Samy says it was all Khir's fault - Malaysiakini

[via malaysiakini.com]
Apr 29, 08 3:57pm

Former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo today came under fire from MIC for saying that the party president S Samy Vellu had asked for the demolition of the Kampung Rimba Jaya Hindu temple near Shah Alam.

“I am surprised by his statement. How can I tell him to demolish a temple which was already demolished?” asked Samy Vellu today.

“It was under his order that more than 500 enforcement personnel from the local authorities from various districts came to demolish just one temple.

“If all local authorities were to send enforcement officers to Shah Alam, who could have given such a directive except him,” he told Malaysiakini.

Samy Vellu said that he met Khir at the Blue Wave hotel in Shah Alam on Oct 30 last year, asking for the demolition to be stopped but the former Selangor MB refused to budge.

“Even when the prime minister requested him to give time to shift the temple to a new location, he refused to budge.

“That indicated his determination to demolish the temple,” added Samy Vellu.

“I told him ‘You are destroying not only your political career, you will also destroy my political career if you continue with the demolition’.

“He just said ‘no, no such thing’,” said Samy Vellu.

Khir’s version of events

Samy Vellu’s clarification on this matter indicated that the controversial demolition of the temple was done just days before Deepavali day which fell on Nov 8 last year.

However Khir told Malaysiakini in an interview that he was not the culprit behind the demolition of the temple as he was instructed by Samy Vellu on Nov 15 to tear down the temple. He also said that he had ordered for the demolition work to stop on Oct 30.

“Samy Vellu called me on the night of Nov 15 and told me that Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) people had infiltrated the temple and that it must be demolished that night itself,” alleged Khir, who was Selangor menteri besar at the time.

Khir also denied that the temple had been pulled down days before Deepavali, saying the exercise had been carried out a week after the significant Hindu festival.

Furthermore, he said an agreement had been concluded with the priest, in that compensation of RM40,000 would be paid and an alternative site provided to rebuild the temple.

Khir also said that he had agreed to stop the demolition exercise after Samy Vellu met up with him at the Blue Wave hotel.

“Samy Vellu then met me and (premier) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the Blue Wave hotel (in Shah Alam) and we all agreed to stop the demolition process at the temple gate. Samy then made an announcement in Rimba Jaya, (asking) not to demolish the temple because in two days, the people would evacuate the site,” he said.

The demolition of the Sri Maha Mariamman temple was carried out in two stages, albeit not intentionally. As the illegal extension was being pulled down on Oct 30, a violent fracas ensued between devotees and enforcement personnel and forced work to be abandoned.

The original 100-year-old structure was demolished later - apparently on Nov 15, based on Khir’s account during the interview.

Saravanan’s open challenge

Later in a separate statement, Samy Vellu said that Khir had to take the major blame for having chased away the Indian voters to the opposition in the state.

"My request to him is stop talking about all this and let us rebuild the Barisan Nasional and the component parties to get back the support of the people," he said.

He said he had great respect for Khir's ability as a leader who had really turned around Selangor as a major developing state.

MIC information chief M Saravanan was also shocked by Khir’s remarks against the party president.

“This is news to all of us. I am shock by Khir’s remarks,” he told Malaysiakini.

“I issue an open challenge to him to face us and tell us this at our face,” he said.

Saravanan, also the Federal Territories deputy minister, said that he was with Samy Vellu when the latter met Khir at the Blue Wave hotel and witnessed Khir’s refusal to stop the demolition.

“How can he say now that he had stopped the demolition on Oct 30 and only proceeded to tear down the temple after receiving a call on Nov 15?”

“For us, he is clearly not telling the truth. We tried hard to save the temple but he was in no mood to listen to us. We told him that he would be angering the Indian community by doing so but he paid no heed,” he added.

Voters rejected BN

Saravanan said that the demolition of the Shah Alam temple was among the main reason BN lost control of Selangor in the March 8 general election.

“He was arrogant and didn’t bother to listen to anyone. Now he is trying to pass off as a leader who did all the right things for his people.”

The FT MIC chief also said that on Oct 30 Khir had issued a press statement that the temple was being demolished due to a court order.

“Why didn’t he tell about Samy Vellu’s involvement then? As it is he has already ordered for the demolition of the temple right before Deepavali and is now trying to blame others when he should be blaming himself,” said Saravanan.

The temple demolition incident has been cited by both opposition and BN members as a key factor in influencing the outcome of the March 8 polls.

BN and Umno took the brunt of voter anger over this and other issues, resulting in the state government falling into opposition hands for the first time in electoral history. Khir then resigned as Selangor Umno head, and is now leader of the opposition in the state legislature.

DAP grassroots: Ramasamy not doing enough for Indians

Saturday April 26, 2008

source : thestar.com.my

PENANG: Several Indian DAP grassroots leaders and members have expressed their dissatisfaction and anger at Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy for his failure in representing the community.

“Even though we have an Indian deputy chief minister, he has done nothing to ensure that we are represented in the administration. “Worse still, some members of the previous government are still serving the current administration and holding important positions. “Why can’t we have our own grassroots appointed to the local council and government agencies?” said one leader who attended the party’s Indian Affairs and Cultural Bureau meeting on Thursday.

“It was a very fiery discussion with many long-time party members criticising Dr Ramasamy. Many were hurt by his reported remark that he ‘does not represent the Indian community’ because we have very high expectations of him. “We have been marginalised for so long and now, instead of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel - all we see is darkness,” he said, adding that the state’s three other Indian assemblymen were also out of touch with the community’s needs.

After the 90-minute, closed-door meeting, DAP Indian Affairs and Cultural Bureau chairman and Bagan Dalam assemblyman A. Tanasekharan said Indian members “had finally come to accept” the newly-announced Penang Municipal (MPPP) and Seberang Prai Municipal Council’s (MPSP) line-up despite earlier objection to the under-representation of Indians. “It is normal to see some members objecting at the initial stage, but when they see the bigger picture, they will understand,” he said, adding that the bureau would not propose any changes to the line up.

Twenty-four MPPP and 24 MPSP councillors were sworn into office recently. Nineteen councillors were from DAP, 15 from PKR and two from PAS. It was learnt that the Indian DAP members were unhappy as only seven of them were appointed to the two local councils.

