What is the rational for the existence of Tamil schools? Why do they exist at all in this country? Are they there to fulfill S Samy Vellu’s prerogative as president of MIC and as a full minister in the ruling coalition? After all, elected reps in Malaysia from Dr Mahathir Mohamad to Samy Vellu claim exclusive prerogatives.

More questions. Do Tamils (they are the ones who go to Tamil schools) suffer socio-economic discrimination because they are not fluent in Malay and English? We must remember that the elite in this country are fluent in English and send their children to the US or the UK to study. Bahasa Malaysia is exclusively for the local lower classes.

What job opportunities are there for those who spend their primary school years (the very formative years of a person’s life) in Tamil schools? What quality of life can the Tamil school- educated adults expect?

Even more questions. What percentage of the Tamil-educated make it to university and on to well- paying jobs? What percentage of the Tamil-educated end up working in menial jobs? What percentage of lorry drivers and their assistants are Tamil-educated?

What percentage of the Tamil-educated read books and use public libraries (though public libraries are a disgrace in this country)? What percentage of the Tamil-educated use computers, the Internet and software applications?

What percentage of the Tamil-educated are emotionally stable and imaginative? What percentage of the Tamil educated stay away from the destructive Tamil movie culture?

The future (is there a future?) of the Tamils in this country will be determined by the answers to the above questions. Full stop.