– M. Kulasegaran, MP

Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced while attending the SRJK (Tamil) Kinanara Tamil school that a blueprint on how to take Tamil schools forward need to be formulated.

We welcome this new initiative which is long overdue in Malaysia. Although one wonders the need for a such a conference as the Government of the day should have a very clear blue print on Tamil schools way back when we got independence.

The open acknowledgment by the PM of the need of a blueprint clearly shows that over 54 years the BN policy on Tamil schools has been piece meal with a non coherent national inclusive policy for Tamil schools.

Though the Government recognizes the need and existence of Tamil schools, the latter has never been regarded to be part of the main national educational system.

Last year on 27June, the PKR- DAP organized a round table conference in Parliament. It was presided over by the Minister of law Nazri with Mempers of Parliament Lim Kit Siang, P.Ramasamy, M. Manogaran, S. Manickavasagam, Xavier Jayakumar, Charles Santiago, State Assembly Members A.Sivanesan, Gunasegaran together with the presence and participation of Deputy Ministers Devamany and Sarawanan, both of the MIC.

We then proceeded to and formed a steering committee to chart a blueprint for the future of Tamil schools in the country. It was headed by Tamil Foundation Chairman S. Pasupathy with 6 members from the government and 6 from the opposition.
Later in July 2011 at the first meeting held at the Tamil Foundation office, the MIC failed to honour its promise of appointing its members into the Committee. I personally spoke to MIC President, Senator G.Plainvellu, on the composition of members but MIC did not take it seriously.

Thus if MIC had participated actively in the Committee headed by Pasupathy by now we could have set out a clear chart of blue print as now requested and envisaged by the PM.

And, was there anything for MIC (worse still PPP and Gerakan which even failed to respond to attending the round table) to lose from the further participation in the blueprint?

It is regrettable that a noble suggestion by us was killed due to the lack of decisive leadership and policy formulations by MIC, PPP and Gerakan and BN as a whole towards Tamil schools.

As the General Elections is getting near the need to regain back the support of the Indian community is vital for the BN.Thus the announcement of issuing new permits and building new 6 Tamil schools is a very clear sweetener and inducement to the Indian community. Are the BN and PM serious in building these 6 schools and more?

We need answers for the following:

1) Is there a time frame to build the schools?

2) What is the total costs in building these schools?

3) Will the monies come from the RM 100million announced from the last year budget?

4) When will the proposed conference be held and its expected completion date?

5) Will politicians from the Government and opposition be part of the conference?

Finally, will this promise of building 6 new Tamil schools be just another election gimmick?

In comparison with BN, the PR is serious to assist in the future and growth of Tamil schools. Thus in initiating the round table Parliamentary conference on charting a blue print for Tamil schools in June last year in Parliament, the PR is committed to build a solid and clear cut hope for its continued growth and stability of Tamil schools.