According to a source, a majority of the members were still “very unhappy” and had not accepted Tanasekharan’s explanation.

MAKKAL OSAI THANK THE GOVERNMENT

By: Teh Heng Hock, The Star, April 24 2008

PETALING JAYA: Tamil daily Makkal Osai will be back on newsstands this Saturday.

General manager S.M. Periasamy said the Home Ministry had renewed its publishing licence after the publication had appealed its earlier decision.

The newspaper ceased publication for a week after it failed to obtain a renewal on April 16.


Periasamy said he had received the approval letter from the Home Ministry at 9.30am on Thursday, and had paid the RM3,000 fee for the licence. He received the licence at about 4pm.

“The Ministry called me on Wednesday at about 5.30pm to tell me that it had approved our licence," he said.

Periasamy, who claimed he met Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar on Tuesday, said he was happy that the Home Ministry renewed the licence without imposing any conditions.

"We'd like to thank the Government for considering our appeal.

"We would also like to thank our readers, and our media colleagues for supporting us," he said.

Periasamy said Makkal Osai would continue to be a paper that looked after the interest of the Indian community.

"We will continue to be vocal, and continue to plan an important role in the development of racial harmony in the country," he said.

Makkal Osai has 102 staff, and Periasamy said no one had left or had their services terminated in the last week.

He added that the publication suffered about RM400,000 in losses because of its suspension.

Its chief editor M. Rajan said he and his staff would "run the paper more carefully" in future.

The newspaper started operations as Tamil Osai in 1981, and changed its name to Makkal Osai in 2005. It has a daily circulation of 52,000 copies and 95,000 on weekends.

Makkal Osai submitted an application for renewal on July 16, 2007, three months before its permit expired on Oct 15 last year.

The day its permit expired, the daily continued publication with the understanding that the Government was in the process of considering its application for renewal.

Besides Makkal Osai, the other two Tamil dailies are Tamil Nesan and Malaysia Nanban.

Q&A - Why Political Tsunami?? - Samy

[via malaysiakini.com]
RK Anand | Apr 17, 08 12:19pm

The ruling coalition slipped into a political coma on March 8 when the unprecedented tsunami swept across the nation and buried Barisan Nasional under piles of debris.

Many political careers and ambitions drowned on that fateful day but the incident appears to have provided some component leaders with a new lease of life.

After being 'ballot-boxed' blue-and-black by their respective communities, these leaders - once known for their strict adherence to the code of conduct - are now openly breaking ranks and pointing fingers.

Explicitly or implicitly, the fingers point in the direction of Umno and the culture it has cultivated over the decades.

One such leader is MIC president and former works minister S Samy Vellu who was defeated in his stronghold of Sungai Siput while his party lost 18 of its 28 seats.

The veteran politician has repeatedly stated that he has raised numerous issues concerning the Indian community during his protracted spell as a cabinet minister. But this was not reflected on the ground.

In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini at the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, the 72-year-old politician conceded that while he spoke at great lengths during the meetings, his hands were however in a bind.

Although he denied that the component parties were subservient to Umno, Samy Vellu admitted that they were not treated as equals in the coalition.

The Malaysian curse

He also spoke of a curse which has been plaguing the country and attributed BN's electoral setback to those behind it.

"The government is of the opinion that when you introduce a programme, everybody will benefit. It is not so. The programme is drafted in such a way that certain people will never benefit," he said.

"Even if it is meant for everybody, the person who delivers it will never allow it to be delivered. This is the curse in the country, the delivery system.

"The government would like to give everything to everybody, but the man who delivers will never do it," he added.

Samy Vellu stressed that while the government is not discriminatory, those in the civil service are.

"Anything for other races, they don't like to see it ... some of them don't consider us (non-Malays) as Malaysians. They are the ones who brought the Barisan down in this elections.

"It is not because people have love for (PKR leader) Anwar (Ibrahim), love for (PAS president Abdul) Hadi (Awang), love for (DAP veteran Lim) Kit Siang.

"You can see ... what is it that these three people have put together and presented to the country? A new formula for the country's benefit, nothing. They just went everywhere 'bang, bang, bang, bang'. They won by a fluke chance.

"They won, they became strong because we are weak," he said.

'Change the head'

Asked how this curse can be broken, Samy Vellu prescribed a startling remedy. "Barisan Nasional must change its head."

Sensing that it can be misinterpreted, the MIC president promptly explained that "the head" was in reference to the mindset and not the leadership.

"A new thinking," he continued. "The new thinking should be equal opportunities for Malaysians according to their percentage."

"If they don't do that, it would be fatality ... in the next elections," warned the architect.

In the past, Samy Vellu said he had explained to the government that it will be perilous for the BN to ignore the Indian community.

"They (the community) are almost in 65 to 70 constituencies, the deciding factor votes. If they fall on the other side, we are lost. But the government didn't believe it, which is proven already."

The Malay swing

To another question on the talk that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ignored the ample warning signs and preferred to rely on the assessments of his advisers, Samy Vellu said he does not believe the premier was given bad advice.

"The PM, I must say, is a good man, a very simple man, he cares for the community. He's very respectful to everybody. But what went wrong was down the line.

"Let me tell you about the Ninth Malaysia Plan. Over RM100 billion is being spent, a few pages, I see RM3 million for the Indian community, building up a training centre for the youths who are already in difficulties...

"But there should have been a programme to uplift the Indian economic status in business, participation in industry, licenses, vendor system. All these should have been considered."

At this juncture, the MIC president shifted his focus to the significant swing in votes, especially from the Malays, for the opposition.

"You see today the bumiputera votes went to the opposition. Why? Because they feel there should be equality in the country ... I never expected in my life that Malays will move in such a big magnitude to the opposition.

"The Indians, of course, for the first time have also moved. The Chinese (votes) have always been up and down," he said.

Q&A - Great Dr Mahathir - Samy ( I am a very small man from a small community)

[via malaysiakini.com]
RK Anand | Apr 18, 08 11:23am

He served under him for more than two decades. The loyalty then and now remains unquestionable.

It has been five years since former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad stepped down, but the very mention of his name still gets MIC president S Samy Vellu choked up with emotion.

His tone and facial expressions changed when addressing questions concerning the man whom he regards as a great leader. At one point, he even seemed to be fighting back tears.

Mahathir's recent scathing criticism against Samy Vellu had done little to affect the respect and admiration the MIC president harbours for his former boss.

Some have even cited Mahathir as being a contributing factor to Samy Vellu's defeat in his stronghold of Sungai Siput on March 8. But the latter refused to retaliate.

"When you keep a person at a very high esteem in your heart, your eyes will not see what his mistakes are. You will only see the good things he has done," the 72-year-old politician told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview at the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

However, Samy Vellu lamented that Mahathir's attacks against his successor, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and the government have weakened Barisan Nasional to a great extent.

According to him, the former premier should have opted for a more softer approach to get his points across.

"Mahathir had a lot of experience in running this country. As a father of the nation, he should have put it in a more milder format (to state) what should be done.

"It would have benefitted the government and it would have benefitted the people also, rather than this straightforward attacks. It (has) never happened in our country before."

To another question, he said: "If Mahathir continues with his attacks on the government, the only thing, whatever he does, it will erode the support of the people for the government he so dearly built."

Give Pak Lah time

Samy Vellu also disagreed with those calling on the prime minister to step down in the wake of the ruling coalition's disastrous performance in the March 8 polls.

The former works minister said Abdullah - who assumed control in 2003 - should be given the time and space to steer the battered vessel along the right direction once again.

"I don't think at this time simply by stepping down everything is going to be alright. I think Abdullah must be given the time and the peace to put things in order.

"Then he chooses his successor, he hands over peacefully and he leaves like how Mahathir left Umno and the government peacefully and with good name. I think that should be the methodology to adopt," he added.

Earlier, Samy Vellu had described Mahathir as "the builder and moderniser" of this nation who had slogged for 22 years to give Malaysia the status she enjoys today.

The MIC president also said that he is not perturbed by the remarks the former premier had made against him.

"He might have said one or two things about me. I am never upset about it. I hold him so high in my heart. Even though he is angry with me sometimes ..."

In an interview with Malaysiakini prior to the elections, Mahathir had accused Samy Vellu of stifling Indian voices and complained about how the latter had blocked the MIC splinter party Indian Progressive Front (IPF) from joining BN.

In reference to this, Samy Vellu offered a simple reasoning.

"My explanation is ... if in the Barisan Nasional, Umno is the only party that can represent the Malays, what is wrong in MIC being the only party to represent the Indians?

"Also, there are a lot of splinter parties outside representing the Malays, they are not coming into, they will not be allowed to come into the Barisan Nasional."

Turning to Mahathir the person, the MIC president said the former premier was a kind man. "He may not like some people some times but when people go and see him ... he excuses people very fast."

Asked if he met Mahathir recently, Samy Vellu replied: "The last I met him was at the Chinese New Year (celebrations). I went to shake hands with him with my great respect for him. He shook hands with me, but not in his usual style. But I didn’t mind it."

Letter to Mahathir

The MIC president also revealed that he penned a letter to Mahathir on the day he left the Works Ministry after the March 8 elections.

"I said (in the letter) 'At this moment of leaving the Ministry of Works, I write this letter to thank you for what all you have done for me'. I said 'you are a great leader the country has ever seen'.

"'This country will never get another leader of your kind. It is a great gift of God to this country'. And I said 'you are quite unhappy with me over certain things and whatever you said during the elections about me, I take it this way, that you don't mean it'.

"'Even though I have lost the elections, I don't think you wholeheartedly said that and you don't mean it (the criticisms)'. I sent him the last letter."

However, Samy Vellu said Mahathir did not reply.

"He doesn't have to reply. I am a very small man from a small community. My background is, I am the son of an ordinary labourer."

Q&A - Malaysiakini with Dato Seri

Fri, 18/04/2008 - 12:34 — lucid

[via malaysiakini.com]
RK Anand | Apr 18, 08 12:00pm

While the mention of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's name saw MIC president S Samy Vellu become overwhelmed with sadness, humility and affection, queries regarding another former cabinet colleague, however, evoked emotions to the contrary.

In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini at the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, the veteran politician fields several questions on PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Among others, the MIC president outlines what was the former deputy premier's "greatest mistake in his life."

What about talks that PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim may become the next prime minister?

Anwar Ibrahim nearly became prime minister (prior to his sacking in 1998). He was acting prime minister for two months when Mahathir was away, Mahathir trusted him so much.

There was a time Mahathir said that he (Anwar) would be the right leader to deal with the situations of the country ... in the rising religious fanaticism. He (Mahathir) said that.

And the love Mahathir placed on Anwar, he didn't return it to him. That's the greatest mistake. Anwar's greatest mistake in his life was to fight the boss. I have personally told him 'don't fight the boss, dismantle your army.' I have written it in my diary when I said that.

I know that he was fighting Dr Mahathir indirectly with his boys and all that. I told him 'for your good, don't fight the boss and dismantle your army'. And he said 'no, we cannot, it's already ...'

That's not the way in politics.

People are seeing him as a better option because he has made some grand promises.

I have read the history of many leaders in this world who have promised the world when they are not in power. But when they come to power, Oh, the way they change. History will reply.

On the invitation to MIC to join the (opposition pact) Pakatan Rakyat.

It is better that all the parties which are going to join the Pakatan to join the Barisan Nasional, except Anwar because he won't be accepted by Umno. Then we make a strong government with all the parties in.

As far as his call for MIC to join (Pakatan Rakyat), that will be the last thing that we will ever do. If ever we have to run away from the Barisan Nasional, we rather dissolve our party than leave our friends with whom we were for more than 50 years.

You had also mentioned (during a press conference earlier) that you have never seen an elections like this with people being threatened and so forth. Can you elaborate on this.

This elections, I can tell you, people were very frightened when they went to vote. You see, there were a lot of boys sent here and there.

In my constituency (Sungai Siput) about 1,000 boys came. They stood in front of the Methodist school and the Sin Chung school. These are two major voting centres which comes to about 5,000 t0 6,000 votes.

