation of the depressed Indians in Malaysia by bringing them into the mainstream of Malaysia’s development and modernisation, and this is the reason why the DAP has organised the National Conference on the Educational and Socio-Economic Plight of the Depressed Indians in Malaysia.

Recently, estate workers staged a demonstration against an exhibition entitled "100 Years of Nation Building - Glimpses of Estate Life at the National Museum" organised by the United Planting Association of Malaysia protesting that it did not depict the real situation faced by plantation workers and therefore misleading visitors and tourists.

The Support Committee for Plantation Workers, which organised the demonstration, had raised a very valid point as nothing had been done to save the estate workers from becoming one of the most depressed and neglected socio-economic groups in the country.

The plight of the estate workers was summaried in a 14-point pamphlet issued by the Support Committee for Plantation Workers issued at the demonstration on "Glimpses of Estate Life … After 100 years (1897-1997)", namely:

Plantation community remains neglected and exploited.
The estate community works double & multiple jobs to make ends meet.
One of every three workers’ living quarters failed to meet the Minimum Housing Standards 1990.
Only 29.4% of estates are provided with government water supply.
Only 3 doctors for 300,00 people.
Colonial wage structure - daily wage - no monthly wage.
No annual bonus & annual wage increment.
Wage linked to weather & market prices.
Plantation schools are not fully government aided.
Deplorable health care facilities.
Less than one per cent estate owners have built permanent houses for workers.
Plantation goes for development …workers evicted without decent housing and compensation.
Welfare and amenities in estates remain under the mercy of profit-oriented plantation owners.
Plantation companies continue to make huge profits.
The plight of the estate workers is further highlighted when an estate is sold for commercial development, where the retrenched workers are paid only 20 days wages for each year of service, which works out to about RM6,000 for 20 years - which is indeed mere pittance compared with the millions of ringgit the estate owners receive.

It will not be long before problems of estate workers become primarily a problem of foreign labour as foreign workers, particularly Bangladeshi foreign workers replace Malaysian workers in the estate workforce
The Government should work out a special strategy to ensure that estate workers and former estate workers could enjoy their rightful benefits from the development of the country and not become a new class of victims of development in the country.

I mention "former estate workers" because in most estates today, the majority of the estate workers are foreign labour as the former Malaysian Indian estate workers had drifted from the estates to become the new urban underclass occupying low-paying and low-productivity jobs. It will not be long when the problem of estate workers will primarily be a problem of foreign labour particularly Bangldeshi foreign workers, as foreign labour replaced Malaysian workers in the estate workforce - because of cheap labour rates and deplorable working conditions.

DAP will take up in Parliament which will reconvene on July 14 the case of transferring from the Ministry of Human Resources to the Ministry of Rural Development the responsibility to look after the welfare of the estate workers and former estate workers, as this would ensure that basic amenities such as water, electricity, housing, education and healthcare for estate workers and former estate workers could be provided by the Ministry of Rural Development which has a development budget.

I will also urge the Government to reinstate the estate workers and former estate workers as a specific poverty group which requires a special government blue-print for action, as was the case for estate workers in the earlier five-year developments but which had been dropped in the Sixth and Seventh Malaysia Plans.

Kenyataan Akhbar oleh V. Sivakumar, Penolong Setiausaha Organisasi Kebangsaan DAP, Penolong Setiausaha DAP Negeri Perak, Bendahari Biro Politik DAP Negeri Perak pada 17 Ogos 1999

Masyarakat India negara ini telah menunjukkan reaksi tidak puas hati apabila masa tayangan berita Tamil diubah dari pukul 5.30 p.m. kepada 5.00 p.m. Masa itu adalah tidak sesuai kerana ramai yang ingin menonton berita itu masih belum balik dari kerja. Rungutan mereka telah dihindarkan. Keputusan telah dijadikan muktamad. Ini jelas menunjukkan tidak ada sikap tolak ansur dalam keputusan yang telah dibuat. Pandangan masyarakat India telah diketepikan sama sekali.
Tetapi, apabila pilihanraya semakin hampir, masa berita Tamil diubah semula ke 5.30 p.m. Ini adalah semata mata untuk memancing undi masyarakat India. Kerajaan Barisan Nasional merasakan bahawa masyarakat India mudah ditipu. Itulah sebabnya mereka mengubah semula masa berita Tamil seperti asal. Apakah masyarakat India akan terjerat sekali lagi dalam helah Barisan Nasional? Apakah jaminan bahawa berita Tamil akan disiarkan pada 5.30 p.m. selepas pilihanraya? Mungkin ia akan diubah lagi pada pukul 5.00 p.m. atau 4.00 p.m. Tidak ada jaminan.

Who care when is airtime for Indian Programe, Samy have no idea because he is busy...doing welfare job for our comunity. Ya, It's True thahats why we are now perfect society with ...we all know.

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