The Indian Dilemma Part 2
By Ganabatirau Veraman
One general opinion that seems to have formed after the successful installation of the MADANI government in 2022 is that the Malaysian Indian voters have been side-lined once again, considering the little attention or importance that have been paid to issues concerning them or the decisions that have been made affecting them.
Some are also holding the view that the current government is almost same as the previous one when it comes to the treatment of the community. Many promises have not been met, or implemented while others remain undiscussed. Could their undivided support all this while mean nothing?
The community is aware of the fact the government cannot fully go out of its way and introduce as many left-wing policies as possible. Therefore, I understand and welcome the MADANI government’s constant effort to attract the Malay community’s support – which I think is very necessary to maintain political stability. However, it is my humble opinion that in the process of garnering the Malay support, we cannot afford to lose the support from the non-Malay voters, especially Indian voters.
One sore issue remains in the education sector. Many Indian students are left out and are unable to get a seat in public universities due to the already existing race-based quota system. The case of many students with straight As not getting the opportunities they deserve remain unresolved.
In the previous years, the government would announce the exact number of seats provided for Indian student. This information is no longer available now. There must be more transparency when it comes to the topic of matriculation, JPA Scholarships, and foundation programs’ quota for Indian students.
Malaysian Indian voters have shown their full support to the Pakatan Harapan block but their support has not been reciprocated with the right action. The idea of pursuing Malay votes is fine, but there must be equal effort put to pursue the support of all race groups whether Malay, Chinese, Indians, Sabahan, or Sarawakians.
It is my hope that our Prime Minister and the MADANI government would give more attention and care towards the Indian voters and their areas of concern especially when they have always been there – even when the present government was not in power.
Standing up for the minority group is not a crime but a mere action to give voice to the voiceless and this is what this article is about. In the next episode, I will look into how the denial of some job opportunities, lack of support from the government to venture into entrepreneurship, and shortage of economical opportunities are slowly making matters worse…
Ganabatirau Veraman is the Member of Parliament for Klang. In a series of articles, he speaks of his aspirations and hopes to see an overall upliftment for the Malaysian Indian community. He hopes that his advocacy for more action will bring greater support and deserving fair deals for the community.
The views expressed here are that of the writer’s and not necessarily that of Weekly Echo’s.