Have Indian Malaysians really outperformed bumiputeras by 27 percent as stated in the 9th Malaysian Plan (9MP)?

The question was asked and debated vigorously today at a parliamentary roundtable on the 9MP organised by Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang at Parliament House.

"Indians who have been screwed up in every aspect of their lives are classified as holding 27 percent more than bumiputeras...?" asked an incredulous K Arumugam, co-ordinator of Concerned Citizens Group.

The 9MP, unveiled on March 31, states that the ratio of mean income of bumiputeras to Indians has narrowed slightly from 1:1.29 in 1990 to 1:1.27 in 2004, while the mean income ratio of bumiputeras to Chinese has changed from 1:1.74 in 1990 to 1:1.64 in 2004.

Arumugam said poverty alleviation programmes have been focused on the bumiputeras since Indians have been placed in a higher income group.

"The Plan has given the wrong perception that Indians are rich. I don't know how to address the poverty of Indians as the Indians are rich here... so how to address?" he asked.

He questioned the figures provided in the 9MP, saying he doubted the methodology used to arrive at such conclusions.

"If the figures are true, why are so many Indians still living in poverty? ...The information does not reflect reality," he said.

"I would say outright that the 9th Plan is a total failure and it's not going to benefit the country by outlining mission excellence and all this nonsense....When the plan cannot address the needs of the poor, what is it for?"

Unacceptable figures

On the same note, Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar said the assertion that Indians are 1:1.27 times richer than Malays is unacceptable.

"These figures, we believe, are politically motivated and do not reflect the truth about the Indian poor," he said.

He said the human capital development schemes to create a more prosperous bumiputera middle class should be extended to the Indian poor.

The forum chaired by DAP leader A Sivanesan also featured DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, DAP parliamentarian M Kula Segaran, and Group of Concerned Citizens co-ordinator Charles Santiago.

Santiago cautioned that income inequality will deteriorate under the five-year national development plan as no concrete programmes have been set to tackle the problem.

"It will create income inequality within the community itself....It's a terrible news actually," he said.

The report revealed that the country's Gini coefficient - a measurement for income disparity - has worsened from 0.452 in 1999 to 0.462 in 2004.

Santiago said the three percent Indian equity by 2020 will only be co-opted by the Indian middle class and rich.

"How many Indians can actually increase their equity? Not many can actually acquire that three percent equity," he said.

He said the 9MP does not provide support to Tamil schools, which 60 percent of Indian children attend.

Resolutions adopted

Kit Siang said the 9MP has confirmed the "relentless marginalisation" of the Indians as the new underclass in Malaysia.

"The Indian equity stake has fallen to 1.2 percent, and there is a downward revision of the three percent Indian equity target in 2010, which is pushed back to 2020," he said.

He also cited the sharp fall in the number of Indians in the public sector and the continued dominance of Indians in crime, prisons and the Simpang Renggam detention camp as examples of the deteriorating situation of the community.

The participants later set up a steering committee chaired by Arumugam to monitor the implementation of the 9MP. Other committee members are Sivanesan, Utayakumar and unionist AV Kathaiah.

Three resolutions were adopted:

1) Implementation of policies shall be taken away from civil servants and handed over to an eminent group which would be answerable to Parliament;

2) Allocation of government funds should to be distributed to every parliamentarian and state assemblyperson equally regardless of their political stance; and

3. The forum questions the accuracy, methodology and veracity of the figure put forward by the Malaysian government in the 9th Malaysia Plan which in fact states that Indians has outperformed the Bumiputera by 27 percent and understated the poverty level among Indian and other Malaysians.