Many of the bumiputera minorities and other ethnic minorities are not confident that they are included in the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), according to a book, ‘Tapping the Opportunities and Plugging In’.

The book captures the views, concerns and suggestions of 18 prominent leaders and panel speakers at the Indian Malaysian community’s 2nd National Symposium held on May 31 this year.

The panel speakers included Prof Edmund Terence Gomez (UM), Prof S Susela Devi (Unitar), NS Rajendran (PM’s Department), Dr AT Raja (SEED), Dr Krishnan Manium (Special Implementation Task Force on Indian community or SITF), Siva Subramaniam (SITF), Rama Ramanathan (Proham secretariat), S Pasupathi (My Skills Foundation), Dr Thaatchaayini Kananatu (Sunway University), BP Kamalanathan (Deputy Minister), Senator Jaspal Singh, Jasmine Adaickalam (Community Codes), Dr Thambiraja (SMC) and Denison Jayasooria (Institute of Ethnic Studies or Kita of UKM).

Jayasooria, who edited the book, said there was a need for delivery agencies to also reach out with empathy and compassion to those in the low income group or lowest 40 percent of society.

For this reason, he said, there must be a clear monitoring mechanism to ensure that this takes place, including a hand-holding process and social preparation for those in the lowest 40 percent of the population, so that they are included in the 11th development plan.

The recommendations were made to strengthen the achievements and enlarge them on one hand, as well as address the shortcomings with new initiatives in the 11th Malaysia Plan period with a proposed transformational agenda for community resilience and cohesion in 38 districts in nine states in Peninsular Malaysia.

Jayasooria noted in the book: “In Malaysian society there is a severe neglect of self-help and self-reliance strategies as most politicians respond to quick fixes by handing out money. This is a wrong strategy and we must foster hard work and innovation at the grassroots.

“Counter services and empathy of frontline staff are most essential for those in the lowest 40 percent income group to feel the caring nature of the state. Many experience the opposite and therefore there is a need for training, capacity building to understand the different needs, ethnic, religious and gender diversity.”

There are other major obstacles and challenges for effective delivery, Jayasooria added.

DAP vice-chairperson and former senator S Ramakrishnan said the 11MP had not recognised the issue of counter service, implementation and monitoring the progress of execution of the plan.

“Therefore, we need to assist and ensure that all Malaysians will experience the professional quality of the service that they rightly deserve. The government is giving money to NGOs and there is no proper reporting mechanism on the optimum utilisation of government allocations.

“The 11MP does not really focus on those in the lowest 40 percent income group because it lacks accountability and a reporting system,” Ramakrishnan said.