They were telling everybody 'shouldn't vote for Samy Vellu, vote for this, vote for that'. And then they were making noise, they blocked the road. It is all done in a very crude manner. And also, you cannot independently go and see where things are going on. They will be there. You go for election campaign, they will come to fight with you there.

One instance, I went to talk to the Lunas Chinese Association. About 1,000 people having a dinner, they called me to come and speak to them. This was three days before the elections.

When I went there, about 1,000 of the opposition boys joined together, they had knives, they have axe, they have stone, everything. They wanted to kill me that day. I should have gone there and get killed and become a martyr. But I didn't want to do that, I don't want to take a foolish option.

I asked the police, the police said 'we can take you there, we have got enough police to look after the situation'. But I said 'I know if I go there, they will try to jump on me, you will ...(retaliate), there will be a big problem that you will create with them. This will be reported in the paper tomorrow and it will create another loss to the Barisan Nasional. I don't want to do that, I better go back'. I came back to Ipoh without going to the dinner.

Harakahdaily.net on Dato Seri S Samy Vellu

at Zain Mat Isa fom harakahdaily.net
Sat | Apr 19, 08 | 11:35:44 am MYT

Tanpa hipokrasi, perlu diakui bahawa Presiden MIC, Dato' Seri S Samy Vellu adalah seorang yang bekerja keras untuk memenuhi tuntutan kaumnya. Sepanjang penglibatannya yang lama dalam kerajaan, beliau telah menempa banyak kejayaan dalam apa yang diperjuangkannya.

Selain mengangkat martabat kaum India dalam aspek ekonomi dan sosial, sebilangan tuntutan mereka berkaitan hal ehwal agama turut ditunaikan kerajaan. Sejurus sebelum pilihan raya umum bulan lalu, Perdana Menteri mengumumkan Hari Thaipusam sebagai cuti umum di beberapa negeri yang terdapat ramai pekerja India, termasuk Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.

Terbaru pula kaum India negara ini telah diberi kebenaran oleh Kementerian Dalam Negeri untuk membawa masuk 800 sami daripada India untuk bertugas di kuil Hindu dan gurdwara Sikh.

Bagaimanapun sebilangan lagi tuntutan dan kepentingan kaumnya sehingga kini tidak dapat dipenuhi. Ada juga kes-kes cuba diselesaikan Samy Vellu yang menemui jalan buntu. Bukan sekali, bukan dua kali, apabila kerap diasak dengan persoalan sama membabitkan sesuatu yang gagal diselesaikannya, Samy Vellu akan mudah melenting.

Contohnya, dalam kes pertikaian tapak kuil Hindu di beberapa negeri, terutama di Selangor menjelang pilihan raya baru-baru ini. Sebahagian kuil itu dirobohkan kerajaan negeri pimpinan Umno. Isu itu diakui antara sebab kekalahan teruk BN di negeri tersebut sehingga menumbangkan kerajaan BN.

Dalam beberapa kes yang berlaku, Samy Vellu bukan punca kebencian. Dia mungkin dipersalahkan masyarakat India kerana dianggap tidak melakukan usaha secukupnya bagi mempertahankan rumah ibadat kaumnya. Tetapi jangan lupa Samy Vellu antara pemimpin politik paling awal tiba ke tempat kejadian setiap kali kes perobohan atau pertikaian mengenai tapak kuil berlaku.

Samy Vellu wajar diberi pujian atas pembelaannya itu.

Samy wants equal share for all

Saturday April 19, 2008- The Star

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has told the Internet news portal Malaysiakini that Barisan Nasional should change its mindset whereby equal opportunities must be given to all Malaysians, reported Malaysia Nanban.

He said it would be perilous for the Government if Barisan continued to ignore the other communities.

He also denied that the component parties were subservient to Umno but admitted that they were not treated as equals in the coalition.

He said the downfall of Barisan in the recent general election was due to the dissatisfaction of the people.

He said that while the Government had introduced programmes that were supposed to benefit all the people, they benefited one particular race when implemented.

He said that for Barisan to win the support of Malays and the other communities, it must come out with comprehensive programmes to uplift the economic status of the people in business, their participation in industry, licences and the vendor system that will bring benefit to all in the country.

Saravanan lashes out at some aggressive KL reps

Saturday April 19, 2008- The star

IS this how an MP should behave?” questioned Deputy FT minister Datuk M. Saravanan in relation to the two-day round-table forum organised by the Federal Territories Ministry at Hotel Istana.

He was commenting on the attitude of some MPs at the conference, “in particularly Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong and Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng”.

He said the FT Ministry was worried by the pressure and threat from some MPs, citing that the authority was forced to take action against the foreign workers at Chinatwon in a few days following Wee's accusations of Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) incompetence.

“City Hall has already told Wee that they were discussing with the hawkers and petty traders' association in Chinatown to find out better ways to deal with the problem, but he said that was a stupid answer and distributed a statement with the remark to everyone at the retreat on the first day,” he told a press conference.

“We have to deal with the issue sensitively because Chinatown is a tourist destination known to the world, and we want to allow the operators there to adjust themselves. We cannot just carry out harsh enforcement.

“However, with the pressure and threat from this MP, we have no choice but to take action against the foreign workers,” he said.

“Your representative asked us to take action,” he stressed.

On Lim, Saravanan said he asked for reserved parking from the hotel for MPs. “Now as an MP in the opposition you want free parking, if you are in the ruling party, would you ask to own the hotel?”

He criticised that some MPs did not make good use of the chance, and that veterans Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai and Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun could have done better.

However, he commended Bandar Tun Razak MP Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, Batu MP Tian Chua and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar for their professionalism.

Asked if ties between the ministry and the MPs were ruined, he said: “Some, not all. I must be fair, there are MPs who can think.”

He said KL MPs should know the operating mechanism in the Federal Territories, that the authority could not take immediate actions in some cases and “just bring the weapon there and shoot”, as they needed to discuss with relevant ministries and consider many aspects.

Saravanan also said that the need for these kind of forums again would be reassessed. However, he added that the ministry still valued constructive suggestions.

