3 Questions to ask on PM's meeting with Indian NGOs

Would the PM have met the Indian NGOs recently if the Hindraf rally have not taken place?
The answer is of course no. That meeting clearly indicates that Hindraf have been successful in highlighting the plight of Indians and bringing forward their expectations as rightful citizens of this country. Although on the surface, the government label the Indian protestors that day as gangsters, and now to have terrorist links, but in reality they know that the peope that gathered that day were just simple, ordinary Malaysian Indians crying out for justice. Although on the surface, they claim that life is dandy for the Indians, in reality, they realise that the community is really unhappy. Just imagine, if not for the November 25 rally, the December 14 meeting would never have taken place. Is this not a victory of sorts for Hindraf?

Why is there a need for the PM to meet the Indian NGOs directly to hear out their problems?
Isn't the role of Samy Vellu, as head of MIC, to highlight the problems of Indians to the PM? If our very busy PM has to meet the Indian NGOs directly to hear their grouses, does that mean that Samy Vellu has not been doing his job? Or, is he living in an imaginary world where the life of Malaysian Indians is just super? Has he not been spending enough time getting his hands and feet dirty visiting the estates and seeing first hand the miserable life of the workers there? By meeting the NGOs directly, is the PM saying that Samy Vellu was not carrying out his duties effectively? The answers are yes, yes, yes and yes. It is another slap in the face for Samy, and if he has any dignity left in him, he should step down.

Is the PM sincere in putting an end to the unhappiness of the Indian people?
Was the meeting an election ploy? Was it damage control on the PM's part, as head of Barisan Nasional? Would the PM have bothered to meet the Indian NGOs if the election was not around the corner? Let's give the man the benefit of the doubt, and assume that he was sincere. He listened with his big ears and took down notes. So did Samy Vellu. Will these notes be transformed into policy changes that will uplift the Indian community? Let us see what action takes place from now until election day. Will the PM announce that 8% of university seats will go to Indians? Or will he say that 8% of jobs in the public sector be allocated to Indians? Maybe he will declare that companies with Indian majority shareholders be given government contracts, loans and subsidies? Will the Indian poor be given discounts when purchasing houses? Please don't get your hopes too high. The meeting is most probably a pre-election drama, and if that is really the case, don't be surprised if the notes that the PM and Samy Vellu took, have already landed in some waste-paper basket!

Questions for MIC's Hotline

As a result of the Hindraf rally, the MIC is planning to set up a hotline to listen to the Malaysian Indian's grievances. By introducing this hotline, MIC is only facilitating the manner in which problems are transmitted to the party big wigs. Looks like the traditional way of bringing your complaints to your elected official (irrespective of which party they belonged to) was not working too well for the Indians. Nevertheless, I think we should give this hotline a chance.

Once the hotline is up and running, I am sure it will be ringing non-stop. These are some of the questions my active imagination conjured up:

Caller 1: My son got 5 A's in his SPM, but failed to get place in UTM for even a diploma course. My neighbor, a non-Indian, managed to get a place in a degree course although he got only 2 A's. How is that possible?

Caller 2: Sale of samsu is rampant in our estate. Many families are suffering when the head of the family becomes addicted to this poison. Can the MIC urge the government to take this issue seriously and ban the sale and consumption of samsu, similar to what they have done for ganja and other illicit drugs?

Caller 3: I just graduated and would like to join the public sector. However, I don't see any Indian director-generals anywhere. This has demotivated me from joining the government sector. I want to work hard and reach the top. What can MIC do to remove this glass ceiling that discourages me and other Indians from joining the public sector?

Caller 4: I am in Form 6. I miss my Malay friends who were with me in Form 5. Most of them are now pursuing their studies overseas with government loans or scholarships. Can the MIC urge the government to send me also? I want to be with my friends again. Don't worry, my SPM results are as good as theirs.

Caller 5: I will be sitting for my PMR examinations next year. I live in an estate where the electricity is generated using a generator. The power goes off at 9 p.m., just when I am about to do my homework, and study for my exams. After school, I need to take care of my siblings and do household chores since both my parents work as rubber-tappers and are not home. Can the MIC do something to extend the power up to 12 midnight, so that I can study hard for a brighter future than my parents?

Caller 6: Whatever happened to M. Magendren and N. Mohandas, the first Malaysians to conquer Mt. Everest? Abdul Malik Mydin was made a Datuk for swimming across the English Channel. Why weren't these two heroes given the Datuk title? Don't tell me swimming across the channel is more difficult then reaching the Everest summit. Please right the wrong, MIC. It is better late than never.

Caller 7: My mom was born in Malaysia before 1957. She still has a red IC as she is only a permanent resident and not a citizen. I heard the government has been giving citizenships to Indonesians who not only came here recently, but were also not born in Malaysia. Is this true? If yes, what can MIC do to help? She sent her application 9 years ago, and until today, nobody has touched her file.

Caller 8: I am calling from Malacca. It is insulting to have a place named Tg. Keling here after 50 years of independence. The government has changed many street and town names which hint that we were once colonized by the Mat Sallehs. Why not change the name of Tg. Keling too since the "K" word is disrespectful to the Indians?

Samy Vellu is expecting calls to focus mainly on Tamil schools and Hindu temples. He may be surprised to find out that the Malaysian Indians world does not revolve only on these two issues. Be prepared to get an earful.