MIC slams 'rude' govt officer, deputy minister claims fake news

MIC central working committee member L Sivasubramaniam has urged Deputy National Unity Minister K Saraswathy to take strict action against one of her officers accused of using disrespectful words towards a mother who requested financial assistance for her child’s education.

This is after allegations spread on social media that one of her special duties officers had said, “Why send your child to study to be a doctor if you don't have money?”

According to Sivasubramaniam, about three weeks ago, the woman had asked for financial help for her son who is currently studying medicine in Russia.

During the meeting with the officer, she said the staffer had taken all the documents and promised to call after discussing them with the deputy minister.

However, the mother had to call the officer after not receiving any calls as promised.

‘Fake and fabricated news’

“During the conversation, the officer told the mother that he could not give the RM15,000 as requested. So, the mother again asked for as much help as possible.

“However, the official raised his voice saying ‘there are more Indian people who have a harder time than you, why send your child to study medicine if you don’t have the money’.

“To me, the officer’s actions were indeed ‘rude’. There is a way to tell this kind of thing.

“We in MIC want the officer to be investigated,” Sivasubramaniam told Malaysiakini.

However, Saraswathy denied the allegations which she described as politically motivated.

“This is fake and fabricated news that is politically motivated to discredit us.

“We will give a full explanation on Monday at 2pm at my service centre,” said the deputy minister when contacted.

‘Police report lodged’

Sivasubramaniam said he had met the woman who yesterday applied for financial assistance at the Advanced Educational Development Institute, MIC’s education arm.

He also revealed that MIC had previously loaned the mother RM15,000, but she’s now requesting another loan.

In a related development, the officer denied the allegations of raising his voice and uttering disrespectful words.

“The deputy minister and I will explain at a press conference on Monday.

“I will also file a police report on this false accusation that has been happening for the past two weeks,” he said.

‘Unfortunately, scolded by the officer’

The woman who asked for assistance said she was disappointed and saddened by the officer’s words.

“Every parent has the ambition to see their child get a higher education regardless of whether they have money or not. When we sent our child to Russia, we did not face financial issues.

“But, now our situation is not so good. That’s why I went to see the deputy minister to apply for financial assistance.

“Unfortunately, I was angered by his officer. Is our child not eligible to study medicine just because we don’t have money?” she asked.

According to her, her son is now a fourth-year medical student and needs RM35,000 for this semester.

“We have prepared RM20,000. I asked the deputy minister for the remaining RM15,000. But, it was rejected,” she explained.

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