“If you think you respect us, we will listen; but if you think you don't respect us, sorry, we have no time for you,” he said.

He assured that the participants would see results to the matters raised, but they have to give them time.

“We look at the urgency level. Some matters, for instance, the suggestion of a three-day feedback timeframe is being implemented but we can't curb rising crime rate in one or two days,” he said.

Meanwhile Federal Territory Barisan leaders hit out at some of the opposition MPs in Kuala Lumpur for their improper behaviour at the forum.

FT Umno information chief Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman said the MPs regardless from which party they belong should have used the roundtable meeting to debate proper proposals.

“Even if you want to criticise it should not be done in an aggressive manner. This is only their arrogance.

“If this is the way they are going to conduct themselves then I propose that the FT Ministry do not hold such meetings in the future as it is simply waste of time. The action by the irresponsible MPs would only make the people suffer,” said Suhaili.

FT PPP also hit out the opposition MPs saying they should not “play politics” but should instead show willingness to work and resolve the problems faced by city folks.

Its chairman A. Chandrakumanan said the behaviour of the some KL opposition MPs reflected their true character.

“Among themselves there seems to be no cohesion. For example Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong placed banners thanking the voters in his constituency with only the PKR and PAS logos while the DAP logo was missing. Where is the spirit of Pakatan Rakyat that they are talking about?” said Chandrakumanan.

PM's speech - "DELIVERING JUSTICE, RENEWING TRUST"

SPEECH BY DATUK SERI ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI, PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA, AT THE MALAYSIAN BAR COUNCIL DINNER ON APRIL 17, 2008:
"DELIVERING JUSTICE, RENEWING TRUST"

Esteemed friends and colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

A very good evening to all of you.

It is an honour and a pleasure for me to be here tonight. I would like to thank the Bar Council for giving me the privilege of addressing this illustrious gathering. This is my first opportunity to speak directly to the legal community and related members of civil society since the recent General Election. As such, it is an important occasion and I thank you for taking time out from your busy schedules to be here tonight.
This occasion is particularly meaningful to all of us because of the presence of a few special guests. It is heartening to see in this gathering Tun Salleh Abas, Tan Sri Azmi Kamaruddin and Dato? George Seah. Tan Sri Wan Hamzah had wanted to join us tonight but was not able to.

Sadly, Tan Sri Eusoffe Abdolcadeer and Tan Sri Wan Suleiman are no longer with us. But they are represented by their respective families: representing Tan Sri Wan Suleiman are Puan Sri Siti Nurhayati and his son Wan Noor Azli; representing Tan Sri Eusoffe are his granddaughter Brenda Lim and her husband.

For me and for many other Malaysians, these towering judicial personalities represent a very different era for the nation?s judiciary. Many felt that the judiciary then was a venerable institution which could be trusted to deliver justice. Some even hailed Malaysia?s judiciary as a model for other countries ? independent and credible.

This level of trust and respect for the judiciary, we must all admit, is simply not as strong as it was before. Although efforts are being made now by the present Chief Judge, still there are concerns related to capacity and efficiency, stemming from long case backlogs, delays and the outdated manner of court administration. There are concerns which are less tangible but are nonetheless prevalent such as perceived corruption and perceived decline in quality. The business community, in particular, have voiced concerns about the fairness and capacity of Malaysia?s judiciary in settling disputes. This has directly affected perceptions of our country?s economic competitiveness.

No nation can call itself fair and just without an efficient and trusted judiciary. By ?trusted?, I mean a judiciary that delivers justice and is seen to deliver justice. In Malaysia?s case, debates and arguments on the state of our judiciary have been heated and protracted. Some of the Malay Rulers have openly voiced their disquiet on what they see as a decline, requiring nothing short of a judicial renaissance. Some retired judges have related troubling tales of impropriety. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have called for reform of this most august institution. Even the Bar Council, true to form, has marched en masse outside my office.

To a large extent, the events of 1988 have fueled much of the disagreement on how to move on. When I took office in 2003, I promised a credible, effective and independent judiciary. I recommended judicial appointments in consultation with the senior judges before bringing the names to DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong as required by the Federal Constitution. I pledged material and fiscal support for the judicial service in order to reduce the backlog of cases. I even took a political leap of faith by appointing an outspoken maverick as my new de facto Law Minister. I can say with a clear conscience that I abided and will continue to abide by the principle of separation of powers, leaving the matter of justice to the judiciary. And yet the legacy of 1988 haunts us until today.

Ladies and gentlemen, let us move on. The judiciary must be revitalised to enable it to serve the people in pursuit of justice. The judiciary must be fortified to be an institution that serves the democratic principle of separation of powers. The judiciary must be the guardian of the Constitution and the sentinel of the people?s rights.

This government gives its commitment to the Malaysian public that it will begin a process of judicial reform. We recognise that this process must be undertaken with the spirit and belief that no one, not even those entrusted to govern or to make laws, must assume to be above the law. This government continues to guard against abuse of its power, and is now proposing measures to further solidify and entrench the doctrines of good governance and the rule of law.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As a result of many events, which culminated in the inquiry undertaken by the Royal Commission into the so-called ?V.K. Lingam Tape?, I am aware that the public considers the present way of appointing and promoting judges as inadequate. The absence of a system in nominating candidates has led some to believe that the process is characterised by abuse, even where there is none. As is often the case, perception can lead reality.

On the other hand, some may argue that the present system does not require improvement if people in the system are inherently honest and fair. The same system has produced its share of outstanding judges after all.

I do not dispute this, but the fact is, we can no longer leave such an important institution to hope and chance. The system must have built-in safeguards to prevent potential abuse and it must have a process that will convincingly identify the best legal minds in the country to join the judiciary. This is a necessary part of ensuring that our nation?s judiciary is robust and trusted by the people.

Moreover, the demands on the judiciary today are greater than ever before. An increasing number of cases are being brought before the courts. There is a growing body of law particularly in relation to specialised areas such as Corporate Law, Information Technology, Maritime Law and Islamic Finance. With these pressures comes the need for expert and speedy decision-making.

Therefore, the Government proposes a change to make the process of nominating, appointing and promoting judges more transparent and representative.

