Yoursay: If sincere, gov’t could easily give stateless Indians ICs

Stateless Indians: ‘Gov’t is sincere, but those tasked with job are clueless’

Wira: MyDaftar special implementation task force coordinator N Siva Subramaniam, what makes you think the government is sincere?

Please provide credible data to prove your statement. How many of the stateless have had their citizenships affirmed since the beginning of this exercise?

SusahKes: No Siva, I disagree with you. The problem is not primarily because those entrusted with the job are clueless. Rather, it’s because the present government has always approached this issue as more of an afterthought, especially when elections are around the corner.

In other words, “Aisay, we might need some of their votes, la. Okay, let’s give them some titbits,” and voilà! Yet another blueprint to deal with this statelessness issue … which then ends up collecting dust at the back end of some dark storage facility in Putrajaya.

Over 50 years since independence, and we still get this type of feedback: “documentation problems”, “clueless workers”. Hey, I think this problem could be solved within one year, if those in charge actually meant it.

Think about it; if they can trace you in a jiffy if you did magic with your income tax declaration, then they could do likewise when it comes to statelessness and documentation.

But you know what’s the sad thing? I think there’s a good likelihood that, 10 years from now, we will still be reading about this, as long as the present government adopts a piecemeal, election-only approach.

Anonymous_40f4: The BN government is never sincere in helping the Indian minorities. Government jobs and projects are all given to Umno Baru cronies. On the eve of GE15, BN/MIC will come up with another cooked up ‘blueprint’ to once again fool the Indians for their votes.

Only a change of government in Putrajaya can bring some hope to the Indians – until then they will continue to be conned by MIC/BN. MIC people are only concerned for themselves and their families.

PP1: I feel sorry and sad for this issue, which has not been solved ever since I learned about it 20 years ago.

The MIC should solely take responsible for this, instead blaming the government. If the MIC is not doing their part, who else is going to help these stateless Indians in a majority Muslim country?

It’s time for the Indian-based NGOs and other Indian based organisations to take charge of this matter and help bring forward these applications to the relevant authorities.

Anonymous 2478591498986516: When the election is near, the Chinese school problem is claimed to be solved and they build 10 new schools, and they claim the stateless Indians problem is also solved. After the election, all would be forgotten.

Anonymous 1719401496919916: What are you talking about, Siva? This clearly shows the parties involved has no political will to solve any of the stateless Indians’ problems.

All this Malaysian Indian blueprint (MIB) nonsense is probably disguised to lead the Indians by the nose ring until after the elections. Then, excuses will be given again to throw this MIB aside.

To me MIB stands for, firstly, ‘Make Indians Beg’, subsequently ‘Make Indians Believe’ and finally, ‘Make Indians Bigots’ again after the elections is won. How much longer must the Indian community be fools to believe anything good would come out of this MIB?

Another 40 years? Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi with just one word can get this done. He is the home minister, isn’t he? With what he has done for India preacher Zakir Naik, what is the issue with stateless Indians?

Yours and My Malaysia: Siva, it’s election time is it? Whatever happened to the last Indian blueprint? Honestly, no one, and I mean no one from either side of the political divide wants this resolved. Face that fact.

VGV: What Siva said is indeed true as to what is happening in the documentation of the stateless Indians.

All the “Indian groups” including the MIC should take on the initiative and resolve it. It looks like many on the political sides seem to have the “tidak apa attitude” of not caring for the stateless Indians.

Especially the MIC leaders, they only talk big and later, everything will fizzle out half way; there would be no follow-up on the applications made. In fact, they should work together with all the agencies that are involved.

No use waiting and wasting time, MIC. Get cracking and move forward to help the stateless Indians.

Anonymous #13571680: The present ruling government, which has been in power for 60 years but who cannot solve a simple problem like this, should have stepped aside.

But no, they have used all illegal means to remain in power. What is sad is that they use the vulnerable, illiterate people to achieve this. The more sad point is that the so-called race-based political parties especially MIC has been strongly abetting this.

Money meant for poor Indians never reach them – where has it gone? No, no change will come about until the whole lot of corrupt people are kicked out.

RR: What the readers are expressing about MIC leaders and the National Registration Department (NRD) are true.

The stateless Indians in the rural and suburban areas live hand to mouth. They are totally ignorant and stupid for not realising their legal status in the country, and are not bothered in the least because of their level of poverty.

It is the political parties of both sides of the divide that should take the initiative seriously. I have written many times that the government should have senior Indian officers in the department to help out the ignorant ones.

Siva and his team must visit these people in the rural areas to really help them as former MIC chief VT Sambanthan used to do those days by visiting the estates. My question is, why must processing of applications for ICs and citizenship go to the Police Department?

Even if there are cases of petty criminals among the applications, it is a result of poverty and they should not be deprived of citizenship. Why involve the Immigration Department when these poor fellows have not left their poor habitats in our country?

Please be practical and do the needful… not do it only when the GE is around the corner.

Anonymous 278451459939581: Come on Pakatan Harapan, DAP or whatever – jump in and fill the gap. Help the stateless Malaysians and earn their gratitude (read, vote).

All the opposition has done is moan about the number of stateless Malaysians – they have no manifesto about helping them. Maybe they are clueless too.

Waiting for BN to do anything is a waste of time, as this tiny group are not voters (read, they have no documents).

It speaks tonnes for your “sincerity”, when this simple problem could have been solved decades ago.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.