An Indian Malaysian opposition MP went head to head with a BN deputy minister in the Dewan Rakyat today, debating alleged government failures to uplift the fate of Malaysians of Indian descent.

NONE “Indians have been marginalised, they have become third class citizens,” decried M Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) in a supplementary question during Question Time today.

He said that the failures of the BN-led government in this regard are clearly self-evident, claiming that 70 percent of Indians still earn less than RM700 a month, with the minority community being plagued with social ills.

“Indians have the highest numbers of gangsters, the highest number of unemployed, the highest number of alcoholics and the highest number of single mothers".

Kulasegaran also acidly referred to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department SK Devamany, who fielded his original question on the government's efforts to help Indians, as 'Mr Poet', for the former BM teacher is known for reciting pantun during his Dewan Rakyat appearances.

"This is a bit under the belt. He is a cheapskate guy," retorted Devamany when he stood to answer the supplementary question.

"I am a resident of Ipoh Barat. My house is there. The Ipoh Barat MP, what are his contributions to halls and schools in the constituency? None," he said.

NONE

To this, Kulasegaran asked what the government was for if an MP like him was asked to do everything.

"Otherwise we can just shut down the government."

While admitting that the BN government's efforts were "not perfect" and that "there are problems", the deputy minister said that things were well on the way to uplifting the lives of Malaysians of Indian descent.

Devamany ( left ) also took another jibe at Kulasegaran for standing up to interject without leave from him or the speaker.

"If my pupils are like these, not listening to me, I will eject them from the classroom ".

The remark further ruffled the Ipoh Barat MP, who retorted, "That is the speaker's prerogative. Don't teach me."

The economic fate and social issues of Indian Malaysians have been a sore point for the BN-led government as it has to admit that their situation does need improvement while trying to deny that its Indian policies have not met with much success.

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