I am pleased to announce to you tonight that the Government is proposing the setting up of a Judicial Appointments Commission to identify and recommend candidates for the judiciary to the Prime Minister. While the constitutional prerogative of the Prime Minister to put forward names to DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong will remain, the Commission will help to evaluate and vet candidates in a systematic and credible manner for the Prime Minister, based on clearly defined criteria.

The process to bring about this change will begin now and I assure all of you here today, that consultation on the workings and the structure of the Commission will involve primary stakeholders. All will have a chance to provide their input to the Government.

In addition, the Government will initiate a review of the judiciary?s terms of service and remuneration. There is a pressing need to set salaries and compensation to the right levels to ensure that the bench can attract and retain the very best of the nation?s talent. This, and other measures which will be announced in due course, will form a comprehensive package of reform to strengthen the capacity and credibility of the judiciary.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

For many, the events of 1988 were an upheaval of the nation?s judicial system. Rightly or wrongly, many disputed both the legality and morality of the related proceedings. For me, personally, I feel it was a time of crisis from which the nation never fully recovered.

Again, ladies and gentlemen, let us move on. I do not think it wise or helpful to revisit past decisions as it would only serve to prolong the sense of crisis ? something our nation can do without. The rakyat wants movement and progress, not continuing strife.

Therefore, the Government would like to recognise the contributions of these six judges to the nation, their commitment towards upholding justice and to acknowledge the pain and loss they have endured. For Tan Sri Eusoffe and Tan Sri Wan Suleiman and their families, I know this sentiment is made too late. For Tun Salleh Abas, Tan Sri Azmi Kamaruddin, Tan Sri Wan Hamzah and Dato? George Seah, although this acknowledgement is 20 years too late, it is made with much hope that a measure of the pain and loss may yet be healed.

In recognition of the contributions of the six outstanding judges, the Government has decided to make goodwill ex gratia payments to them. Gentlemen, I do not presume to equate your contributions, pain and loss with mere currency, but I hope that you could accept this as a heartfelt and sincere gesture to mend what has been.

Ladies and gentlemen,

There is still much to do to renew the public?s trust in the nation?s judiciary and to ensure that justice is consistently delivered. What I have announced here tonight is a beginning of a longer process towards reform. I humbly seek your support for these measures because the need for reform may not be entirely clear to all.

The government has set the ball rolling. We have put forward initial, but vital, steps. Now it is for all parties concerned ? the judiciary, the Bar, civil society and the public at large ? to also play their respective roles in facilitating these reforms. Whatever our differences, we share the same idealism for our nation?s judiciary. Let us work through our differences.

With this, it is my sincere hope that we may begin a new chapter for the Malaysian judiciary. It is my hope that this becomes part of a bigger process to further strengthen our democratic institutions, step-by-step resolving intractable problems that have stood in the way of genuine nation-building. Let us write this proud and new chapter together.

Thank you.

Hindu temple demolition destroyed BN's Indian support: Samy

KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs:2008/04/17

The demolition of Hindu temples was the ‘atomic bomb’ that destroyed Indian support for Barisan Nasional in the March 8 general election, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said today. The BN paid the price for the rash actions of some leading to the Indian vote going largely to the opposition, he added.
The former Works Minister, an unexpected casualty of the political tsunami that swept parts of the nation during the polls, said the BN would have Indians support if it had addressed the issue of the temples properly.

He cited the demolition of a 36-year-old temple in Kg Karuppiah, Padang Jawa, by the Selangor government last October as the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“That one temple that was demolished in Padang Jawa became a big atomic bomb which chased away the Indian community. We blindly smashed the temples and we paid the price for it. If we had ‘jaga jaga’ (looked after) the temples, we would have won the Indian vote,’ he told reporters at MIC headquarters.

Samy Vellu had called for the Press conference to thank the Federal government for approving the renewal of work permits for 800 foreign priests for Gurdwaras (Sikh templeas) and Hindu temples.
Samy Vellu acknowledged, however, that the Selangor government later allocated a 10,000 sq ft piece of land in Shah Alam to rebuild the temple.

In the march 8 general election, Samy Vellu was defeated by Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj in the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat, a constituency the MIC strongman has held since 1974.

On why the Home Ministry approved the renewal of visas for Hindu priests and temple musicians and artisans from India, he said they understood the implications of not doing so.

“There will be a problem if they do not approve as temples may have to be closed,” he said.

He said the BN’s failure to secure the two-third majority in Parliament was discussed at Wednesday’s BN management committee meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“We discussed why we lost the elections. We asked questions like ‘what is wrong with us?’ and ‘how did we lose the trust of the people,” he said.

Samy Vellu was confident that the BN will spring back from defeat under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and plans to rejuvenate the coalition.

He said the BN was the only party that could bring stability, strength, unity and development to Malaysians.

“There is no other party. You can have 25 other parties joining together but this party (the BN) is a party of experience. It is a party of leadership. It is a party that has led the country for 50 years,” he said.

On the Home Ministry’s plan not to renew the permit of the Makkal Osai, he said this should not have happened and that the newspaper could appeal against the decision.

“I am sorry about it. I do not know why they did it. But the newspaper can always appeal against the decision,” he sai

Visa sami, pemuzik dan pengukir kuil India diperbaharui

KUALA LUMPUR: Kabinet membuat keputusan untuk membenarkan dan memperbaharui visa dan permit kepada sami Hindu, pemuzik dan pengukir kuil Hindu dari India.

Menteri Sumber Manusia, Datuk Dr S Subramaniam, berkata isu itu sudah dibawa ke perhatian Kabinet dan diluluskan dalam mesyuarat minggu lalu.

“Jemaah Menteri bersetuju untuk meneruskan perkhidmatan mereka di negara ini dan untuk kategori khas saja,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan akhbar di sini, hari ini.

Subramaniam yang juga Setiausaha Agung MIC berkata, beliau akan mengadakan pertemuan dengan badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) dan organisasi Hindu dan Sikh secepat mungkin untuk membincangkan mengenai jenis kategori yang dipersetujui itu serta garis panduan yang bakal ditetapkan.

