As Indian Malaysians celebrate 'Ponggal' or the harvest festival today, MIC leaders called on the Indian community to work harder and gain more knowledge and skills in the face of an economic slowdown.

They acknowledged that many Indians were now educated, some even having a string of university degrees, and it would become handy if Malaysia were to fall into recession.

samy vellu exclusive on tamil schools 080708 06 MIC president S Samy Vellu said he was happy that the party's move to establish the Aimst Universiti in Kedah and the Tafe college in Negeri Sembilan have helped to create thousands of professionals.

"Today, we can see many educated Indians and many of them are professionals. They earn better income and are able to pull out from the shackles of poverty that have plagued the community for so long.

"Gone are the days when financial constraints posed hindrance to the Indian community's development. Today, they have access to education and employment," he said in his Ponggal message.

Samy Vellu said MIC would continue to give priority to education through its educational arm, the Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED).

"The MIED has sponsored more than 9,000 Indian students by disbursing close to RM100 million in study loan and grants,” he said.

He said MIC was working closely with the government to create more business and employment opportunities for Indians, especially in the government sector.

The MIC president said while it was easy to blame others for one's misfortune, they should not forget that the government has provided many opportunities for Indians to excel.

"I am not saying this to please the government but when good things are done, it must be told, and when a person does not grab the opportunities provided by the government, they only have themselves to blame," he said.

He said MIC would ensure that the Indians get fair treatment, and to do that, the party would need the support and the cooperation of all parties.

Get the right skills

Meanwhile, MIC secretary-general DR S Subramaniam in his Ponggal message, called on the Indian community to equip themselves with the right skills.

dr s subramaniam interview 210308 01 The human resources minister said his ministry has sufficient training institutes to cater for Indian youths who wish to take up technical courses.

"With reports that many companies may be downsizing, we have to master as many skills as possible to prepare for any eventuality," he said.

He said for the Indian community to be independent and resilient, they must be strong, focused, disciplined and committed.

Subramaniam said the government, through the Cabinet Committee for the Development of Indians, has initiated several new programmes for Indians, and they were being implemented in stages.

He said his Ministry being the Secretariat of the Cabinet Committee, would monitor all these programmes and initiatives to ensure they were implemented accordingly.

He said the prime minister and deputy prime minister had personally pledged to ensure that the needs of the Indian community would be addressed.

Nalla: Be good citizens

nallakarupan interview 220307 answer The Malaysian Indian United Party (MIUP) president KS Nallakaruppan in his Ponggal greetings urged youngsters not to waste away their future by being involved in non-productive activities.

"Our youngsters must take advantage of the various skills-training schemes on offer. They should use the available opportunities to upgrade themselves," he said in a statement today.

Nallakaruppan also urged the Indian youths not to be involved in gangsterism and other criminal activities.

‘Be good citizens and start life anew with the Ponggal," he said, adding that Hindus in this country must remain united.