DAP claims that the BN task force to monitor the participation of the Indian community in government projects and programmes is just a gimmick to hoodwink the Indian community in Hulu Selangor into voting BN back to power.

m moorthy 301205 a sivanesan The party's national labour bureau chief and Perak vice-chairman A Sivanesan ( right ) told Malaysiakini today that the Indian community had been subjected to false election promises in the past 53 years of BN rule.

Premier Najib Abdul Razak had appointed MIC vice president Dr S Subramaniam to head this special task force for the poor and low-income group, to access public sector services such as poverty eradication programmes, educational programmes, and affordable housing projects.

The Hulu Selangor seat is a straight fight between BN candidate MIC Information chief P Kamalanathan,44, and PKR candidate party coordinator Zaid Ibrahim for this seat following the death of PKR MP Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad.

Sivanesan said "The Indian community in the country has been always marginalised as they have been always treated as mere coolies and subjected to Umno rule.

"Umno did not share the country's economic cake with Indians to be on par with the other races for the past 53 years. But now suddenly they are promising to uplift the socio-economic status of the community," said Sivanesan, who is also Sungkai assemblyperson.

"How will Umno give respect and consideration to the welfare of the Indian community when they do not even respect MIC leader S Samy Vellu's choice of candidate ( MIC deputy president) G Palanivel for the Hulu Selangor by-Election?" he asked.

There was a tussle in BN between Umno and MIC over the candidate for Hulu Selangor. Samy wanted Palanivel, while Umno didn't.

NONE Finally, Samy was forced to agree to Kamalanathan ( left ) as a candidate acceptable to all.

‘Castles in the air'

Sivanesan said "During every election, Umno likes to build castles in the air for the Indian community. Then they disappear until the next election when they show up with more promises."

This is seen in the Bagan Pinang by-election in Negeri Sembilan where the BN candidate won after raising hopes of welfare assistance, building low cost houses for the estate workers and allocations for Tamil schools.

Sivanesan claimed that as the promises were not kept, the BN assemblyman is now hardly seen, and he wants the Indian voters in Hulu Selangor to learn from this.

The DAP lawyer also asked why religious schools on private land could be given full government assistance in education funds whereas Tamil schools situated on private land have been kept away from the mainstream of federal education policies and funds.

Another disappointment was is the proposed sale of the Maika Holdings cash cow, Oriental Capital Assurance Bhd, for RM105 million.

Sivanesan figured that the estimated 66,000 Maika shareholders will only receive 85 sen for each ringgit they sunk in 28 years ago, which is a poor return on their investment .

However the DAP leader added it is about time that the Indian community woke up and did the necessary work to uplift their economic status for their future generations instead of looking forward to titbits and cash handouts at every election.