Katanya, beliau juga akan mengadakan perbincangan dengan Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar dan Menteri Perpaduan, Kebudayaan, Kesenian dan Warisan, Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal mengenai pelaksanaan keputusan itu.

Beliau berkata, Kabinet mahu usaha melatih rakyat tempatan untuk mengambil alih tugas itu untuk tempoh jangka masa panjang dilakukan supaya pergantungan terhadap sami, pemuzik dan pengukir dari negara asing dapat dikurangkan. - Bernama

MIC wants Abdullah to come out with integration policy

2008/04/14

MIC, the largest Indian-based political party in the country, wants Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to formulate a strong integration programmme to strengthen the ruling coalition.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the programme must also seek to strengthen individual component parties with the ruling coalition, which lost its long-held two-third majority in Parliament in the recent general election.

“This is essential to regroup and reorganise our strategies and directions in order to regain the trust and confidence of the people. As such, we must not delay on this exercise,” the former Works Minister said in a statement.

The programme, he said, must also entail policies and plans for the respective communities and it must be executed immediately.

“The policies and plans must be announced to the public and the time frame be set for their implementation. If we fail to carry out this task, we will fail in our journey towards reaching our goals for the nation and people,” the veteran politician added.
On the Indian community, the MIC supremo urged the government to expedite assistance to the bottom 30 percent in the community, who are still unemployed and living in poverty.

“I suggest the formation of a committee headed by the prime minister and deputy prime minister, and its members consisting of all the heads of the BN component parties, to discuss and chart out the development programmes that will have to be implemented immediately.

“The time has come for us to build a truly united Malaysian nation. If we fail to do this, it would mean we are encouraging our supporters to go along with the opposition.

“We need to attend to the problems of the people with a clear and unbiased mind,” said the MIC president.

MIC Urges Government To Lift Ban On Indian Priests

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 (Bernama) -- MIC president Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu today appealed to the government to lift the ban on the recruitment of priests from India for Hindu temples and Sikh gurdwaras.

He said the temples and gurdwaras urgently required about 500 and 300 priests, respectively.

"I have recently met Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar to lift the ban on the recruitment of the priests but I was informed that the matter had to be brought up at the Cabinet level," he said in a statement here today.

He said Syed Hamid had told him that it was a Cabinet decision and hence, only the Cabinet could decide to revoke the decision.

"I am appealing to the government to take into consideration the sensitivity involved as the priests are needed urgently to conduct daily prayers," he said.

Samy Vellu cautioned that if the matter was left unresolved, it could spark "major dissatisfaction among the Hindu and Sikh communities".

He said some of the priests were being deported or had their work permits terminated.

"This has caused a lot of anxiety to the devotees and the temple as well as gurdwara management committees, and they have appealed to me to bring up the matter with the government," he said.

The former Works Minister said he had raised the matter in the Cabinet before but there had been slow progress.

"I sincerely hope that the Cabinet will review its decision fast and allow for the recruitment of these priests," he said.

Samy Vellu said it will be a good move for the government to do so (review the ban of priests) in order to regain the confidence of the Indian community, especially with tomorrow being the Tamil New Year.

-- BERNAMA

Temple for Indians in Miri soon

MIRI, SUN:2008/04/13 - Beranama

The Indian community here, who have been longing for a place of worship, can expect a “good news” soon for their request, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said last night.

He said the state government was seriously considering their request for a Hindu temple, the first to be built in this oil town.

Though the Indian population here was rather small, Chan said he was aware that many Indians of the Hindu faith often visited this second biggest city in Sarawak after Kuching.

“We will definitely do something for the Hindus here. I hope to give you a good news on your request soon,” he said at the Tamil New Year celebrations hosted by the Miri Indian Association.

Despite small in number, he said, the Indian community should take pride for being among the 30-odd ethnic groups who contributed significantly to Miri’s progress all these years.
Chan is the Piasau assemblyman under the Miri parliamentary constitution.

The Sikh community and the Buddhists are also celebrating their New Year today

PM To Meet BN Component Parties

JOHOR BAHARU, April 11 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Friday he would be meeting the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties to identify issues involving all races in the country.

Abdullah, who is also Umno president and BN chairman, said the meeting with component party leaders would enable him to listen to the voices and problems among the various communities in the wake of the BN's dismal performance in the March 8 general election.

"We will be having a BN meeting soon," he told reporters after a close-door meeting with the Johor Umno here Friday.

The prime minister said he had his own plan which he would discuss with the component party leaders at the meeting.

The place and the date of the meeting would be determined later, he added.

-- BERNAMA

Sembahyang Agama Buddha Sempena Peringatan Hari Polis Ke 201 Tahun

Sembahyang Agama Buddha Sempena Peringatan Hari Polis Ke 201 Tahun

Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur - 11 April 2008. Upacara Sembahyang Agama Buddha Sempena Peringatan Hari Polis Ke 201 Tahun telah di adakan di Kuil Buddha Maha Vihara, Brickfields. Hadir di upacara tersebut ialah YB Dato' Chor Chee Heung, Timbalan Menteri Dalam Negeri, YDH CP Dato' Koh Hung Sun, Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Komersil, YDH SAC I Leo Chong Cheong, Ketua Penolong Pengarah Inteligen Keselamatan, YDH SAC II Ku Chin Wah, Ketua Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Kuala Lumpur, Pegawai-pegawai Kanan, anggota, kakitangan awam serta masyarakat setempat. Di majlis itu juga, YB Dato' Chor Chee Heung, Timbalan Menteri Dalam Negeri telah menyampaikan sumbangan dari PDRM berjumlah RM13,000 dari kutipan derma pegawai, anggota serta masyarakat setempat kepada Ketua Sami Sanghanayaka Malaysia, K. Sri Dhammaratana Nayaka Maha Thero. Kutipan derma itu akan di berikan kepada Buddist Maha Vihara, Ti Ratana Welfare Society, bekas L/Kpl Yusanna binti Asim, L/Kpl Mohamad Edwin bin Abdullah, L/Kpl Abd Hafiz bin Jamalul Ramli, D/Sjn Nur Aminah Ong binti Abdullah dan keluarga mendiang L/Kpl/D Phang Kwek Hin.

