This is a reply to M Kulasegaran, P Uthayakumar and P Waythamoorthy on issues related to the Indian Malaysian community in Malaysia.

On Oct 21, 2016, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak presented the government’s 2017 Budget. In his speech, the prime minister reiterated the commitment of the government to continue spending to spur economic growth, maintain fiscal stability and improve the living standards for the bottom 40 percent (B40) of households in this country.

In addition to the budget, the prime minister, aware of the additional needs of the Indian Malaysian community, announced Indian Malaysian-specific initiatives under the budget. As a matter of fact, the prime minister is the first prime minister who acknowledged the special needs of the Indian Malaysian community and made sure Indian Malaysian-specific initiatives are included in the budget.

Unfortunately, the effort taken by the prime minister to assist the Indian Malaysian community by introducing Indian Malaysian-specific initiatives was met with objection by the opposition and opposition-friendly NGOs.

However, I am not surprised by the attacks by these opposition leaders as that is what they do best. They only attack all the good programmes and initiatives introduced by the government but themselves fail to contribute to the well-being and improvement of the Indian Malaysian society at large. The four (4) Indian leaders who had criticised the budget were M Kulasegaran (DAP), R Sivarasa (PKR), P Uthayakumar (Hindraf) and P Waythamoorthy (Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia).

In order for the Indian Malaysian community to not be misled by these irresponsible Indian Malaysian leaders, I will address each issue highlighted by them accordingly. Kulasegaran of DAP alleged that the BN government was good only in delivering empty promises to secure the Indian votes.

Meanwhile brothers Uthayakumar and Waythamoorthy, who was once appointed a senator and a deputy minister under the Prime Minister’s Department, say that the budget is only a “wayang kulit” for the Indian Malaysian community in general.

All the allegations by these opposition leaders are wrong and it shows that they have never cared for the Indian Malaysian community and are only clever in playing politics for their own benefit. This is because since assuming the leadership of the country on April 3, 2009, in the space of six to seven years, the prime minister has done a lot for the Indian Malaysian community as what he has promised to us.

There was not a single empty promise as alleged by Kulasegaran of DAP.

Some of the significant contribution of the prime minister to the Indian Malaysian community was the establishment of the Secretariat for Empowerment of Indian Entrepreneurs (SEED) which is directly parked under the Prime Minister’s Department. The BN government, via SEED, has channeled hundreds of millions of ringgit (approximately RM696,000,000) to assist and empower Indian Malaysian entrepreneurs in their business.

As of now, 23,851 entrepreneurs has been assisted via this programme since 2012.

In addition to SEED, the BN government under the prime minister has also set up a special unit, the Socio-Economic Development of the Indian Community, set up in the Prime Minister’s Department. This special unit was given RM 100,000,000 to assist non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and training institutions of the Indian community.

Special incentives

In addition to the above, the prime minister had also announced special incentives for the Indian Malaysian community such as Tekun loans for as much as RM50 million, RM30 million in micro-credit financing via Amanah Ikthiar Malaysia, RM30 million for Indian Malaysian women entrepreneurs, RM30 million for youth training and finally hundreds of million for maintenance and repair of Tamil schools.

All of these Indian Malaysian-specific initiatives complement the annual general budget that is presented by the government for the general public.

I have presented all the Indian Malaysian-specific initiatives and efforts taken by the prime minister to alleviate the social-economy status of the Indian Malaysian community since assuming the leadership of the country.

The question is, what has the opposition done for the Indian Malaysian community in assisting the community via Indian Malaysian-specific initiatives? In all honesty the opposition has done nothing for the Indian Malaysian community, be in either in Kelantan, Selangor or Penang. If DAP is daring enough, why have they never published the numbers of Indian Malaysian families who managed to get a low-cost house in Penang?

Realising that they cannot dislodge the prime minister via the electoral system, DAP, PKR and now Hindraf are working with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to bring down Najib via the ‘back door’. Has these opposition parties and leaders forgotten what Dr Mahathir has done to the Indian community as alleged by their own party leaders such as P Ramasamy, the Deputy Chief Minister of Penang?

There is nothing for Indian Malaysians to be proud of when it comes to Mahathir. His policies in promoting bumiputera bordered on racism and exclusivity that denied other communities their legitimate expectations. While there was opposition, it was too weak to challenge the racist policies of Mahathir, according to Ramasamy.

Major U-turn

However, suddenly now these Indian Malaysian leaders in the opposition have suddenly done a major U-turn by working and joining forces with Dr Mahathir to remove the prime minister. This is the same man who was responsible for the marginalisation of Indians for 22 years of his premiership. Has the opposition now turned a blind eye on all the mistakes made by Dr Mahathir?

I know that the opposition is getting insecure with the continued perseverance and dedication of the PM to directly reach out and engage the Indian Malaysian community. Due to the PM’s popularity with the Indian Malaysian community, the opposition is now bankrupt of ideas that they are resorting to all acts of belittling the efforts taken by the prime minister for the Indian Malaysian community.

As a conclusion, I can reiterate and confirm again that the opposition leaders, especially the Indian leaders are all cheap talkers without any substance. They rant and foam through their mouths attacking the prime minister for his Indian Malaysian-specific initiatives but they themselves fail to assist the Indian Malaysian community to improve the community’s social and economic status.

Fortunately, the Indian Malaysian community has now come to realise that the opposition cannot be trusted and counted for in times of hardship.

It is only the prime minister and his team in Barisan Nasional that is working hard for the Indian Malaysian community and this has got the opposition worried. That is why they are attacking the government, it is because the initiatives introduced is gaining traction and showing good results for the community. We in BN will keep up the momentum and good work that is being done by the prime minister despite what is being said by the opposition.

S VELL PAARI is a central working committee (CWC) member of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC).