MIC president S Samy Vellu today labelled the mother of an eight-year-old rape victim who claimed that the police had turned a blind eye to her problems as a "publicity seeker".

"If she behaves and sits in the house, we may be able to help her but she does not want to. She wants publicity everyday,"said Samy.

"Her issue has become increasingly popular and if the issue becomes too popular, she would not be getting anything," he warned.

Samy was referring to the mother (whose name is being withheld) who had publicly pleaded several times for police protection after her husband was killed following the rape of her daughter.

According to the mother, her plight mounted when her husband lodged a police report in July on the abduction and rape of their daughter by five men as she was returning home from school.

Following this, the family was constantly harassed, and one of the rape victim's siblings was abducted and assaulted as well.

A month later, the victim's father - the sole breadwinner of the family - was slashed to death near his house in Sentul. However, the police say the murder is not linked to the rape.

The victim's mother was assaulted on Nov 20, when several men broke into their house in search of her cousin - who she claimed is a material witness in the murder of her husband.

Last month, she filed a negligence lawsuit against the police and is presently being sheltered by a non-governmental organisation.

Protection adequate

However, Samy, who is also works minister, contended that the police had provided adequate protection for the family.

"I don't think anyone would be given tight security. Only the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the prime minister would be given tight security," he said after officiating a multi-million ringgit project to tackle social ills among Indians at his office in Kuala Lumpur.

Asked on the steps taken by MIC in addressing the matter, Samy said the party had been pro-active in helping the woman.

"We tried to help her but she does not need that kind of help. When they came to the party, I provided them with RM2,000 but we did not want to publicise the matter," he said.

According to Samy, the government had also given her welfare grants and a house.