MB Kedah minta Karpal tutup mulut

KUALA LUMPUR, 9 April (Hrkh) - Polemik sensitif yang berlanjutan berikutan kenyataan Pengerusi DAP, Karpal Singh tentang negara Islam telah mengundang balas daripada Menteri Besar Kedah Ustaz Azizan Abdul Razak untuk menyanggah kata-kata beliau sebelum ini.

Malah Ustaz Azizan menyifatkan Karpal tiada pemahaman jelas berhubung isu tersebut sehingga menyebabkan beliau mengeluarkan kenyataan yang mengundang kemarahan ramai di samping mendapat teguran daripada Mursyidul Am PAS Tuan Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

Menurut laporan, Azizan meminta Pengerusi DAP Karpal Singh menutup mulut dan berhenti bercakap tentang PAS dan kaitan dengan negara Islam sebaliknya harus memberi tumpuan kepada isu yang lebih besar yang boleh dibincangkan di antara PAS dan DAP.

"Saya rasa perkara terbaik adalah dia berhenti bercakap tentang perkara tersebut.

"Banyak lagi isu-isu lain yang lebih besar untuk diperkatakan,"kata Azizan yang dipetik daripada akhbar berbahasa Inggeris.

Beliau berkata Karpal bebas untuk menyatakan pendapatnya dan tidak ada sesiapa yang akan menghalangnya.

"Kita juga tidak katakan kepada Karpal supaya jangan menentang usaha-usaha PAS untuk menjadikan Malaysia sebagai sebuah negera Islam,

"Karpal ada pandangannya terhadap hudud, tetapi ada juga pendapat lain tentang undang-undang Syariah.

"Sebenarnya dia bukan sahaja kurang faham tentang perkara tersebut, bahkan dia tak faham langsung," kata Ustaz Azizan.

Beliau berkata, kerajaan Kedah yang diketuai oleh PAS tidak pernah berbincang tentang pelaksanaan hudud di Kedah sebab ia tidak termasuk di dalam manifesto PAS Kedah dalam pilihan raya umum yang lalu.

"Mereka yang takut kepada hudud adalah perompak dan barang siapa yang tidak mencuri atau merompak, tidak takut kepada perlaksanaan Hudud," katanya. - mks

source : - www.harakahdaily.net

Hindraf lodges report against info officer

Wednesday April 9, 2008

PENANG: A police report has been lodged against an Islamic Information and Services Foundation officer for allegedly condemning Hinduism during a recent closed-door ceramah in Alor Star, Kedah.

Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) co-ordinator R.S. Thanenthiran said the ceramah was recorded and 11 clips were uploaded onto YouTube.

“We did our own checks and discovered that he had also put down other religions.

“He should stop before he causes religious unrest in our peaceful country,” Thanenthiran said yesterday.

A police spokesman said they would investigate the report which was lodged at the Patani Road police station yesterday afternoon.

In Malacca, several Indian non-governmental groups and an individual have lodged police reports against the manager of a company in Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur, over alleged derogatory remarks made by him against Hinduism.

Malacca Hindu Sangam leaders of the Kota Melaka, Bukit Katil, Tangga Batu and Jasin MIC divisions, including an individual, lodged the report at the Central Malacca police station yesterday.

In their report, they claimed that the culprit had been making derogatory remarks in talks and in a website about Hinduism over the last several years.

His remarks are also in YouTube.

MIC wants more Indians in public service

Saturday April 5, 2008

MIC wants the Government to increase the recruitment of eligible Indians into the public sector to up to eight per cent, the Malaysia Nanban reported.

Currently, annual recruitment rate of Indians into the public sector was lower than five per cent, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu told reporters after chairing the party’s central committee meeting at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

He said the number of Indians recruited was not enough to tackle unemployment in the Indian community.

Samy Vellu said MIC would also ask the Government to consider speeding up the process of recruiting Indians in government-linked companies (GLC), as well as in the private sector.

The Barisan Nasional would get back the support of the Indian community if it met some of MIC's requests under the 9th Malaysia Plan.

He said the requests included expediting measures to increase equity for the Indians through provision of a fund and the setting up of a foundation like Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) with the aim of increasing Indian equity to 3% by 2010.

He said that this was crucial because Indian equity had dropped to 1.2% from the previous 1.5%.

MIC to hold workshop with NGOs on community issues

Sunday April 6, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: The MIC, which received a severe beating in the general election, is organising a workshop in two months time for some 1,200 Indian-based non-governmental organisations and associations to discuss issues affecting the community.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said a report on the workshop would be submitted to the Government through Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

“We will request for the necessary assistance from the Government as well as the relevant ministries after submitting the report,” he said after meeting 40 representatives from Kuala Lumpur-based NGOs yesterday.

Samy Vellu said the MIC was listening to their views as they had been working with the people on the ground.

“We have asked them (the representatives) to give us reports on the problems faced by the Indian community in their areas,” he said.

He said that he had already discussed with NGOs in Penang in January while another meeting has been scheduled in Johor Baru soon.

“I have also sought their assistance to disseminate information on the availability of skills training courses for Indian youths in the government training institutes,” he said.

On the cooperation between the MIC and Indian Progressive Front, he said the two parties had cooperated well during the general election.

“We have given them two options either to work closely with MIC or dissolve and merge with MIC. It is their decision,” he said.

Samy Vellu: Govt should look into Indian woes

PETALING JAYA: MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has urged the Government to look into the problems faced by the various communities, including the Indians in the country.

“They have to think of everybody and not someone whom they like.

“They must see the tears in the eyes of the Indian community. I have seen it, cried and sat with them and did whatever they wanted,” he said.

“They (the people) need the government support. They must not make the same mistakes as before and should fulfil the promises made as soon as possible,” he told reporters after launching the Sri Murugan Centre’s 25th national workshop yesterday and honouring 12 students who scored 10As and above in the SPM examinations

Samy Vellu also said he would speak to the Chief Secretary to the Government and the director-general of the Public Services Department to provide scholarships to Indian students who scored 10A1s and above in SPM.

“These students have excelled in their studies and should be given scholarships to study in their fields of choice,” he said.