-Dr. S. Ramakrishnan, Former Senator, April 23, 2017.
Yet another blueprint for the Indian community is to be announced on Sunday 23/4/2017! This blueprint is at the Prime Minister’s initiative to give hope to Indian community in return for their vote. Unfortunately, the bureaucrats do not seem to be involved in the design and implementation of this plan. Private individuals, NGOs and some businesspersons have provided the inputs and rolled out the blueprint. Indians become equal citizens just before elections only to be forgotten and neglected after getting their votes.
However, like the past Indian community economic plans, this national blueprint too is implemented on the periphery without the involvement of key government agencies. It is completely dependent on the current Prime Minister for its successful implementation. On one end, UMNO/BN systematically marginalizes and alienates Indians and alienates them to the fringes. But before elections handouts and blueprint are dished out.
The Prime Minister made the Indian blueprint announcements at the MIC meetings and during his recent visit in India. The last Indian master plan was announced during the election year in 1974 and now, another blueprint is in the offing in yet another election year, 2017 where the Indian votes are the tipping point to salvage the prime minister himself. Therefore, this socio-economic plan for the Indians in Malaysia is to serve a political purpose and is not about uplifting and development of the community.
During the recent visit to India, Prime Minister Najib took time off to visit Tamil firm super star Rajni Kanth, who directed the film KABAALI. This movie was a big hit in Malaysia. The crux and plot of this movie is about the failure of Malaysia Indians. How the Malaysian government marginalized the Indians and why and how the Indians ended up as gang leaders and who have turned on their own and terrorized the Indian community. It is surprising to note that the Prime Minister had requested the Tamil super star to produce KABAALI 2 and 3 and his accompanying MIC entourage did not raise any objections.
They are down-trodden citizens without any rights. They use to dominate sports in 60s, 70s and even 80s but their contributions later fizzled out right under the nose of UMNO/BN government. Indians form about 7% of the population but 72% of gangsters, come from the community. They, along with other Malaysians provided outstanding services in the education and health services but their numbers are dwindling and are far and few in between as days go by.
Indians were traditionally an agrarian society. But they are landless and the government agencies care two toots for them. Indians are a weak minority in a society where the majority has all the rights and privileges and makes them vulnerable and easy targets for political threats of the ruling party.
The special taskforce set up in 2011 to address stateless Indians had achieved little. To cover up these failures, the Indian blueprint is being introduced. Introducing master plans and blueprints by political parties without the cooperation of civil services and implementers will only continue to keep the community at the bottom of society. Discriminatory policies, corruption and nepotism in high places and across the civil services will not help the marginalized minority.
Prime Minister Najib is battling for his political survival. MIC and BN Indian parties are losing Indian support. The Indian blueprint is master plan for UMNO/BN survival at the expense of the Indian community. Indians need justice, fair play and equal opportunity, not another blueprint and double standards. UMNO/BN has institutionalized racial and religious discrimination for the past 60 years and yet now just before 14th general elections the UMNO president and Prime Minister seems to show care and concern by introducing economic blueprint. No other country treats its minorities the way this UMNO/BN government does. Even the Indian government wanted Zakir Naik gets VIP treatment for demonizing Malaysian minorities. Minorities will never get justice and fairness under the UMNO/BN rule any time in future. It’s time to change government to save Malaysia from UMNO/BN.
