The DAP is objecting against the Chinese community being ineligible for business loans from the Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga (Tekun) programme meant to help petty traders, hawkers, single mothers, small and medium business entrepreneurs.

dap education roundtable meeting 111006 m kulasegaran DAP national vice-chairperson and Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran( left ) told a media conference at party state headquarters here today, the Chinese community consists of 30 percent of the nation's population and 85 percent of them are taxpayers.

He claims to have confronted a Tekun official in Ipoh, asking why the Chinese community was left out. The reply was there is no provision for them.

He questioned Tekun's racial discrimination saying, "Not all in the Chinese community are rich as assumed by the Barisan government but there are also poor and needy people who need financial help to further their businesses."

The Tekun business loan programme charges minimum interest, so as not to financially burden the lower-income group in repaying their loans.

There is no need for either guarantors or collateral, with loans ranging from a minimum of RM500 to a maximum of RM50,000 according to the needs of applicants.

Tekun offices are also located in all parliamentary constituencies, making it convenient for loans to be repaid.

‘ Why the political interference?'

Kulasegaran also highlighted the plight of the Indian community which has been allocated only a 5 percent in Tekun.

But such funding comes with restrictions such as the Indian community cannot apply for the business loan directly but must go through the MIC-owned Yayasan Social Strategic Foundation (YSS) that is only in Kuala Lumpur.

The MP claims that this community is greatly discouraged, as they have to pay fees and name the political party they are affiliated to before YSS approves their application forms for Tekun.

Kulasegaran alleges that Indians' business loan applications are ignored if they are not MIC members.

He questioned why there is so much political interference and racial bias in such a programme that could help all Malaysians regardless of race to be independent instead of depending on government handouts.

"This goes against the very core of the 1Malaysia concept of (premier) Najib (Abdul Razak)," he said.

He wants the government to allow Indians to apply directly to Tekun offices instead of going through theYSS red tape, including having to go all the way to Kuala Lumpur to have their applications processed.